Brain Injury Terms and Definitions

Orofacial Birth Defect
Choanal atresia, cleft lip, cleft palate

cerebral palsy
A disorder caused by injury to the cerebral area of the brain that occurs before or during birth or in the first few months after birth. Damage to the cerebrum may cause paralysis (palsy) in one or more parts of the body.

Eye Birth Defect
Anophthalmia/microphthalmia, congenital cataracts, glaucoma

Ear Birth Defect
Anotia/microtia

Pfeiffer syndrome
Many of the characteristic facial features of Pfeiffer syndrome result from the premature fusion of the skull bones. The head is unable to grow normally, which leads to bulging and wide-set eyes, an underdeveloped upper jaw, and a beaked nose.

Canavan disease
Canavan disease is an inherited disorder of the central nervous system in which affected individuals cannot break down a compound called N-acetyl-L-aspartic acid (NAA). Canavan disease is one of a group of genetic disorders called the eukodystrophies.

brain tumor
An abnormal growth of tissue in the brain

CBDRP
Centers for Birth Defects Research & Prevention

NBDPS
National Birth Defects Prevention Study

Non-system-specific Birth Defect
Amniotic band sequence