Show Someone Finally Remembers Natures Nature's Forgotten Children By DR RANDOLPH BATSON Medical Director National Foundation Birth Mirth Clinical Study Center Canter Vanderbilt Nashville Tenn The mere term birth defects cannot begin to describe describe de de- de scribe the massive problem of human suffering that until now has been largely ignored through lack of full full- scale concerted effort to do something about these conditions con con- Approximately American babies are born each year with significant birth defects Someone has called these little ones natures nature's forgotten children It is an apt expression because somewhere during the nine nine- month term of pregnancy nature forgot to do her job properly and the natural development of a perfect little body was interrupted or interfered with Sometimes the interference interference is genetic in nature caused by some lack or imbalance in the genes of the parents Or it may be caused by environmental factors such as an invasion by a virus or orby by other ev events that take place i in In n th the me e s still mysterious till mys t er i our won world world iMm ld I J N w ww OJ w i in In n th the me e s still mysterious till mys t er i our won world world iMm ld in which tiny human cells cell take form and develop inta into int a living human being Theo The result can be anything from an Insignificant birthmark birth birth- mark to tragic malformations malformation that mark a child for tor earl early death or a lifetime of ot crippling Pioneering Effort It is with these latter chIldren chil chit dren that we are concerned a at the March of supported Dimes Clinical Study Center for birth birt defects conducted at the Vanderbilt Van Van- University School o of ot e Medicine Here we have th the beginning of a vast new pioneering pioneering pio pio- ed veering effort in which j give sive study of the problem o of ot birth defects is being pursued pursue d in conjunction with the cation of expert medical treatment treat treat- ment to the seriously afflicted and the development of a high ly trained corps of medical personnel to carry new knowledge knowl knowl- knowledge edge beyond th the omits limits nt of tio fh u n Center The Vanderbilt Center is part of ot a network of research treatment and training centers being established with grants from The National Foundation- Foundation March of Dimes to lead the way in the staggering job of bringing help to thousands of I little ones who have no place to turn in their ne need d for assistance assist assist- ance Triple Attack When a massive health problem s lem exists about which little is known and less has been done an out all-out fort to solve the tho problem must take three First a program of re research re re- search must be instituted to world iMm ld I J N w ww OJ w j NATURES FORGOTTEN CHILDREN For centuries the problem of birth defects has haa been known wn to man but neglected Now The Th National Foundation has hat brought it I under wide scale attack Dr Randolph Batson author of this article Is shown examining birth defects child at March of supported Dimes Birth Defects Clinical Study Center In to Nashville Tenn I s lead the search for tor preventives or Of cures cure 1 for improved diagnostic tic methods and more effective tive treatment techniques Second Second Sec Sec- ond those already afflicted must be given gIven- every Opportunity pity to obtain the best possible treatment under the direction of teams of experts who know their business and can help the patient attain maximum p And third the program pro pro- gram must develop experts skilled in n the techniques of re re- re search earch in diagnosis and treatment treatment treat treat- of ment to widen the scope of the total effort and make modern medical knowledge available to all who come in contact with w the birth defects child chUd It was such an out all-out effort the e f i l lri f ri f p of w the I inspired and supported by The National Foundation that brought the polio problem close to solution produced the polio vaccines and provided expert assistance for hundreds of thousands of victims of ot this disease about which little was done until the American peo pia launched a scale full-scale cam cam- aign against it lt The birth defects detects centers es established es es- through March of Dimes grants are the nucleus a new and greater Peater effort to save human life and prevent human suffering They mark the first long step forward to to to- ward ard solving a tragic problem that has mystified man since beginning of time |