Perhaps one of the greatest fears of parents is the possibility of giving birth to a child with birth defects. Through prenatal screening, parents are informed if their child could be born with birth defects. In some countries, that’s already considered as a valid reason for abortion. However, contrary to popular beliefs, a lot of these birth defects can be treated before or after the baby is born. Birth defects still remain to be the main cause of death in the first year of life. They’re classified into structural or metabolic defects and defects caused by congenital infection. Birth defects are usually caused by environmental, genetic or a combination of both factors.