Congenital Heart Defect News and Research

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A congenital heart defect is a problem with the structure of the heart. It is present at birth. Congenital heart defects are the most common type of major birth defect.

Medtronic announces U.S. trial data on transcatheter valve for congenital heart disease

Today at the annual scientific sessions of the American Heart Association, the first U.S. clinical trial data on the Melody transcatheter pulmonary valve were presented. These findings also represent the first U.S. data on transcatheter valves in a population with congenital heart disease and the first reported U.S. data on the use of a transcatheter valve in the pulmonary position. The Melody valve is currently investigational in the U.S.

10 Nov 2008

New guidelines for congenital heart disease

These days most children born with congenital heart disease live well into adulthood, thanks to innovative surgical, interventional and medical treatments.

8 Nov 2008

How the Nodal gene family keeps the heart in the right (asymmetric) place

Asymmetry is crucial for the heart proper functioning, and now, scientists from the Institute Gulbenkian of Science in Portugal and Harvard University, have discovered that a family of genes, called Nodal, is crucial determining this asymmetry by controlling the speed and direction of the heart muscle cells during embryonic development.

2 Nov 2008

Novel scaffold to fix broken hearts

Broken hearts could one day be mended using a novel scaffold developed by MIT researchers and colleagues.

2 Nov 2008

Tiny hearts may have big problems with complementary medicine

Giving supplement such as herbs, vitamins, and other natural health products to children taking Warfarin for congenital heart defects could increase their risk of clots, bleeding, and other complications, nurse practitioner Mary Bauman and Dr. Patti Massicotte told the 2008 Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.

28 Oct 2008

New devices and research for mechanical circulatory support in pediatrics

New devices and research for mechanical circulatory support in pediatrics from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Pediatric Circulatory Support Program will be discussed at the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) 28th Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions.

10 Apr 2008

Simple laboratory test predicts risk of kidney injury after surgery

A simple laboratory test may provide a new way for doctors to identify patients at risk of developing potentially severe acute kidney injury (AKI) after surgery up to three days before the problem would otherwise be detected, reports a pilot study in the May 2008 issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology .

14 Mar 2008

Simple laboratory test predicts risk of kidney injury after surgery

13 Mar 2008

New biodegradable film reduces scarring following open heart surgery

A new, biodegradable film designed to reduce the severity of scarring following open heart surgery in young children appears to be safe and effective, according to researchers attending the annual meeting of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons in Ft. Lauderdale.

30 Jan 2008

Disability living allowance falls short for ethnic minorities

A study carried out by researchers at the Peninsula Medical School and the Institute of Child Health (UCL) has revealed that families from an ethnic, non-English speaking background with a child with Down's syndrome do worse from the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) system than families facing the same issues who come from a white, English-speaking background.

21 Jan 2008

For babies with specific complex heart defects, death risk is far lower at most experienced hospitals

Each year, thousands of babies are born with severe heart defects that must be operated on within days or weeks of their birth.

17 Dec 2007

Safe and effective therapy discovered for patients with protein-losing enteropathy

Researchers at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research (Burnham Institute) have developed the first model to study intestinal protein leakage in mice, allowing the team to control and replicate both genetic deficiencies and environmental damages in an in vivo setting.

10 Dec 2007

Indomethacin a common drug for stopping preterm labor may be harmful for babies

A drug commonly used to halt premature labor may be associated with brain damage and intestinal issues in premature babies, according to a new analysis of studies on the issue publishedthis monthin American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

21 Nov 2007

Indomethacin drug for stopping preterm labor may be harmful for babies

A drug commonly used to halt premature labor may be associated with brain damage and intestinal issues in premature babies, according to a new analysis of studies on the issue published today in American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

2 Nov 2007

FAU receives patent for invention that induces and restores cardiac muscle function

Florida Atlantic University received U.S. patent no. 10/822,496, "Promoting Cardiac Cell Differentiation," based on an invention which induces and restores cardiac muscle function.

24 Sep 2007

New patented invention induces and restores cardiac muscle function

Florida Atlantic University received U.S. patent no. 10/822,496, "Promoting Cardiac Cell Differentiation," based on an invention which induces and restores cardiac muscle function.

21 Sep 2007

Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital performs transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement

A breakthrough new procedure may improve quality of life for children and adults with a common type of congenital heart defect that interferes with the body's ability to oxygenate blood through the lungs.

24 Aug 2007

Use of SSRIs during pregnancy does not increase the risk for most birth defects

Use of certain antidepressants, selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors most commonly known as SSRIs, during pregnancy does not significantly increase the risk for most birth defects, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study, released in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

27 Jun 2007

Primary ciliary dyskinesia linked to heterotaxy

The same genetic defect that causes a rare respiratory disease may also lead to some types of congenital heart disease, according to a study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine.

14 Jun 2007

FDA approves Norditropin for short stature in children with Noonan syndrome

Novo Nordisk has announced that Norditropin (somatropin[rDNA origin] injection) received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the treatment of short stature in children with Noonan syndrome.

3 Jun 2007