The complexities of solving the problem of human malformations

Although major advances have been made in the epidemiology of birth defect surveillance, in intrauterine diagnosis and treatment, and in clarifying the role of environmental factors, we are uncertain about the causes of the majority of birth defects. Miseducation of the public and some professional groups has led to an overemphasis on the importance of drugs and chemicals as causes of birth defects and has resulted in major health and social problems. Many problems remain in preventing or reducing the incidence of human malformations, which may be solved by the combined efforts of clinical surveillance programs and advances in the fields of genetics, developmental biology, and biochemistry.