What it means
Also called a congenital anomaly. Birth defects can be small or serious and can affect almost any part of the body. Examples are cleft lip and palate, heart defects such as a ventricular septal defectven-TRIK-yuh-ler SEP-tul DEE-fektA hole in the wall between the heart's two lower chambers, present from birth.Full entry , neural tubeNOOR-ul TOOBThe hollow structure in an early embryo that develops into the brain and spinal cord.neur/o nerve-al relating toFull entry defects and Down syndrome. Causes include genes, chromosome changes and teratogentuh-RAT-uh-jenAnything a pregnant person is exposed to that can cause birth defects in the developing baby.terat/o malformation-gen producingFull entry , but often no cause is found.
For the nurse
Teach prevention before and during pregnancy: folic acid, no alcohol or smoking, vaccines before pregnancy, and checking medicines with a provider. Folic acid taken before and in early pregnancy lowers the risk of spinal defects.
At a glance
| Spanish | defecto de nacimiento |
|---|---|
| Also written | birth defects, birth-defects, congenital anomaly, congenital anomalies |
Related terms
chromosome
A thread-like structure in the nucleus of a cell that carries the genes, made of tightly packed DNA.
neural tube
The hollow structure in an early embryo that develops into the brain and spinal cord.
teratogen
Anything a pregnant person is exposed to that can cause birth defects in the developing baby.
ventricular septal defect
A hole in the wall between the heart's two lower chambers, present from birth.