Congenital Brain Injuries
Things you should know
Congenital Brain Injuries are abnormalities or damage to the brain that develop in the womb or occur during the birth process. These injuries can vary widely in type and severity, ranging from mild to severe. While the list below is not exhaustive, it is an example of how congenital injuries to the brain can be caused by a variety of genetic or environmental factors or as a result of something that occurred during the birth process.
Congenital birth defects can occur at any stage of pregnancy. Most occur in the first 3 months of pregnancy when the organs are forming. However, some birth defects do occur later in pregnancy as tissues and organs continue to develop and functional defects become more likely. The visual below depicts the most vulnerable times for the developing embryo, and shows that major anomalies can occur before a person is aware of the pregnancy.
