Throughout the article, it mentions that using machine learning has improved the way doctors have been detecting Congenital Heart Defects (CHD). Researchers found a way to double the accuracy of detecting complex fetal heart defects in utero. Cardiologist Rima Arnout trained several machine learning models to copy the tasks that clinicians do when diagnosing heart defects. Throughout the world, doctors were able to detect 30-50% of CHD, and now they are able to detect up to 95% of CHD in their tests. The article also talks about when the doctors and parents find out whether their baby has a birth defect or not. During the second trimester, doctors say that it is a “right of passage” that is because when women go in to get their ultrasound, the doctors can and will find out the gender of the baby and also if the baby has a birth defect. Cardiologist Rima Anout says, “heart defects are the most common kind of birth defect, and it’s very important you diagnose them before birth”

University of California, San Francisco. “Research team improves fetal heart defect detection using machine learning”. May 26, 2021. Medical Xpress.

The article talked about how women in Brazil are avoiding getting pregnant anytime soon, this is because when the Zika epidemic hit in 2014, many expectant mothers got sick with the virus and they were in horrible condition. When the women who got affected gave birth to their babies, they had birth defects and for some it was severe. The birth defect on the babies during the zika virus was microcephaly. Microcephaly is a condition where the babies’ head is significantly smaller than an average, and that is mainly because of their brain and how much it developed while being in the womb. In the article, it also says that in the beginning of the Zika virus, doctors weren’t sure if the fetus would be able to get the virus and later on, it was confirmed. For COVID-19, doctors weren’t sure whether the virus would give babies birth defects or not, but it did cause stillbirths and preterm deliveries. Another topic the article talked about was race, class, and health inequities. In the article it states, “In Brazil where out of control infections have given rise to more transmissible and deadly variants, pregnant and postpartum women are showing higher death rates from COVID-19”. On April 17, 2021 doctors had to unfortunately advise women to avoid getting pregnant, due to the fact that there were an unusually large number of newborn deaths. For the race and class issues, the opportunity to get contraceptives in Brazil is hard to access. The higher quality of health care and contraceptive options are difficult to access for poorer women and black women, than white and wealthy women.

Marteleto, Leticia. “Scarred by Zika and fearing new COVID-19 variants”. April 28,2021, Medical Xpress

In Perko’s article, it talks about the history of cleft lip and palate history. Ever since the era 390 B.C. there was a successful operation for a cleft lip palate in China and it was the first ever successful operation. Cleft palates were thought to be syphilis, but throughout their operations, there wasn’t any use of an anesthetic which caused the operation to be very difficult and painful. Since chloroform was released, it was a big help and it improved the amount of successful operations. Overall, the article was very informational and I didn’t know that they used to have operations while the patient was awake without being on anesthesia. I understand how cleft palates were thought to be secondary syphilis because syphilis could be on the mouth area and I see how it would be thought of in that way. Cleft palates are more open, and they could be open wide throughout the face of the child or baby.

Perko, M. “The history of treatment of cleft lip and palate.” Progress in pediatric surgery vol. 20 (1986): 238-51. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-70825-1_17

In this article, it talks about the possibility that antidepressant medication could be the cause of birth defects. Venlafaxine is a stronger antidepressant compared to the usual antidepressant medication. As normal, there are some people that deal with depression and they are prescribed meds to help with it, and it is important to keep up with your mental health while being pregnant. In the article, it is mentioned that Venlafaxine is in the antidepressant called ¨Effexor¨ and it is said that it can cause birth defects such as neural tube defects, cleft lip and palate, gastroschisis, and defects of the brain and spine. The NCBDDD is focusing their work on women and their pregnancies, it is important to keep up with everyone's health including the baby. It is said that women shouldn't stop or start any of their medications while being pregnant, this is because there could be issues later on. Another important thing that was mentioned in the article is that women who are expecting, plan ahead of their pregnancy with any sort of medicines they are taking or should be taking to avoid any sort of complications.

This article was more of key facts and alot of factual information about birth defects. Some really important information from this article is that, an estimated number of 240,000 newborns die within 28 days of birth due to birth defects, and 9 of 10 children born with serious birth defects are from low and or middle income countries. There were also ways to prevent birth defects included in the article. Ways which you could prevent birth defects are making sure to have a good diet included with a wide range of fruits and vegetables, keeping up with taking vitamins and minerals, especially folic acid. A few more things are to avoid traveling because there could be an outbreak of infections, and most importantly AVOID the use of alcohol and any sort of substances and tobacco. Another thing that is mentioned in the article is neonatal screening on newborns, it is such an important thing to do, it detects if there are any issues with the baby. Newborns are also screened to find out whether the baby could possibly have certain disorders such as metabolic, hematologic and endocrine disorders.

., World Health Organization. “Birth Defects.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, 2022, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/birth-defects.

This essay outlines how and why voice and the language that empowers special voices that serves to discredit the Aboriginal point of view. An important part of the essay is that the tying of voice and to power seems to force one to recognize how usings ones voice might advantage or disadvantage a group of people. Also, having a voice means as if you have the power to control over one or a group of people, Sperling and Appleman seem to claim that voice is socially and culturally restored by experience and restored based on the encounters of the person in the social world. The author also talked alot about experiences and that they are basically a big part in language, voice, and even worldviews. Experience is important because it's as if, if you don't have much experience with life or certain things then you won't be able to grow into a different point of view. People who are well educated on the importance of voice and language, have learned things from experience.