Editing Deformity (section)

==Mortality==
[[File:Acephalus Boulgakow 1.jpg|thumb|Case of acephalus holoacardiacus – born without a head. Was birthed alongside a healthy twin.<ref>{{Cite journal |vauthors = Boulgakow B |date=1926 |title="Arrest of Development of an Embryo. A Case of Acephalus Holoacardiacus showing Arrest of Development of all Tissues in Embryonic Period." |journal=Journal of Anatomy |volume=61 |issue=Pt 1 |pages=68–93|pmid=17104128 |pmc=1249928 }}</ref>]]

In many cases where a major deformity is present at birth, it is the result of an underlying condition severe enough that the baby does not survive very long. The mortality of severely deformed births may be due to a range of complications including missing or non-functioning vital organs, structural defects that prevent necessary function, high susceptibility to injuries, abnormal facial appearance, or infections that eventually lead to death.

In some cases, such as that of [[Twin|twins]], one fetus is brought to term healthy, while the other faces major, even life-threatening defects. An example of this is seen in cattle, referred to as [[amorphous globosus]].