Each year in the United States, about 150,000 babies are born with birth defects ranging from mild to life threatening. While progress has been made in the detection and treatment of birth defects, they remain the leading cause of death in the first year of life. Birth defects are often the result of genetic and environmental factors, but the causes of well over half of all birth defects are currently unknown. Following is a partial list of birth defects: Achondroplasia/Dwarfism Hemochromatosis Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency Huntington's Disease Anencephaly Hydrocephalus Arnold-Chiari Malformation Klinefelter's Syndrome Ataxia Telangiectasia Leukodystrophies Blood coagulation disorders/Hemophilia Marfan Syndrome...
