Physical Therapy in Nesconset for Common Birth Defects

Physical therapy is known to help a wide variety of conditions that people face. Did you know that physical therapy can help reduce the effects of common birth defects? Through moving the body and stretching certain muscles, physical therapists can relieve people who suffer from birth defects. Birth defects can have a large impact on your life and prevent you from doing what others do around you. This is common in children who may suffer the early stages of a birth defect. Children are often near other children who run and play but this can be difficult for a child with a birth defect. By getting a child into physical therapy at an early age, a lot of these social and physical issues can be reduced! If you or a loved one has difficulty with a birth defect and is in need of physical therapy in Nesconset, reach out to Island Sports PT!

What is a Birth Defect?

As a baby develops in the womb, the baby can sometimes have difficulty developing and getting their organs to work how they’re supposed to. When this happens, it is called a birth defect. There are thousands of different birth defects. Some of these may not even be recognizable while others can be extremely serious and life-threatening.

Types of Birth Defects

Sometimes, babies can be born with a malformed or sometimes missing body part. This is a structural birth defect. Often, birth defects will be associated with the heart. Other times, babies may experience defects like cleft palate, spina bifida, and more. A metabolic birth defect occurs when there is an issue with a baby’s body chemistry. This can mean that it is difficult for the baby to create energy through food. For example, Tay-Sachs disease attacks the central nervous system and is often fatal. Birth defects and the chance of them can be very worrying during a pregnancy. The mother needs to take care of herself and provide nutrients to her baby through her diet. If you are pregnant and want to learn more about birth defects and how to prevent them, reach out to Island Sports PT that offers physical therapy in Nesconset.

What Can Cause a Birth Defect?

It is common for doctors to be unaware of the cause of a birth defect. Birth defects are usually hard to predict. Sometimes, these defects can be associated with a virus, genes, or both. There are two different causes of birth defects called environmental and genetic. 

• Environment cause: This cause of birth defects usually has to do with the mother and her contacts. If a mother has an infection or a virus during pregnancy, it can cause a birth defect. Alcohol abuse is also a common environmental cause of a birth defect.

• Genetic Cause: This is when there is an issue with a baby’s genes. Cells contain chromosomes that make up a person. A baby will gain a chromosome from each parent but when the baby inherits these in the wrong way, there can be birth defects. This can be when a baby gains too much or too few chromosomes. This can also happen when the baby only gains a gene from one parent.

How Can You Notice A Birth Defect?

More often than not, a baby’s birth defect is diagnosed before they are born! There is prenatal testing that can check for signs of birth defects while the baby is still in the womb. These tests can also check to see if the mother has an infection that is dangerous to her baby. Sometimes, birth defects aren’t shown through prenatal tests but are seen in newborn screening. Parents can choose to have their babies tested for birth defects during this screening. This can help the parents and doctor to plan for what is to come. When deciding how to deal with a birth defect, it is important to consider physical therapy as it has shown to reduce birth defect symptoms and create much easier lives for patients with defects.

Prevention

Unfortunately, it can be difficult to prevent a lot of birth defects as we have no control over them. Luckily, there are some steps a mother can take to prevent other defects and ensure the health of her baby. Women should do the following before pregnancy:

• Get all vaccinations
• Get tested for STDs
• Get a dose of folic acid
• Only take completely necessary medicines

On top of this, many women have a family history of birth defects. In this case, meeting with a doctor may be beneficial to learn about the possibilities of birth defects her child can face. It is also important for a woman to take care of herself if she does become pregnant. Exercise, rest, prenatal care, and avoiding drugs/alcohol can lower the chances of birth defects.

What Does Physical Therapy in Nesconset Do For Birth Defects?

Birth defects are very difficult and can often be painful for a child. Physical therapy in Nesconset works to move the body in ways that will prevent and diminish pain. Birth defects are many conditions that physical therapists work on! Some activities that physical therapists might work on with children are:

• Crawling and walking
• Balance exercises
• Adaptive play
• Water therapy
• Circulation treatment
• Building strength in the affected area
• Flexibility
• Safety and prevention

Before working with children, physical therapists work to learn about the child’s strengths and weaknesses. Here at Island Sports PT, we think learning about each child is extremely important and necessary to be able to give them the support and comfort that they need!

Contact Island Sports Physical Therapy in Nesconset

A child needs to get the support that they need. Sometimes, it can be difficult to give them that support when they are suffering from a birth defect. Birth defects can make life and development very hard. This is why we work with children to not only help them physically but also mentally. The struggle of birth defects is something we work every day to learn more about. If you or a loved one suffer from a birth defect, contact us to learn more about how we can help!