A child is born with severe craniofacial defects and transposition of the great vessels. What cell population may play a role in both abnormalities?

Because neural crest cells contribute to much of the development of the face and to the truncal poion of the conotruncal septum, these cells have probably been disrupted. Crest cells may have failed to migrate to these regions, failed to proliferate, or may have been killed. Retinoic acid (vitamin A) is a potent teratogen that targets neural crest cells among other cell populations. Ref: Langman's embryology 11th edition Chapter 12.