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BIRTH DEFECT
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
A defect that is present at birth
Synonyms:
birth defect; congenital abnormality; congenital anomaly; congenital defect; congenital disorder
Classified under:
Nouns denoting stable states of affairs
Hypernyms ("birth defect" is a kind of...):
anomalousness; anomaly (deviation from the normal or common order or form or rule)
defect (an imperfection in a bodily system)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "birth defect"):
ankyloglossia; tongue tie (a congenital anomaly in which the mucous membrane under the tongue is too short limiting the mobility of the tongue)
syndactylism; syndactyly (birth defect in which there is partial or total webbing connecting two or more fingers or toes)
hyperdactyly; polydactyly (birth defect characterized by the presence of more than the normal number of fingers or toes)
spinocerebellar disorder (any of several congenital disorders marked by degeneration of the cerebellum and spinal cord resulting in spasticity and ataxia)
rachischisis; schistorrhachis; spina bifida (a not uncommon congenital defect in which a vertebra is malformed; unless several vertebrae are affected or there is myelomeningocele there are few symptoms; can be diagnosed by amniocentesis)
congenital heart defect (a birth defect involving the heart)
scaphocephaly (congenital malformation of the skull which is long and narrow; frequently accompanied by mental retardation)
pseudohermaphroditism (congenital condition in which a person has external genitalia of one sex and internal sex organs of the other sex)
hermaphrodism; hermaphroditism (congenital condition in which external genitalia and internal sex organs have both male and female characteristics)
polysomy (congenital defect of having one or more extra chromosomes in somatic cells)
plagiocephaly (congenital malformation of the skull in which the main axis of the skull is oblique)
myelomeningocele (a congenital defect of the central nervous system in which a sac containing part of the spinal cord and its meninges protrude through a gap in the vertebral column; frequently accompanied by hydrocephalus and mental retardation)
meningocele (a congenital anomaly of the central nervous system in which a sac protruding from the brain or the spinal meninges contains cerebrospinal fluid (but no nerve tissue))
encephalocele (protrusion of brain tissue through a congenital fissure in the skull)
meromelia (congenital absence of part of an arm or leg)
amelia (congenital absence of an arm or leg)
cleft palate (a congenital fissure of the hard palate)
cheiloschisis; cleft lip; harelip (a congenital cleft in the middle of the upper lip)
acrocephaly; oxycephaly (a congenital abnormality of the skull; the top of the skull assumes a cone shape)
Down's syndrome; Down syndrome; mongolianism; mongolism; trisomy 21 (a congenital disorder caused by having an extra 21st chromosome; results in a flat face and short stature and mental retardation)
macroglossia (a congenital disorder characterized by an abnormally large tongue; often seen in cases of Down's syndrome)
clinodactyly (a congenital defect in which one or more toes or fingers are abnormally positioned)
clinocephalism; clinocephaly (a congenital defect in which the top of the head is depressed (concave instead of convex))
epispadias (a congenital abnormality in males in which the urethra is on the upper surface of the penis)
color blindness; color vision deficiency; colour blindness; colour vision deficiency (genetic inability to distinguish differences in hue)
ametria (congenital absence of the uterus)
anencephalia; anencephaly (a defect in brain development resulting in small or missing brain hemispheres)
albinism (the congenital absence of pigmentation in the eyes and skin and hair)
ablepharia (a congenital absence of eyelids (partial or complete))
Context examples:
Neural tube defects are birth defects of the brain, spine, or spinal cord.
(Neural Tube Defects, NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
A group of syndromes caused by genetic birth defects that may lead to the development of malignancies.
(Overgrowth syndrome, NCI Thesaurus)
A surgeon who specializes in reducing scarring or disfigurement that may occur as a result of accidents, birth defects, or treatment for diseases.
(Plastic surgeon, NCI Dictionary)
A birth defect in which the opening of the urethra (the tube through which urine leaves the body) is not in its normal place.
(Hypospadias, NCI Dictionary)
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a DNA virus that is widespread in the population but usually causes disease only in immunocompromised individuals and is also a viral cause of birth defects.
(Human Cytomegalovirus Infection Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)
Getting enough folic acid before and during pregnancy can prevent major birth defects of her baby's brain or spine.
(Folic Acid, NIH: National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements)
A congenital birth defect characterized by the exposure of the fetal intestines outside the abdominal wall through an abdominal wall opening.
(Gastroschisis, NCI Thesaurus)
A congenital birth defect characterized by incomplete development or absence of face structures, usually affecting one side of the face.
(Goldenhar Syndrome, NCI Thesaurus)
At high doses a toxic substance might cause birth defects or other serious problems, including brain damage or death.
(Household Products, Environmental Protection Agency)
A new study at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) and the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech has found a connection between common household chemicals and birth defects.
(Common Household Chemicals Lead to Birth Defects in Mice, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)
