About the Teratology Society

The definition was stated best by one of our founding members, Dr. James G. Wilson, in the International Dictionary of Medicine and Biology (1986):

Teratology is the study of abnormal development. More particularly, it is the study of the causes, mechanisms, and manifestations of abnormal development, whether genetically, gestationally, or postnatally induced; and whether expressed as a lethality, malformation, growth retardation, or functional aberration.

Teratology Society Primer: A book on the subject of birth defects research.
History of the Teratology Society (1961 to 2000) by Shepard T.H., et al., Teratology 62: 301-316, 2000 (Adobe Acrobat file)
Further information on Teratology can be found in a short article entitled "Teratology: A Primer" by Alan Guttmacher, M.D. from the Vermont Pregnancy Risk Information Service.
Questions about many aspects of Teratology may be answered by first visiting our Publications or Links pages.
If you would like to read about recent activities of the Teratology Society please take a look at our current Newsletter.