A mother-to-be infected with the rubella virus gives birth to a child with multiple birth defects.Which of the following is descriptive of the defects?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The term "congenital" means the birth defect or abnormality is present at birth, so this is the most accurate description for the child's condition. The other choices are not accurate in this situation. "Hereditary" means that the condition is passed down through genes from one or both parents, but this is not necessarily the case with rubella infection. "Encoded in the mother's DNA" is not accurate either because it implies that the defect was inherited from the mother's DNA, which is not necessarily the case with rubella infection. "Contagious" refers to a disease that can be spread from person to person, but this term does not accurately describe the child's birth defect.

A Mother-To-Be Infected with the Rubella Virus Gives Birth to a Child