Cephalic disorders (from Greek κεφαλή 'head') are congenital conditions that stem from damage to, or abnormal development of, the budding nervous system.

[citation needed] The human nervous system develops from a small, specialized plate of cells on the surface of the embryo.

[citation needed] Damage to the developing nervous system is a major cause of chronic, disabling disorders and, sometimes, death in infants, children, and even adults.

[citation needed] The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is currently "conducting and supporting research on normal and abnormal brain and nervous system development.

[citation needed] Portions of this article were based on the page: https://web.archive.org/web/20080920160408/http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/cephalic_disorders/detail_cephalic_disorders.htm at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke's public domain resource.