A congenital disorder is a medical condition that is present at or before birth. These conditions, also referred to as birth defects, can be acquired during the fetal stage of development or from the genetic make up of the parents.
Congenital disorders are not necessarily hereditary, since they may be caused by infections during pregnancy or injury to the fetus at birth.
If the lamina (bony arch) to the spine does not fully develop, this is known as spina bifida and is the most common congenital disorder.
