Gastroschisis Birth Defect Prevalence Rate Continues To Rise; Find Out More About The Defect And Why Researchers Are Perplexed

A fear that almost all people share is having a baby that is born with a birth defect. Unfortunately, a birth defect that affects the baby's intestines has been sharply rising for the past few decades 

According to a report from the Los Angeles Times, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has documented a prevalence rate increase of 263 percent over a period of 18 years for gastroschisis -- a birth defect that involves the protrusion of internal organs such as the intestines, liver and stomach through a hole near the baby's bellybutton. The annual average for cases of gastroschisis in the U.S. is about 2,000 every year.

Over the 18 years leading up to 2012, the CDC has documented a 263% increase in the birth defect, called gastroschisis, among children born to black mothers under the age of 20, said a report released on Thursday, Jan. 21, by the agency.

"Though the abnormality can be life-threatening, it is often surgically repaired soon after birth," the Los Angeles Times reports. "But because the affected organs are irritated by their exposure to amniotic fluid inside a mother's uterus, they can twist, swell, shorten and become infected." Other problems caused by the birth defect on babies include continuous disorders in the digestive system, difficulties absorbing the nutrients from food, problems hydrating the body and growth stunt.

Researchers are puzzled with the cause of the rise of the gastroschisis but suspect that the mother's diet and medicines taken during pregnancy might be the main causes of the development of the birth defect. Babies who have mothers who drank alcohol, smoked tobacco, acquired a sexually transmitted disease and gained too much weight when they were pregnant are also more susceptible to getting the birth defect.

"Currently, there is no known way to prevent gastroschisis," Healthguru says. The best thing that pregnant women can do is to take some steps in order to have a healthy pregnancy. These includes taking folic acid supplements every day, avoiding too much stress, and avoiding smoking, junk foods and alcoholic drinks.