2. Learning objectives
Define congenital abnormality
Mention the common types of congenital
abnormalities
Check each newborn baby to be sure that there is no
congenital anomaly
Provide appropriate care for babies with congenital
abnormalities
3. Definition
• Congenital abnormalities are also known as birth defects,
congenital anomalies or congenital malformations.
• Congenital anomalies can be defined as structural or
functional anomalies (for example, metabolic disorders) that
occur during intrauterine life and can be identified
prenatally, at birth, or sometimes may only be detected later
in infancy, such as hearing defects.
• In simple terms, congenital refers to the existence at or
before birth.
4. Food for thought.
•What is the cause of death in neonates with
congenital life during the first one month
compared to the rest of the months?
5. Disease Burden
• An estimated 303 000 newborns die within 4 weeks of birth
every year, worldwide, due to congenital anomalies.
• Causes of 2.68 million deaths during the neonatal period in
2015, worldwide
• Congenital anomalies can contribute to long-term disability,
which may have significant impacts on individuals, families,
health-care systems, and societies.
6. Causes /predisposing factors
• Although approximately 50% of all congenital anomalies cannot be linked
to a specific cause
• Genetic factors
• Socioeconomic and demographic factors
• Environmental factors
• Infections
• Maternal nutrition status
• Etc.
8. Cleft lip and cleft palate
• Cleft lip and cleft palate are problems of the mouth and lip.
• They affect about 1 in every 1,000 births.
• Cleft lip and cleft palate develop early in pregnancy when the
sides of the lip and the roof of the mouth do not fuse together as
they should.
• Cleft lip and cleft palate are caused by several genes inherited
from both parents.
• They are also caused by environmental things that scientists don’t
yet fully understand
10. Cleft palate
• Cleft palate happens when
the roof of the mouth does
not completely close.
• This leaves an opening that
can extend into the nasal
cavity.
• Cleft palate is not as
noticeable as cleft lip
because it is inside the
mouth.
11. Cleft lip
• This happens when the lip doesn’t
completely form in the womb
(uterus).
• How serious the cleft lip is can vary
greatly.
• The child may have a mild form,
such as a notching of the lip.
• Or the child could have a severe
form, with a large opening from
the lip up through the nose.
12. Concerns
•To parent, its stressful to adjust to the obvious
problem of the face, because it is so easily
noticed.
•Feeding problems
•Speech & language development difficulties
•Ear infections
•Dental infections
13. Treatment
• Treatment for cleft lip and cleft palate includes
surgery.
• A cleft lip can be repaired within the first several
months of life.
• Cleft palate repairs are usually done when the baby
is 9 to 18 months old, but before the age of 2.
14. Club foot( talipes)
• Club foot is a foot which has been distorted out of shape or
position in utero and cannot be moved to uncorrected
position.
• The foot appears to be in form of a club.
• Types of club foot
• 1. talipes equinovarus
• 2. talipes calcaneovalgal
• Both types are usually bilateral.
15. •In talipes equinovarus,
the foot is fixed in
plantar fixation
&deviates medially, i.e
the heel is elevated.
•The child walks on toes
16. • In talipes calneovagal as the foot
is dorsiflexed & deviates lateral,
i.e the heel is turned outward, &
anterior part of the food s
elevated on the outer border.
• The child walks on the outwardly
turned heel& the inner border of
the foot.
17. Treatment & nurses responsibilities
• Treatment must be started as soon as possible.
• Delay makes correction more difficult, since the bones &
muscles of the legs develop abnormally & the tendons will
be shortened.
• In infancy, application of the cast to hold the foot in correct
position maybe used.
• The nurse may be responsible 4 immobilization& holding the
child during cast application
18. • If the measure fails to correct, surgery on the tendons &
bones may be done in early childhood, & the legs and foot
placed in a cast
• Preparation for pre and post operation procedures
