Congenital Anomaly News and Research

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Poverty linked to higher childhood deaths from congenital anomalies

Swansea University researchers have led major European study investigating how socio-economic circumstances influence survival among children born with major congenital anomalies.

14 Aug 2026

Endometriosis increases risk of some birth defects in infants

Research indicates women with endometriosis may face a higher risk of congenital anomalies in infants, emphasizing the need for further investigation.

13 May 2026

Endometriosis linked to slightly higher birth defect risk in infants

For babies born to people with endometriosis, there is a small but significant increased risk of congenital anomalies, often called birth defects, according to new research in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.250439.

11 May 2026

Exploring the genetic and clinical landscape of clubfoot

A new publication offers an extensive examination of clubfoot, a congenital deformity known as congenital talipes equinovarus (CTEV), affecting about 0.3% of all live births.

8 Aug 2025

Scientists uncover hidden genetic causes of congenital heart disease

Scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and collaborators have identified novel genetic interactions that may contribute to congenital heart disease (CHD), a common birth defect.

20 Feb 2025

Research reveals role of IGFBP3 in human lung development

Researchers of the University of Barcelona and the August Pi y Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS) have shown that the IGFBP3 protein plays a relevant role in human lung development.

1 Nov 2024

Long-acting injectable CAB-LA safe for HIV PrEP during pregnancy, study finds

Long-acting injectable cabotegravir (CAB-LA) was safe and well tolerated as HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) before and during pregnancy in the follow-up phase of a global study among cisgender women.

23 Jul 2024

COVID vaccines and infections in early pregnancy show no increased risk of birth defects in large Nordic study

Research on 343,066 infants across Denmark, Sweden, and Norway shows no increased risk of congenital anomalies from COVID-19 infections or vaccinations during the first trimester. The study confirms safety, supporting vaccination recommendations for pregnant women.

22 Jul 2024

First trimester COVID-19 exposure and vaccination not tied to major birth defects

Neither covid-19 infection nor vaccination during the first trimester of pregnancy is associated with increased risk of major birth defects, finds a study from Scandinavia published by The BMJ today.

18 Jul 2024

$Is there an association between residential proximity to fracking sites and birth defects?$

Is there an association between residential proximity to fracking sites and birth defects?

Study explores the incidence of birth defects in children born to mothers residing within 10 km of fracking sites.

19 Apr 2023

The origin of congenital coronary fistulae discovered

Scientists of the Department of Animal Biology of the University of Malaga have discovered the cellular mechanism that originates coronary arterio-ventricular fistulae, a congenital anomaly that, in severe cases, may result in death.

30 Mar 2023

Stillbirths and preterm births significantly lower in COVID vaccinated women

In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers determined the association between messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccinations and perinatal outcomes including congenital abnormalities, stillbirths, and premature births in Australia.

8 Jul 2022

COVID-19 vaccine appears safe in children aged 5–11 Years

A new report notes menial or nil severe adverse events from vaccination against COVID-19 in children and therefore recommends COVID-19 vaccination among children aged 5-11 years old.

31 Dec 2021

Survival for babies born with congenital anomalies depends on place of birth

Survival for a baby born with a birth defect – otherwise known as a congenital anomaly – is dependent on where you are born, a new study reveals.

19 Jul 2021

High-income and low-income countries have major differences in CHD prevalence, mortality

Even though mortality from congenital heart disease has declined over the last three decades as diagnosis and treatments have advanced, the chances for a child to survive a CHD diagnosis significantly differs based on the country where he or she is born.

3 Feb 2020

Study: Benefits of fetal surgery to repair spina bifida continue through school age

The benefits of fetal surgery to repair spina bifida, a procedure pioneered at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) in 1997, continue through school age, a National Institutes of Health (NIH) study reports today in the journal Pediatrics.

24 Jan 2020

Maternal stress affects fetal brain development

A new study published online January 13, 2020, in the journal JAMA Pediatrics reports that mothers who suffer severe mental stress during pregnancy may have babies with abnormal development in important areas of the brain even before birth. It is already known that babies with congenital heart disease show abnormalities in brain growth and brain biochemical reactions.

13 Jan 2020

Study seeks participants with VCFS-related psychosis to help create biobank of cerebral organoids

A landmark study is calling for at least 50 people in the U.S. with Velo-Cardio-Facial Syndrome (VCFS)-related psychosis to provide blood samples to create the world’s largest VCFS biobank to date of tiny spheres of neural tissue called "cerebral organoids."

24 Oct 2019

Researchers conclude that EnChroma's glasses do not improve results of color-blind participants

In Europe, 8 % of the male population and 0.5 % of the female population present a congenital anomaly in their color vision, commonly known as color-blindness.

17 Jun 2019

TAVR procedure safe in patients with unusual valve anatomy

Compared with patients who had a typical tricuspid aortic valve, patients with a more unusual bicuspid aortic valve had a similar rate of death but a higher likelihood of stroke after undergoing a procedure to replace the valve by threading surgical equipment through an artery, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiology's 68th Annual Scientific Session.

18 Mar 2019