< Back to Previous Page The Staggering Toll of Birth Defects on Our Most Vulnerable Form of Life Infants are born into this cold world in a traumatic experience and are the most vulnerable of all of nature’s creatures at birth.  Human infants also have the longest period of dependency on their parents of any other animal on earth. It is up to us, the parents, the OBGYN, the delivery staff, and society as a whole to make sure this world is safe for them to come into at this precious sage of life.    Birth defects are a main cause of infant deaths in the world and more than 20 percent of all infant deaths in the United States annually.  They can lead to mental or physical disabilities.  National Birth Defects Prevention Network (NBDPN) reports that almost 30 percent of all birth defects are caused by genetic and environmental factors such as the quality of life for the mother and baby, history of certain disorders, gene defects, etc.  All these factors can lead to birth defects.  The other 70 percent of cases of birth defects are attributed to unknown factors or circumstances.  The March of Dimes reports that approximately 150,000 babies are born with birth defects annually in the United States alone.  According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), three out of every 100 babies born in the United States have some kind of major birth defect. Birth defects are defined as structural, functional, or metabolic abnormalities that are present, though not necessarily apparent, at birth.  These abnormalities can be fatal or they can lead to mental or physical disabilities that can cause a lifetime of pain and suffering as well as staggering challenges for the child and the family.  There are thousands of known birth defects and many can be cure or treated but saddest ones are the ones that could have been prevented.  Many birth defects are the result of exposure to chemicals, poor medical treatment, careless actions on the part of the OBGYN or delivery staff, etc.