Congenital anomalies

Article By:

Van Allen, Margot I. Genetics Division, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Last reviewed:September 2021

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.156500

Structural or functional abnormalities of the body that develop during embryogenesis and the fetal period; also called birth defects. Congenital anomalies, or birth defects, are conditions present at or from birth that deviate from the body's normal state with regard to structure or function (see illustration). In general, children with significant congenital anomalies need more medical care than other children do, require more frequent hospitalizations, need community support services, and often require special education programs. Among children, more than half of all visits to subspecialty medical clinics and admissions to hospitals occur for treatment of disorders resulting from errors in embryonic development, chromosomal abnormalities, and genetic and familial disorders. Two-thirds of the deaths of infants and children in pediatric hospitals in less-industrialized countries are caused by underlying congenital anomalies. See also: Chromosome aberration; Embryogenesis; Genetics; Medicine

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