In utero, the ductus arteriosus (DA) serves to divert ventricular output away from the lungs and toward the placenta by connecting the main pulmonary artery to the descending aorta. A patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in the first 3 days of life is a physiologic shunt in healthy term and preterm newborn infants, and normally is substantially closed within about 24 hours after bith and completely closed after about three weeks. Failure of physiologcal closure is referred to a persistent or patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). Depending on the degree of left-to-right shunting, PDA can have clinical consequences.

Atrial septal defect (ASD) is a congenital abnormality of the interatrial septum that enables blood flow between the left and right atria via the interatrial septum.

A hole between the two bottom chambers (ventricles) of the heart. The defect is centered around the most superior aspect of the ventricular septum.

Increased body weight with a body mass index of 25-29.9 kg per square meter.

Impaired ability to eat related to problems gathering food and getting ready to suck, chew, or swallow it.

A condition in which the stomach contents leak backwards from the stomach into the esophagus through the lower esophageal sphincter.

A seizure is an intermittent abnormality of nervous system physiology characterized by a transient occurrence of signs and/or symptoms due to abnormal excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain.

An intermittent cessation of airflow at the mouth and nose during sleep is known as sleep apnea. Apneas that last at least 10 seconds are considered significant, but individuals with sleep apnea may experience apneas lasting from 20 seconds up to 2 or 3 minutes. Patients may have up to 15 events per hour of sleep.

A degree of language development that is significantly below the norm for a child of a specified age.

A delay in the achievement of motor or mental milestones in the domains of development of a child, including motor skills, speech and language, cognitive skills, and social and emotional skills. This term should only be used to describe children younger than five years of age.

Persistent deficits in social interaction and communication and interaction as well as a markedly restricted repertoire of activity and interest as well as repetitive patterns of behavior.

A type of Developmental delay characterized by a delay in acquiring motor skills.

Intellectual disability, previously referred to as mental retardation, is characterized by subnormal intellectual functioning that occurs during the developmental period. It is defined by an IQ score below 70.

Hemoglobin F (HbF) contains two globin alpha chains and two globin gamma chains. It is the main form of hemoglobin in the fetus during the last seven months of intrauterine development and in the half year of postnatal life. In adults it normally makes up less than one percent of all hemoglobin. This term refers to an increase in HbF above this limit. In beta thalassemia major, it may represent over 90 percent of all hemoglobin, and in beta thalassemia minor it may make up between 0.5 to 4 percent.

Protrusion of abdominal contents through a defect in the abdominal wall musculature around the umbilicus. Skin and subcutaneous tissue overlie the defect.

Hypotonia is an abnormally low muscle tone (the amount of tension or resistance to movement in a muscle). Even when relaxed, muscles have a continuous and passive partial contraction which provides some resistance to passive stretching. Hypotonia thus manifests as diminished resistance to passive stretching. Hypotonia is not the same as muscle weakness, although the two conditions can co-exist.

Occipitofrontal (head) circumference greater than 97th centile compared to appropriate, age matched, sex-matched normal standards. Alternatively, a apparently increased size of the cranium.

The presence of a hernia in which the upper part of the stomach, i.e., mainly the gastric cardia protrudes through the diaphragmatic esophageal hiatus.

Laryngomalacia is a congenital abnormality of the laryngeal cartilage in which the cartilage is floppy and prolapses over the larynx during inspiration.

An increased susceptibility to upper respiratory tract infections as manifested by a history of recurrent upper respiratory tract infections (running ears - otitis, sinusitis, pharyngitis, tonsillitis).

An increased susceptibility to pneumonia as manifested by a history of recurrent episodes of pneumonia.

An abnormal increase in the size of nasopharyngeal adenoids.

Changes in alignment of teeth in the dental arch

Persistence of the primary teeth beyond the age by which they normally are shed and replaced by the permanent teeth.

Forward prominence of the entire forehead, due to protrusion of the frontal bone.

Astigmatism (from the Greek 'a' meaning absence and 'stigma' meaning point) is a condition in which the parallel rays of light entering the eye through the refractive media are not focused on a single point. Both corneal and noncorneal factors contribute to refractive astigmatism. Corneal astigmatism is mainly the result of an aspheric anterior surface of the cornea, which can be measured readily by means of a keratometer; in a small fraction of cases (approximately 1 in 10) the effect is neutralized by the back surface. The curvature of the back surface of the cornea is not considered in most studies, because it is more difficult to measure; moreover, in the case of severe corneal astigmatism, there is evidence that both surfaces have the same configuration. Noncorneal factors are errors in the curvature of the 2 surfaces of the crystalline lens, irregularity in the refractive index of the lens, and an eccentric lens position. Since the cornea is the dominant component of the eye's refracting system, a highly astigmatic cornea is likely to result in a similarly astigmatic ocular refraction (summary by Clementi et al., 1998).