Birth Defects News and Research

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Research reveals new insights into the biology of recurrent miscarriage

Researchers at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, University of Sydney, and the Royal Hospital for Women have uncovered important new insights into the biology of recurrent miscarriage - a devastating condition that affects up to one in fifty couples trying to conceive.

19 Nov 2025

Automated insulin delivery improves glucose control in pregnant women with Type 1 diabetes

An international study co-led by University of Calgary researchers has found new insulin delivery technology helps control glucose levels during pregnancy for those with Type 1 diabetes, which is crucial to the health of women and their newborns.

13 Nov 2025

Study warns of unsafe antiseizure drug use despite rising access

In a study carried out in collaboration with the World Health Organization, two Aston University academics have found that while access to antiseizure medication in low- and middle-income countries is growing, it is not necessarily always prescribed safely.

11 Nov 2025

More prenatal visits allow newborns with mild heart defects to receive the right level of care

In cases of mild congenital heart defects, more prenatal visits are associated with greater likelihood of appropriate delivery at a community hospital, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open.

10 Nov 2025

Do dietary supplements really improve muscle health in non-athletes?

Dietary supplements can support muscle health, but their effectiveness varies. This review explores their role in physical activity and age-related muscle loss.

10 Nov 2025

Study reveals how "P bodies" heavily influence a cell's fate

How do stem cells know what to become? Nearly three decades after scientists isolated the first human embryonic stem cells, researchers are still working hard to understand precisely how a single, undifferentiated cell can become any one of the roughly 200 cell types that make up the human body.

4 Nov 2025

Some acute and chronic viral infections linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease

In the weeks following a bout of influenza or COVID, the risk of heart attack or stroke may rise dramatically, and chronic infections such as HIV may increase the long-term risk of serious cardiovascular disease events, according to new, independent research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

29 Oct 2025

Zika virus exposure during pregnancy permanently shapes offspring's frontline immune cells

A Wayne State University study published in the Oct. 3, 2025, issue of Nature Communications revealed that Zika virus exposure during pregnancy causes long-term, sex-specific changes to a baby's immune system, particularly affecting the frontline immune cells that fight infection.

6 Oct 2025

Trump claims ‘no downside’ to avoiding Tylenol during pregnancy. He’s wrong.

Obstetricians have long advised their pregnant patients that Tylenol is the safest option to reduce fever or pain. President Donald Trump stood before a national audience on Sept. 22 and contradicted that.

24 Sep 2025

Physical frailty linked to higher dementia risk

A new study suggests that physical frailty may contribute to the development of dementia. The study was published on September 17, 2025, in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

17 Sep 2025

New global consensus offers hope for women with inflammatory bowel disease during pregnancy

For women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), pregnancy can be an uncertain time due to limited clinical data about how IBD medications impact pregnancy outcomes and infants who have been exposed to IBD medications in utero.

28 Aug 2025

Majority of reproductive-aged women face modifiable risks linked to birth defects

An analysis using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) among 5,374 women of reproductive age indicates that two thirds of women within this demographic have at least one modifiable risk factor, such as low folate status or unmanaged diabetes, that can increase the chance of serious birth defects.

26 Aug 2025

Physical forces play key role in shaping developing organs

A new study looks at the physical forces that help shape developing organs. Scientists in the past believed that the fast-acting biochemistry of genes and proteins is responsible for directing this choreography.

21 Aug 2025

Dengue antibody may block the spread of Zika virus in vulnerable areas of the body

A new study from the University of Alabama at Birmingham reveals that an antibody originally designed to fight dengue virus may also block the spread of Zika virus in vulnerable areas of the body - including the reproductive organs.

19 Aug 2025

Alcohol assay from Carolina Liquid Chemistries receives CLIA moderate complexity categorization on Abbott ImmTox™ 270 chemistry analyzer

An ethyl alcohol (ETOH) assay from Carolina Liquid Chemistries Corp. (CLC) has been categorized as moderately complex under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) for use on the Abbott Laboratories ImmTox™ 270 clinical chemistry analyzer.

From Carolina Liquid Chemistries Corp. 19 Aug 2025

Electromechanical reshaping could be a gentler alternative to LASIK

Millions of Americans have altered vision, ranging from blurriness to blindness. But not everyone wants to wear prescription glasses or contact lenses.

18 Aug 2025

Understanding the importance of B vitamins for health

Eight different vitamins make up the B complex, and they all play crucial roles in the body, such as producing energy, keeping our nervous system healthy, and supporting cell development.

4 Aug 2025

Analysis shows low pre-pregnancy glucose increases risk of preterm birth

An analysis of data from more than 4.7 million Chinese women showed that those who had low blood sugar levels prior to conception were more likely to have certain adverse pregnancy outcomes-such as their baby being born preterm or with low birth weight.

30 Jul 2025

Study finds continued use of risky antiseizure drugs during pregnancy

Despite evidence of the risk of malformations at birth, or birth defects, use of some antiseizure drugs during pregnancy has persisted, according to a study published on July 23, 2025, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

24 Jul 2025

Taking specific antiseizure drugs during pregnancy linked to increased risk of malformations at birth

A new study that examined older and newer medications to treat seizures has found that using some medications during pregnancy is linked to an increased risk of malformations at birth, or birth defects.

16 Jul 2025