Preparing questions in advance can help patients and parents to have more meaningful discussions with their physicians regarding their or their child’s treatment options. The following questions related to birth defects may be helpful:

1. How high is my risk of having a child (or another child) with a birth defect?
   
   
2. What kind of birth defect does my child have?
   
   
3. How severe is my child’s birth defect?
   
   
4. What may have caused my child’s birth defect?
   
   
5. Can prenatal diagnostic tests indicate the severity of a birth defect?
   
   
6. How may my child’s birth defect affect his/her physical, mental and emotional development?
   
   
7. Can my child’s birth defect be treated?
   
   
8. Could physical, occupational or speech therapy help my child?
   
   
9. How may my child’s birth defect affect his/her schooling?
   
   
10. Could my child’s birth defect cause other problems later in life?
    
    
11. How can I reduce my chances of having another child with this or a similar birth defect in the future?