出生缺陷(birth defects)是指出生前已经存在(在出生前或出生后数年内可以发现)的结构或功能异常,其产生原因包括遗传、环境以及两者的共同作用。环境问题已经变成威胁人类生存甚至繁衍的一个重要问题。出生缺陷也已成为当今世界关注的热点课题之一。综述近年有关环境因素对出生缺陷影响的研究,并重点探讨超声波及心理因素与出生缺陷的相关性。 Birth defects refer to the structural or functional abnormalities that existed before birth (found before birth or within a few years after birth) and may be caused by genetic factors, the environment, and the combination of the two. Environmental problems have become an important issue that threatens human existence and even reproduction. Birth defects have also become one of the hot topics in the world today. The recent research on the impact of environmental factors on birth defects is reviewed, and the correlation between ultrasound and psychological factors and birth defects is mainly discussed.