Birth defects: from embryogenesis to prevention

Abstract

Birth defects cause physical, mental and social disabilities, with an impact on the increase of infantile morbidity and mortality indicators. They may be preventable at primary or preconception level. In order of systematize the theoretical references related to the embryogenesis of birth defects in function of their prevention, a search was carried out on the topic, consulting 29 bibliographic references. Generalities of ontogenic development, historical aspects of birth defects, their embryogenesis, etiology and definition are addressed. Also, prevention as strategy of health intervention at different levels of action applied to birth defects. The prenatal stage of ontogeny —the most significant one— is in turn divided into three sub-stages: pre-embryonic, embryonic, and fetal. The embryonic one, which passes between the second and eight weeks of development, is the most susceptible and vulnerable, and therefore it is the time when, most often, errors in embryogenesis occur, which translates into the product as a birth defect. The etiology of these ontogeny disorders is due to genetic, environmental and multifactorial factors. There are three prevention levels: pre-conceptional, pre-natal and post-natal; in the first, different actions are put into practice, and the contribution of the primary health care physicians is vital.