Family Support Center

In our family support center, you will find links to birth defect support organizations and chat rooms as well as national information resources.

Click on the or next to the birth defect name to show or hide information on condition-specific support groups. If you would like to add a support group to one of our categories, please send us an e-mail.

General Birth Defect Links
Absence of Kidney(s) (Renal Agenesis)
Adams Oliver Syndrome
Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum
Allergies
Amniotic Band Syndrome
Anencephaly
Anopthalmia/Micropthalmia
Anorectal Malformations
Arthrogryposis
Asthma
Attention Disorders
Autism
Biliary Atresia
Bladder Exstrophy
Cerebral Palsy
CHARGE Syndrome
Chiari Malformation
Cleft Lip and Palate
Cloacal Exstrophy
Clubfoot
Coloboma
Congenital Cataracts
Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia
Cortical Blindness
Craniosynostosis
Cystic Hygroma
Dandy Walker Malformation
Diabetes
DiGeorge Syndrome
Down Syndrome
Ear Defects - Microtia/Anotia
Encephalocele
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Gastroschisis
Goldenhar Syndrome (hemifacial microsomia)
Growth Disorders
Hearing Loss
Heart Defects
Hemangiomas
Hemihypertrophy
Hip Dysplasia
Holoprosencephaly
Hydrocephalus
Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome
Hypospadias
Immune Deficiency
Learning Disabilities
Limb Reduction Defects
Microcephaly
Moebius Syndrome
Neural Tube Defect
Neurogenic Bladder
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Omphalocele
Pectus Excavatum
Pierre Robin Syndrome
Potters Syndrome (Renal Agenesis)
Poland's Syndrome
Polycystic Kidney Disease
Porencephaly
Pervasive Developmental Delay
Premature Births
Pyloric Stenosis
Renal Agenesis
Scoliosis
Sensory Integration Dysfunction
Skin Disorders
Spina Bifida
Syndactyly/Polydactyly
Tethered Cord Syndrome
Thrombocytopenia Absent Radius (TAR)
Tourette Syndrome
Tracheoesophageal Fistula
Trisomy 18
Turners Syndrome
Undescended Testicles
VATER Association

On the nervous condition of motherhood...

Gretchen Anna Pianka, M.D., FAAP is a pediatrician who shares her experiences as the mother of a baby with birth defects.

"Mothers are not supposed to be afraid. If we are, we are supposed to take medicine to stop feeling afraid. I am a pediatrician and have always been good at worrying. Now that I have a son with medical problems, finding balance between my founded and unfounded fears has become a Herculean task. By sharing my fears, I hope to normalize other parent's fears about the health of their children."

To find out more, read her blog.