Principles of Control and Prevention

Birth defects create a significant burden on affected individuals, their families, and substantial economic and emotional burden on the society. The financial cost of treating children (mainly surgical correction) with birth defects, and the tragic effects and disruption of normal family life associated with deaths caused by congenital anomalies are also enormous for people in both developed and less developed countries. Therefore, preventive measures, early diagnosis, effective interventional programmes, appropriate clinical and care management are essential to control and prevention the occurrence, reduce the burden and impact of these disorders at the community level.