What Is a Congenital Malformation?
The terms birth defect or congenital defects are used to describe conditions with which people are born. Congenital malformation is more specific, describing anatomical or structural changes of the developing fetus. These might be very minor changes requiring no intervention or they could require multiple interventions. Some congenital malformations are so severe they either pose a serious risk to life or they are fatal. In trying to establish a hierarchy to discuss congenital malformation it’s important to note that children can be born with more then one structural defect. The presence of one defect may cause others or a child is born with a syndrome that encompasses several structural problems at once. A condition like Mermaid syndrome presents with fused legs and anal and urinary defects. Such a condition is profound, affecting much of the body.
