Problems of Birth Defects

I Beliefs, Mythology, Magic and Superstition.- 1. Congenital malformations in the past.- 2. A brief history of teratology to the early 20th century.- II Epidemiology of Birth Defects.- 3. Classification and nomenclature of morphological defects.- 4. Epidemiologic aspects of the problem of congenital malformations.- 5. Congenital malformations. A report of a study of series of consecutive births in 24 centres. (Extracts).- 6. The incidence of developmental and other genetic abnormalities.- III Teratological Mechanisms.- 7. Interrelation of the common congenital malformations. Some aetiological implications.- 8. Defective regulatory mechanisms in teratogenesis.- 9. Mechanisms of teratogenesis.- 10. Congenital postural deformities: perinatal associations.- IV Cytogenetic and Chromosomal Studies.- 11. A morphological distinction between neurones of the male and female, and the behaviour of the nucleolar satellite during accelerated nucleoprotein synthesis.- 12. The detection of chromosomal sex in hermaphrodites from a skin biopsy.- 13. The chromosome number of man.- 14. Retrospective and prospective epidemiological studies of 1500 karyotyped spontaneous human abortions.- 15. Chromosome abnormality and perinatal death.- 16. Cytogenetics of fetal wastage.- 17. Spontaneous abortion and aging of human ova and spermatozoa.- 18. Where have all the conceptions gone?.- 19. Genetics of common disorders.- 20. Genetic hazards to man from environmental agents.- V Environmental Influences and Congenital Abnormalities.- 21. Pigs born without eye balls.- 22. Congenital cataract following German measles in the mother.- 23. The role of viruses in congenital defects.- 24. Congenital toxoplasmosis. A prospective study of 378 pregnancies.- 25. Therapeutic abortions with a folic acid antagonist, 4-aminopteroyl-glutamic acid (4-amino P.G.A.) administered by the oral route. (Extract).- 26. Diskussionsbemerkung von Privatdozent Dr. W. Lenz, Hamburg, zu dem Vortrag von R. A. Pfeiffer und K. Kosenow: Zur Frage der exogenen Entstehung schwerer Extremitatenmissbildungen.- 27. Thalidomide and congenital abnormalities.- 28. Thalidomide and congenital abnormalities.- 29. Foetal malformations due to thalidomide.- 30. Nonadrenal female pseudohermaphrodism after administration of testosterone to mother during pregnancy.- 31. Masculinization of female fetus due to use of orally given progestins.- 32. Adenocarcinoma of the vagina. Association of maternal stilbestrol therapy with tumor appearance in young women.- 33. Are anti-epileptics harmful in pregnancy? (Extract).- 34. Anticonvulsant drugs and congenital abnormalities.- 35. Congenital abnormalities and anticonvulsant drugs.- 36. A clinical look at the problem of drugs in pregnancy and their effect on the fetus.- 37. Intra-uterine methylmercury poisoning in Iraq.- 38. Assessing the impact of low level chemicals on development: behavioral and latent effects.- 39. A preliminary report of cigarette smoking and the incidence of prematurity. (Extract).- 40. Effect of mothers' smoking habits on birth weight of their children.- 41. The fetal alcohol syndrome.- 42. Potatoes and spina bifida.- 43. The outcome of 625 pregnancies in women subjected to pelvic radium or roentgen irradiation. (Extract).- 44. Radiation and pregnancy.- VI Detection of Environmental Teratogens.- 45. Environmental factors in the etiology of human malformations: perspectives and problems of evaluation.- 46. Hazards of the first nine months: an epidemiologist's nightmare.- VII Prenatal Diagnosis and Management of Congenital Abnormalities.- 47. Prenatal diagnosis of genetic disorders. An analysis of experience with 600 cases.- 48. Prenatal diagnosis of mongolism by X-ray.- 49. Diagnosis of congenital fetal abnormalities by sonography.- 50. Amniography for detection of congenital malformations.- 51. Diagnosis of human fetal abnormalities by fetography.- 52. Genetic counselling-or what can we tell parents?.- 53. Pre-, peri- and postnatal prevention of major neuropediatric handicaps.- VIII Social, Ethical, and Medico-Legal Problems.- 54. Moral and ethical problems of pre-natal diagnosis.- 55. Attitudes toward defective newborns.- 56. Ethical and social aspects of treatment of spina bifida.- 57. Moral and ethical dilemmas in the special-care nursery.- Further References.