Congenital abnormalities are those which are present in the baby at the time of his\her birth. The reasons for such abnormalities may be hereditary, complications during delivery or problems in development in mother’s womb. Also, premature babies i.e. those babies born before completing the normal term of 37 weeks in their mother’s womb face the risk of developing certainpremature problems.

The most common congenital premature problems are:

Respiratory Distress Syndrome

This is a common condition among premature babies whose lungs are not fully developed. The symptoms of this condition are rapid breathing, pulling in of the ribs with each breath, flaring of the nostrils and in severe cases a grunting sound is emitted.

Congenital Heart Disease

This may be of many kinds but Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) is the most common congenital heart problem especially in premature babies. In this disease there is a hole in the wall dividing the right and left pumping chambers of the heart, causing the blood to mix. In some cases it may heal by itself while others may require surgery and in some cases it may be untreatable and\or may prove fatal.

Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate

It is a condition where parts of the baby’s face are not fused together properly. The baby may face problems during breast-feeding. Both these problems require surgery which may be conducted within a few months of baby’s birth.

Spinal Bifida

It is a condition in which the spinal cord fails to close properly leading to a small sac protruding from the spine. To reduce the risk of developing this condition some women are prescribed folic acid during their pregnancy. A surgery may be performed to remove the sac and close the spine.

Hydrocephalus

This is the build-up of cerebrospinal fluid in the baby’s brain which may result in mental retardation. It is treated by inserting a shunt in the child’s brain which drains out the excess fluid.

Coeliac Disease

This is a condition where the child’s intestine reacts strongly to gluten, a protein present in wheat, leading to severe diarrhea. This illness can be detected by a blood test and the child has to abstain from gluten containing food for the rest of his\her life.

Other congenital premature problems seen in babies are Down’s syndrome, clubfoot, sealed anus, penile abnormalities, cerebral palsy, dislocated hip, umbilical hernias, sickle cell disease and cystic fibrosis.