[IS IT POSSIBLE TO PREVENT CONGENITAL MALFORMATION?]

In the etiology of most congenital malformations one cannot incriminate a chromosomal aberration or a known teratogenic incident (infection or drug ingestion) during gestation. In cases of cleft lip and palate and of pyloric stenosis, the familial distribution of affected persons was shown to be explainable on the basis of partial genetic and partial environmental causation. Analysis of previously known data on the socioeconomic concomitants of severe congenital malformation showed that unsatisfactory living conditions are present in approximately one-half of the cases; it is suggested that the most fruitful approach to prevention lies in the direction of public hygiene.