01/14/2026
Birth Defects Awareness Month is a meaningful time to reflect on the science that helps protect the earliest stages of life 💛
Teratology is the study of birth defects, including how genetic factors and environmental exposures can disrupt fetal development. Over the decades, teratology has led to life-saving public health discoveries, including identifying harmful exposures (teratogens), understanding real-world tragedies like the thalidomide crisis, and supporting major prevention successes like folic acid supplementation.
This field continues to guide safer pregnancy care, inform medication decisions, and empower families and educators with evidence-based knowledge.
The Teratology Primer, 3rd Edition is a free, trusted educational resource with chapters written by experts in developmental and reproductive science.
Read the Teratology Primer chapter ‘What is Teratology?’:
https://www.birthdefectsresearch.org/primer/foreword.asp
F. Clarke Fraser, 1920-2014, was one of the founders of the Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention. This original foreword is included for historical perspective.
