Add Reply
Add Comment As A Guest
Close Topic OptionsAlaska Newborns At Higher Risk For Defects
Alaska Newborns Higher Risk Defects - Psychology, Special Needs, Health - Posted: 18th Jul, 2008 - 1:24pm
Posts: 2 - Views: 676
Alaska Newborns At Higher Risk For Defects
You really have to wonder what is going on. I do know that our fetal alcohol rates are a lot higher here, especially among Alaska Natives. It was so frustrating working child protection seeing so many women let their addictions take precedence over the health of their unborn child.
| QUOTE |
| Alaska infants are twice as likely to be born with major birth defects as infants in the U.S. as a whole, according to a new study by the state Department of Health and Social Services -- and officials are at a loss to explain why. All races of Alaskans exceed national rates for "major congenital anomalies," according to the review of seven years of data (from 1996 through 2002) drawn from the Alaska Birth Defect Registry. But rates were especially high among Alaska Natives, for whom birth defects were reported in 10.5 percent of all live births, compared to 6 percent for all Alaskans. Among white Alaskans the rate was 4 percent. Among all Americans the rate was 3 percent. Alaska public health officials have long suspected that infants here suffer higher rates of birth defects, said Janine Schoellhorn, an analyst in the state's Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology unit. But previous evidence was limited and the number of birth defects varied substantially from year to year. "This is the first time we've been able to produce estimates that we are confident in publishing -- because we now have several years of data," Schoellhorn said. Congenital heart problems lead all other types of birth defects in Alaska, just as they do nationwide, the study reported. Chief among those were "atrial septal defects" and "ventricular septal defects" involving holes in the walls of the heart. But Alaska also posted higher than average rates of less common birth defects, such as cleft palates (two times the national average), fetal alcohol syndrome (four times the national average), and Hirschsprung's Disease, characterized by enlarged colons due to bowel obstructions (six times the national average). |
https://www.adn.com/life/health/story/466924.html
[IMG]https://media.adn.com/smedia/2008/07/17/01/987-17BirthDefectsWeb.graphic_large.prod_affiliate.7.gif[/IMG]
Edited: alskann on 18th Jul, 2008 - 6:30amSponsored Links:
TOPIC: Alaska Newborns At Higher Risk For Defects