Birth Defects News and Research

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To attract in-home caregivers, California offers paid training — and self-care

One November afternoon, Chris Espedal asked a group of caregivers — all of whom work with people who have cognitive impairments, behavioral health issues, or complex physical needs — to describe what happens when their work becomes too much to bear.

9 Dec 2022

Using Whole Exome Sequencing and Carrier Screening Tests for Birth Defects

In this interview, NewsMedical speaks with Rainu Wau from International Maternal and Children’s Hospital, Shanghai, China, about her experience using whole exome sequencing and carrier screening tests.

From BGI Genomics 8 Dec 2022

Zika-exposed children may show differences in cognitive development, mood and mobility

Children who are exposed to the Zika virus while in the womb, but who are not subsequently diagnosed with Zika-related birth defects and congenital Zika syndrome (CZS), may still display differences in some aspects of cognitive development, mood and mobility compared to unexposed children, reports a study published in Pediatric Research.

30 Nov 2022

New research helps to better understand the risks associated with prenatal Zika virus infections

Approximately one third of children born to mothers infected with Zika virus during their pregnancy present with at least one abnormality consistent with Congenital Zika Syndrome in the first years of their life, according to new research.

28 Nov 2022

Rutgers scientists develop new approach to effectively shut down viral infections

Rutgers scientists have developed a new approach to stopping viral infections: a so-called live-attenuated, replication-defective DNA virus vaccine that uses a compound known as centanamycin to generate an altered virus for vaccine development.

20 Nov 2022

Unusual Zika virus-specific antibody exhibits ultrapotent neutralization

An unusual type of antibody that even at miniscule levels neutralizes the Zika virus and renders the virus infection undetectable in preclinical models has been identified by a team led by Weill Cornell Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian and National Institutes of Health (NIH) investigators.

20 Nov 2022

Genetic differences can affect the swimming behavior of sperm cells, study shows

The behavior of sperm cells is due, in part, to the individual DNA make-up of these cells, rather than only to the genetics of males, finds a team of scientists.

15 Nov 2022

25 years on, varicella vaccination reports impressive success in the USA

New research suggests that 25 years on, varicella vaccination continues to report impressive success in the USA.

26 Oct 2022

Study shows increased risks of death in offspring born to mothers with hypertensive disorder of pregnancy

A disorder that can trigger abnormally high blood pressure in pregnancy is associated with increased risks of death in offspring from birth to young adulthood, finds a study published by The BMJ today.

20 Oct 2022

Blood test uses artificial intelligence and biomarkers to prenatally detect fetal congenital heart defects

Researchers at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, have discovered a blood test for pregnant women that uses artificial intelligence and genetic-related biomarkers to accurately detect, fetal congenital heart defects, well before birth.

18 Oct 2022

COVID-19 vaccine may protect pregnant women from SARS-CoV-2 placentitis and stillbirth

Stillbirth is a recognized complication of COVID-19 in pregnant women caused by harmful changes to the placenta induced by the virus.

12 Oct 2022

Report: Less than half of children with sickle cell anemia received recommended screening and treatment

In 2019, less than half of children aged 2–16 years with sickle cell anemia received the recommended screening for stroke, a common complication of the disease, according to a new CDC Vital Signs report.

27 Sep 2022

Two waves of Pitx2 expression orchestrate gut rotation during development, study finds

Our guts, and all our organs, are arranged in left-right asymmetric patterns inside our bodies, so that everything may fit.

23 Sep 2022

New abortion laws jeopardize cancer treatment for pregnant patients

As abortion bans go into effect across a contiguous swath of the South, cancer physicians are wrestling with how new state laws will influence their discussions with pregnant patients about what treatment options they can offer.

16 Sep 2022

Two novel tools may simplify, quicken and improve ear reconstruction surgery

According to the National Birth Defects Prevention Network, one in every 8,000 to 10,000 births in the United States result in one of two congenital malformations of the ear: microtia (the child is born with only a cartilage stump for an ear) or anotia (the complete lack of an ear).

15 Sep 2022

Cancer risk higher among children born after frozen-thawed embryo transfer

In a recent PLOS Medicine journal study, scientists have documented that children born after ART, particularly FET, are at an increased risk of developing childhood cancer than those born after spontaneous conception and fresh embryo transfer.

8 Sep 2022

Study: Number of babies born with cytomegalovirus decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic

Published in JAMA, University of Minnesota Medical School researchers discovered the number of babies born in Minnesota with cytomegalovirus (CMV) decreased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

6 Sep 2022

Mandatory fortification of flour with folic acid has potential to prevent neural tube defects

The UK Government's current proposal to fortify one type of flour with folic acid is inadequate as it suggests a low dose that would fail to prevent hundreds of cases of severe birth defects each year, according to a new paper by UCL's Professor Sir Nicholas Wald.

22 Aug 2022

SARS-CoV-2 infection in mothers does not have a significant teratogenic effect

Scientists determine that infection with SARS-CoV-2 during the first trimester of pregnancy does not increase the risk of any specific congenital malformations.

9 Aug 2022

Researchers find mechanisms behind the development of congenital birth defect

About one percent of the world population is born with a congenital heart defect, which affects about 40,000 U.S. births each year, but how these particular birth defects come about is largely unknown.

1 Aug 2022