I. General Considerations

Factors associated with CNS malformations (cont.)

4. Irradiation produces severe anomalies which depend on the developmental stage at the time of injury.  In general, rapidly proliferating cell populations sustain the greatest damage.

5. Obstetrical complications in the perinatal period can arise from several sources, including trauma, vascular insufficiency, and infection.  Varied lesions result.

6. Single gene inherited disorders

7. Hereditary "predisposition":  e.g., individual differences in dilantin response; ethnic differences in neural tube defects.

8. Preexisting maternal disease, e.g. diabetes mellitus which is poorly controlled.