Birth Defects News and Research

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Lab-grown brain organoids and the brains of preemie babies generate similar electrical impulses

Brain organoids — also called mini-brains — are 3D cellular models that represent aspects of the human brain in the laboratory. Brain organoids help researchers track human development, unravel the molecular events that lead to disease and test new treatments.

30 Aug 2019

A detailed map to understand how viruses infect human cells

Biologists at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons have leveraged a computational method to map protein-protein interactions between all known human-infecting viruses and the cells they infect.

29 Aug 2019

Exposure to pesticides in the womb linked to changes in brain activity in adolescents

Pesticide exposure has been linked to many conditions, especially after long-term exposure. These chemicals can cause short-term adverse effects and in some cases, chronic adverse health effects that can emerge months or even years after exposure.

28 Aug 2019

Biologists discover the intricacies of 'on/off switch' that creates cell differentiation

A team of biologists has discovered how cells become different from each other during embryogenesis, a finding that offers new insights into genetic activity and has implications for better understanding the onset of disease and birth defects.

12 Aug 2019

Home births and hospital births equally safe, says large international study

A large study has confirmed what many midwives and mothers instinctively knew – it’s really not safer giving birth in a hospital than at home if you had a low-risk pregnancy so far. This is bound to reassure the growing number of low-risk pregnant women living in countries with reasonably good access to healthcare who want to deliver their babies at home.

8 Aug 2019

USC scientists receive $12.5 million NIDCR grant for craniofacial research

Nearly half of all birth defects involve the face and skull and, for the most part, scientists remain unclear as to why most occur. To better serve families at risk for these conditions, scientists need a comprehensive and systematic understanding of how the faces of healthy children form and what goes wrong to cause common malformations, such as cleft lip and palate.

7 Aug 2019

Specialized psychiatric care helps woman with bipolar depression to achieve motherhood

Rebecca Jo Manzella, 31, of Mount Clemens, was diagnosed with bipolar depression her junior year of high school. Lithium, the medication doctors prescribed for her, was the game changer. Its therapeutic benefits allowed her to return to her studies and continue to maintain healthy relationships with family and friends.

6 Aug 2019

Study shows urgent need for long-term follow up of Zika-exposed infants

Even as the Zika virus raged in Brazil, clinicians observed a curious phenomenon: all babies born to mothers infected with the virus during pregnancy were not affected with the characteristic birth anomalies caused by this infection.

5 Aug 2019

Paradoxical outcomes for infants exposed to Zika in utero

In the midst of an unprecedented Zika crisis in Brazil, there were a few flickers of hope: Some babies appeared to be normal at birth, free of devastating birth defects that affected other Brazilian children exposed to the virus in utero.

5 Aug 2019

Primary DENV or ZIKV infection has no effect on course of secondary infection in macaques

Previous infection with either Zika virus or dengue virus has no apparent effect on the clinical course of subsequent infection with the other virus, according to a study published August 1 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by David O'Connor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and colleagues.

5 Aug 2019

Skin cancer risk falls with higher dietary vitamin A intake

A new study from Brown University shows that the dietary intake of vitamin A from plant sources is associated with a lower risk of a common type of skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma. This is the second most common carcinoma of the skin in fair-skinned people.

1 Aug 2019

Early neuroimaging essential for Zika-exposed infants

Seventy-one of 110 Brazilian infants at the highest risk for experiencing problems due to exposure to the Zika virus in the womb experienced a wide spectrum of brain abnormalities, including calcifications and malformations in cortical development, according to a study published July 31, 2019 in JAMA Network Open.

31 Jul 2019

High levels of vitamin A linked to reduced skin cancer risk

People whose diets included high levels of vitamin A had a 17 percent reduction in risk for getting the second-most-common type of skin cancer, as compared to those who ate modest amounts of foods and supplements rich in vitamin A.

31 Jul 2019

Birthweight, height together may provide indication of heart health later in life

It's the proportionately of a newborn -- a measure that includes both birthweight and length -- that may best tell doctors whether a child is born with an increased risk for heart problems later in life, investigators report.

30 Jul 2019

New gene-editing study finds protective genes against Zika virus

Tel Aviv scientists have discovered certain genes that protect the host organism against attack by Zika virus, raising hopes of an eventual vaccine or cure for this dreaded viral disease.

28 Jul 2019

Maternal proximity to oil and gas areas associated with congenital heart defects in babies

Mothers living near more intense oil and gas development activity have a 40-70% higher chance of having children with congenital heart defects compared to those living in areas of less intense activity, according to a new study from researchers at the Colorado School of Public Health.

18 Jul 2019

Birth Defects News and Research

Lab-grown brain organoids and the brains of preemie babies generate similar electrical impulses

A detailed map to understand how viruses infect human cells

Exposure to pesticides in the womb linked to changes in brain activity in adolescents

Biologists discover the intricacies of 'on/off switch' that creates cell differentiation

Home births and hospital births equally safe, says large international study

USC scientists receive $12.5 million NIDCR grant for craniofacial research

Specialized psychiatric care helps woman with bipolar depression to achieve motherhood

Study shows urgent need for long-term follow up of Zika-exposed infants

Paradoxical outcomes for infants exposed to Zika in utero

Primary DENV or ZIKV infection has no effect on course of secondary infection in macaques

Skin cancer risk falls with higher dietary vitamin A intake

Early neuroimaging essential for Zika-exposed infants

High levels of vitamin A linked to reduced skin cancer risk

Birthweight, height together may provide indication of heart health later in life

New gene-editing study finds protective genes against Zika virus

Maternal proximity to oil and gas areas associated with congenital heart defects in babies

Study explores pregnancy-related adverse events associated with acne medication

UMD researchers connect a protein to antibody immunity for the first time

PBS restrictions on anti‐epileptic drug prescribing promote unsafe and outdated care

Children with birth defects have elevated cancer risk, study reveals

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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