Interacting Systems in Development

Embryology is today one of the most neglected of all medical fields. Only a handful of medical schools offer more than an introductory course on the subject, and most physicians' knowledge of embryological principles and mechanisms is rudimentary or, at best, limited to circumscribed areas of special interest. This is particularly unfortunate for pediatricians whose practices include such a significant percentage of congenital defects, which are really instances of normal embryologic processes gone awry.