Preterm babies more likely to have defects

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., May 22 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say babies born preterm are more than twice as likely to have major birth defects.

The March of Dimes said the findings, published in the journal Maternal and Child Health Journal, suggest preterm birth -- defined as live birth before 37 completed weeks gestation -- is a growing national health crisis.

"The causes of most birth defects are still not known," lead author Margaret Honein of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. "While it is likely that the most common defects are caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, the identification of specific risk factors continues to be a major research and public health priority."

Babies born between 24 and 31 weeks gestation were five times as likely as full-term infants to have a birth defect. The most common birth defects involved the central nervous system, such as spina bifida, and cardiovascular defects, such as a hole in the heart, the March of Dimes said in a news release.