birth defect
30
3.2
- noun
- /bɜrθ dɪˈfɛkt/
- Specialized
:
defecto congénito
- I was born with a birth defect called spina bifida that affects one in 1,000 births in the U.S.
- risk of birth defects
- causes birth defects
- infant birth defects
I'm going to be talking about four areas that relate to birth defects and to preterm birth.
- I'm going to be talking about four areas that relate to birth defects and to preterm birth.
- This would be perhaps some sort of birth defect, something wrong that way.
- We've had many studies showing the connection between pesticides and birth defects, pesticides and cancer.
- How do I know that that didn't cause the birth defect, you know, and a very painful and extensive surgery that she had to have.
- And there are new concerns about links to a birth defect called microcephaly.
- Like we, we're fighting natural evolution because if someone's born with a birth defect, we, we help them survive.
- It can cause other forms of, of damage, birth defects.
- What is up with the birthmarks and the birth defects?
- They had low calcium and that's that's, you know, it's I don't know if it's a birth defect or what it is, but it's God.
Examples
-
"For at least twenty years now, illegal drugs have been the cause of most birth defects."
Fiction book (1992) -
Is it a lack of medical care that has resulted in birth defects?
Academic text (2003) -
This would be perhaps some sort of birth defect, something wrong that way.
-
Still, he rose above the crowd, using his birth defect as an advantage.
Fiction book (1999) -
May cause severe birth defects.
-
Instead, it caused an unusual birth defect.
-
Most likely evidence of massive birth defects as a result of the Iraq War.
Blog text (17) -
Problems for the baby can include abnormally high birth weight and birth defects.
Academic text (2012) -
And there are new concerns about links to a birth defect called microcephaly.
-
Dwayne's son was born with several birth defects, likely caused by harmful chemicals ingested during pregnancy.
Synonyms
31
6.1
A part of the body that has an unusual shape due to birth, injury, or disease
7
6.7
A body part that forms in a wrong way before birth, for example the heart or spine
4
3.9
A heart problem present at birth that changes the heart's shape or how it works
3
4.2
A problem in the body or how it works that is present at birth
1
9.9
A serious birth defect where most of a baby's brain and skull do not form
1
5.4
A health problem in the body or the way it works that is present when a baby is born
1
6.0
A body or organ problem present when a baby is born
1
4.3
A health problem present when a baby is born
1
4.9
A health problem a person has at birth, often from parents' genes or events before birth
A physical problem in the shape of a body part often present at birth
An organ or body part in the wrong place from birth
Antonyms
How Severe
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'an abnormality present at birth' is directly and compositionally derived from 'birth' (the event of being born) plus 'defect' (a flaw or abnormality). This straightforward noun–noun compound follows regular English formation and has clear equivalents in other languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Birth defect joins birth (when a baby is born) and defect (a fault or problem) to paint a simple picture: a doctor sees a problem right at the moment of birth. That's why the term means 'an abnormality present in a baby at birth'.