Abstract  Congenital abdominal wall defects are common anomalies which include gastroschisis, omphalocele and umbilical cord hernia. Recent reports indicate that gastroschisis is increasing in prevalence, whereas omphalocele has remained steady, suggesting that environmental factors may play a part in their pathogenesis. The aim of this study is to review animal teratogen studies resulting in abdominal wall defects to investigate their possible causes. Each report was examined not only for the teratogens causing the defects, but also to carefully identify the defect occurring and its correlation with the known clinical anomalies. We found many discrepancies between the nomenclature used by animal teratology investigators and that used by clinicians. We were able to confirm ...