No parent wants their child to be born any different or have struggled with their health; however, for many parents and children, this is a possibility and a reality they live with each day. Congenital disabilities affect around 1 in 33 babies each year in the US, and many more babies develop illnesses in their formative years that can have lasting effects on their health for the rest of their lives.
Knowing how to deal with your child's condition, should they be born with one or help them get the help they need should they succumb to injuries or illnesses as they grow up, can put you in a better position to understand what the future holds for them and how you give them the best chance for success.
Eyesight
The presence of eyesight and ocular issues in babies is rare. Most babies are born with healthy vision, which becomes subject to change as they grow and develop. Nearly 3% of children under the age of 18 are blind or visually impaired in some way, according to the CDC, and this will range from needing glasses for mild sight loss to being completely blind and everything in between. The American Optometric Association recommends children see an optometrist from 6 months to help them check their eyesight and catch any issues early for complete and comprehensive eye care for the rest of their life.
Hearing
Up to 2 babies per 1,000 are born deaf. For babies who spend upwards of 48 hours in special care, this figure rises to 1 in 100. Commonly babies born profoundly deaf are born to parents with no previous history of hearing loss in the family. To further expand on this, your child can lose their hearing at any age, and regular hearing screenings before they reach one month old are typically carried out with full assessments before they reach three months. From here, you can identify any hearing concerns, such as hearing loss associated with ear deformities; there are more details on this website about how you can approach this condition, seek treatment for your child, and ascertain their hearing status. But as they grow older, there are many reasons why their hearing might be affected; measles and other hearing infections, accidents and injuries to the ear, and genetic disorders.
Pigeon Toe
Pigeon toes are a relatively common congenital disability that is painless and often corrects itself without medical intervention. It is when the toes on one foot or both feet are turned inward, and usually, this doesn't cause any issues or affect development. Around 1 in 5000 babies born will have pigeon feet. In the event, your child needs treatment to correct this, molds or casts and surgery are often used in extreme cases if the body doesn't self-rectify. There is no evidence that special shoes help to correct pigeon toe, nor does your child learning to walk barefoot impact the correction. The worst that will happen for many kids is they are more likely to trip over due to the turn.
Asthma
In the US, around 6 million children have asthma. Asthma is a common lung condition affecting kids and adults alike by making it hard for them to breathe occasionally. Typically there is some external contaminant or irritant that will trigger an asthma attack, and this condition can range from mild to severe, with over 30 children dying from asthma each year in the US. However, with the proper medication, asthma is entirely treatable, and some children grow out of it as they get older, while others will live with this condition their whole lives. Asthma can develop at any age, including adulthood and infections and respiratory locations are the most common cause of asthma-like symptoms in children under two. Most children will present with symptoms before age 5, and putting the right treatment plan in place will hope you limit the impact it has on their lives and help them breathe easier.
Allergies
One in thirteen children in the US has an allergy to at least one thing. Allergies are usually present by age two; however, any parents find food sensitivities and allergies when they start weaning; airborne allergens might even be diagnosed sooner than two years of age. You can have an allergy to almost anything, but the most common in the US are hay fever (pollen), egg, milk, soy, and peanuts. For many children and adults, simply avoiding eating and handling foods can be enough to ward off a reaction. It isn't quite as easy for those with hay fever, especially during high pollen season. Others might need to avoid being in the same room if their allergy is airborne such as being in a room where peanuts are or talking to someone who has recently consumed peanuts. The use of an epi-pen is required to help avoid the allergy being fatal.
There are many ailments your child can develop or be born with, but in many cases, they are highly treatable, and your child can go on to live a full and happy life.
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