Mouth Disorders—Birth Defects

A birth defect is a problem that happens while a baby is developing in the mother’s body. Most birth defects happen during the first 3 months of pregnancy. One out of every 33 babies in the United States is born with a birth defect.

A birth defect may affect how the body looks, works or both. Some birth defects like cleft lip or neural tube defects are structural problems that can be easy to see. To find others, like heart defects, doctors use special tests. Birth defects can range from mild to severe. Causes can include

• Genetics
• Exposures to medicines or chemicals. For example, alcohol abuse can cause fetal alcohol syndrome.
• Infections during pregnancy
• Certain medicines. Before you get pregnant, talk to your health care provider about any medicines you take.
• Not getting enough of certain nutrients. For example, not getting enough folic acid before and during pregnancy is a key factor in causing neural tube defects.

For most birth defects, the cause is unknown.

Health care providers can diagnose certain birth defects during pregnancy, with prenatal tests. That’s why it important to get regular prenatal care. Other birth defects may not be found until after the baby is born. Sometimes the defect is obvious right away. Other times, the health care provider may not discover it until later in life.

Babies with birth defects often need special care and treatments. The treatments may include surgery, medicines, assistive devices, and therapies.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• Intersex (Medical Encyclopedia)

Your mouth is one of the most important parts of your body. Any problem that affects your mouth can make it hard to eat, drink or even smile.

Some common mouth problems include

• Cold sores – painful sores on the lips and around the mouth, caused by a virus
• Canker sores – painful sores in the mouth, caused by bacteria or viruses
• Thrush – a yeast infection that causes white patches in your mouth
• Leukoplakia – white patches of excess cell growth on the cheeks, gums or tongue, common in smokers
• Dry mouth – a lack of enough saliva, caused by some medicines and certain diseases
• Gum or tooth problems
• Bad breath

Treatment for mouth disorders varies, depending on the problem. Keeping a clean mouth by brushing and flossing often is important.

• Burning Mouth Syndrome – NIH (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research) – PDF
• Drooling (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Gum biopsy (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Herpangina (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Leukoplakia (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Lichen planus (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Mouth sores (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Mouth ulcers (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Mucous cyst (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Perioral dermatitis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Thrush (Medical Encyclopedia)