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By VIRGINIA APGAIt, M.O., M.P.H. Director, Basic Research Dept.
The National Foundation
March of Dimes
The quality of medical and hospital care of children afflicted with birth defects is improving to a degree that is almost spectacular. When you realize that a quarter of a million babies with defects are bom in this country every year, you can see that this recent upgrading pi care is a major contribution to our nation’s health.
This is not to imply that these infants were ever deliberately neglected by physicians or hospitals. Far from it. But a decade ago, when The National Foundation-March of Dimes began fighting birth defects after the conquest of polio, our store of knowledge about effective treatment of such conditions was quite* limited. For ^teVis tef: thidfiifthdS^f' these iflC fants and youngsters we could do little more than hope and pray and, tragically, often see them institutionalized for what was left of their lifetime.
To be sure, the prevention of most birth defects is still beyond our power. But what a change today in our attitude as healers in this area! With our vastly expanded information, particularly as to treatment for such frequent disorders as water on the brain and legparalyzing open spine, the physicians can now offer hope for improvement to more and more children.
As for institutionalization— in birth defects nowadays that is about the last thing most of us doctors think about, if at all. We want to keep the child at home with his family as an effective member of society. We have many techniques at our disposal such as surgery— sometimes infinitely delicate-^ blood transfusions, special diets (for metabolic defects), prosthetic devices like artificial arms and legs, physical therapy, speech and hearing therapy, and training for the mentally retarded.
Provided they have a referral from their physician or a hospital, parents of any infant or child with a birth defect can apply to the nearest March of Dimes Birth Defects Center. Since today there are nearly
93.8%