: a physical or biochemical defect that is present at birth and may be inherited or environmentally induced
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebAnnika was born with the same congenital birth defect as Shaquem and wore a prosthetic on her right arm. Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2022 The bicycle accident came two years after Grant faced a health scare, receiving open-heart surgery to fix a birth defect for a condition called partial anomalous pulmonary venous return. Marcus K. Dowling, USA TODAY, 7 Aug. 2022 The bicycle accident comes two years after Grant received open-heart surgery to fix a birth defect. Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 28 July 2022 Congenital heart defects are the most common type of birth defect in the United States, affecting nearly 1% of, or about 40,000, births each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Terry Demio, The Enquirer, 8 Aug. 2022 Born with a congenital birth defect, or limb difference, in both arms, Niemiller is a 2000 graduate of Kankakee Valley High School. Annie Alleman, Chicago Tribune, 2 Aug. 2022 Kane has spina bifida, a birth defect in which an area of the spinal column doesn’t form properly and often impacts a person’s ability to walk and run. Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Aug. 2022 That was the case for Denise Miller, a teacher outside of Philadelphia, who discovered at around 21 weeks of pregnancy in 2005 that her baby had signs of a rare birth defect that would leave one side of its heart underdeveloped. Aria Bendix, NBC News, 11 May 2022 After a few weeks, something caught my attention: Instagram was consistently recommending posts of babies with cleft palates, a birth defect. Geoffrey A. Fowler, Washington Post, 12 May 2022 See More
Word History
First Known Use
circa 1864, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
birth defect
noun
: a physical defect that a person is born with and that may be inherited or caused by something in the environment
Medical Definition
birth defect
noun
: a physical or biochemical defect (as cleft palate, phenylketonuria, or Down syndrome) that is present at birth and may be inherited or environmentally induced