Over 12,000 babies born in Israel with birth defects between 2001-2005
Despite technological advances, number of children with serious birth defects increased between 2001 and 2005.
By Yuval AzoulayMore than 12,000 babies were born in Israel with major birth defects between 2001 and 2005. About 1,400 of these children died as a result of their birth defects according to figures released Monday by the Health Ministry.
According to a ministry report from the Department of Mother, Child and Adolescent Health, 1.86 percent of all children were born with serious birth defects in 2005.
The ministry said that despite the advances in technology in recent years, which allow the detection of embryos with serious problems during pregnancy, the number of children born with serious problems is still high.
In recent years there has actually been an increase in the number of babies born with a problem that causes a defect in the heart walls, and those with another birth defect called hypospadias, in which the urethra opens on the undersurface of the penis.
The Health Ministry said the rise in hypospadias has also occurred in other Western countries, though why this happens is still not understood. One explanation is that the birth defect is caused by increased exposure to chemicals affecting hormonal balance, but the exact cause is still the subject of research. The source of these chemicals could be processed foods, industrial materials or other products.
Professor Yona Amitai, the head of the ministry's Department of Mother, Child and Adolescent Health and the author of the report, said that the encouraging news in the figures is the drop in the number of babies suffering from neural tube defects (NTDs), in which the neural tube fails to close properly. Amitai attributes this decrease to the wide use of folic acid by pregnant women.
The report also highlights an increase of between 10 and 20 percent in the number of birth defects in the Arab sector compared to that in the Jewish population.
Certain birth defects are seen to be increasing, said Amitai, because of improvements in testing; defects that were not identified previously are now revealed.
However, the ministry wants the public to take preventative steps by opting for genetic testing and increasing the use of folic acid for women of childbearing age. Amitai said that enriching flour with folic acid is likely to further decrease the occurrence of NTDs among babies, and this should be coordinated with the bakeries and the Industry and Trade Industry.
In terms of major birth defects, Amitai said, the situation in Israel is similar to that in the Western world. But Israel, he said, has a high percentage of women who do not undergo genetic testing due to religious beliefs.
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Tell me Shmuel do you have a child that has a birth defect? If you do that you deserve all the respect for raising your child and dealing with the difficulties. However it is not your right or anyone else's to decide what to do with a baby that has a genetic problem or a birth defect. What about families that test for Retts or Tay-Sachs or any other of hundred of diseases? Who are you to tell them to carry this baby and raise it. For that matter who are you to tell anyone not to abort their pregnancy. This is 2007 not 1907, would you prefer women go back to dirty room with a hanger to have an abortion. I have never has an abortion but if I choose to because of a birth defect or any other reason please don't preach that I should have the baby. This is a personal decision between the husband and the wife who have to raise the child no one elses.
""One explanation is that the birth defect is caused by increased exposure to chemicals affecting hormonal balance, but the exact cause is still the subject of research. The source of these chemicals could be processed foods, industrial materials or other products."" What about pharmaceutical drugs ??? every doctor knows that medical drugs ,like Thalomide can cause birth defects.Strange that the ministry report from the Department of Mother, Child and Adolescent Health,did not mention that.!!!!
Who are you to judge people who want to test and abort the fetus if G-d forbid there is a defect? There is no shame in giving birth to a child with a birth defect and of all the people I know in Israel they do not think that. If I want to have pre-natal testing and decide to abort my pregnancy due to a birth defect it is my decision not yours or anyone else. I will have to raise that child, take care of it, and worry about what will happen after I die. I had amniocentesis with my two children I was 29 and 33. And yes I plan to have another one in Israel and I will do amino as well as genetic testing. It is my decision and my husband?s not YOURS to decide if the risk is worth taking. SHAME ON YOU for being so judgmental.
Genetic testing, as per this article, means abortion. If a baby's test shows up with a defect - just dump it and use a nice euphamism so it does not sound like such a horrendous act. Would the number jump if all the abortions done were factored in? Would we still be "similar to that in the Western world"? How about mentioning just how many births were "avoided" by genetic testing??? Or is that just too politically incorrect to talk about... If you really want to help, how about supporting and encouraging Dor yashar - a wonderful program that, unfortunately, can be pretty expensive.
QUOTE In terms of major birth defects, Amitai said, the situation in Israel is similar to that in the Western world. But Israel, he said, has a high percentage of women who do not undergo genetic testing due to religious beliefs.UNQUOTE They forgot to mention that in Israel more test are performed during pregnancy and more pregnancies are aborted due to discovered "defects", such as Down Syndrom. Having a disabled child, especially a mental disabled child is a big shame in Israeli society. Both the mother and baby are at great risk during these tests, but nevertheless they are performed on a large scale! Very shameful to say the least.
C-e-l-l-u-l-a-r a-n-t-e-n-n-a-s !!!!!!!!!!!!