birth defect
nounDefinition of birth defect
: a physical or biochemical defect that is present at birth and may be inherited or environmentally induced
Examples of birth defect in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Microcephaly is just one part of congenital Zika syndrome, per the CDC—a unique pattern of birth defects among babies infected with the Zika virus during pregnancy. — Korin Miller, Health.com, "What to Know About the Zika Virus and Its Symptoms, According to Experts," 21 Aug. 2019 This nutrient is especially important for pregnant women or women trying to become pregnant, reducing the risk of some birth defects. — Jenna Birch, Washington Post, "A primer on whole grains: What they are, why they’re important and how to find them," 19 Aug. 2019 Valproic acid also increased the risk of seven other birth defects, including cleft palate and four types of heart defects. — Susan Scutti, CNN, "Epilepsy drugs linked to higher risk of birth defects, study says," 12 June 2019 Fetal tissue is used in research on HIV and childhood cancers, treatments that enlist the body’s immune system to battle cancer, and the hunt for a vaccine against the Zika virus, a cause of birth defects. — Lauran Neergaard, The Denver Post, "White House ends fetal tissue research by federal scientists," 5 June 2019 Excluding birth defects, the main causes of infant mortality are prematurity and low birth weight, which are usually due to smoking and teenage pregnancy. — WSJ, "Comparing U.S. and Canadian Health Data," 29 Apr. 2019 Congenital heart defects are the most common birth defects, and affect nearly 1 percent of births per year in the United States — or about 40,000 births, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. — Caitlin Granfield, miamiherald, "High blood sugar in pregnant women can lead to heart problems in children | Miami Herald," 25 Feb. 2018 Congenital heart defects is a leading cause of death among infants with birth defects, according to the study. — Erin Douglas, Houston Chronicle, "Infants with mothers living near oil and gas production at higher risk of heart defects: study," 18 July 2019 Tens of thousands of people — from miners and truck drivers to those living in communities near test sites — were exposed to radiation that has resulted in cancer, birth defects and other illnesses, said Lujan, a New Mexico Democrat. — Washington Post, "Lawmaker: Expand compensation from nuclear weapons testing," 16 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'birth defect.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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