Birth Defects News and Research

RSS

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

Study offers clues for earlier diagnosis of folate deficiency

As many expectant mothers know, getting enough folate is key to avoiding neural tube defects in the baby during pregnancy. But for the individuals who carry certain genetic variants, dealing with folate deficiency can be a life-long struggle which can lead to serious neurological and heart problems and even death.

1 Jul 2021

Discovery opens door to new diagnostics and therapeutic strategies for male infertility

Scientists at The University of Toledo discovered new movement in sperm that provides innovative avenues for diagnostics and therapeutic strategies for male infertility.

28 Jun 2021

New human organoid mimics the earliest developmental steps of the nervous system in embryos

The progression from a round ball of cells to an embryo with a head and a tail is one of the most critical steps in an organism's development. But just how cells first start organizing themselves with directionality along this head-to-tail axis is hard to study because it happens in the earliest days of embryonic development, in the confines of a mammal's uterus.

22 Jun 2021

Can acetaminophen use during pregnancy increase the risk of ADHD and autism symptoms in children?

In a new study, researchers confirmed that the use of paracetamol during pregnancy led to an increased risk of children displaying symptoms of ADHD and autism.

28 May 2021

Researchers identify new way to improve the diagnosis of fetal heart defects

UC San Francisco researchers have found a way to double doctors' accuracy in detecting the vast majority of complex fetal heart defects in utero - when interventions could either correct them or greatly improve a child's chance of survival - by combining routine ultrasound imaging with machine-learning computer tools.

27 May 2021

Are COVID-19 medications safe in pregnancy?

Most medications being tested today in clinical trials for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been repurposed from other indications. These are typically not tested in pregnant women. A new study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, summarizes what is known about the safety of these drugs in this group.

24 May 2021

New focus on adverse impact of male factors in assisted reproductive treatments

The adverse impact of male factors in assisted reproductive treatments was brought into a clear and disturbing focus at the 10th Congress of the Asia Pacific Initiative on Reproduction.

17 May 2021

WVU study examines the effects of vaping during pregnancy

Spurred by unproven assumptions that vaping is safer than smoking cigarettes, a team at West Virginia University is conducting a three-year study on the effects of vaping during pregnancy.

7 May 2021

UCL researchers highlight systemic inequalities in indoor air pollution exposure

Systemic inequalities mean that low-income households in London are more likely to be exposed to higher levels of indoor air pollution, according to a report by UCL researchers.

7 May 2021

3D-printed fetus models allow surgeons to identify potential obstacles, reduce risks of surgery

A state-of-the-art in-utero procedure allows surgeons to correct a birth defect on developing babies inside the womb. But operating on a mother and her unborn child at the same time can be challenging and unpredictable.

7 May 2021

Pregnancy may increase the risk of COVID-19 severity

Against the background of the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy has been a subject of much controversy. In order to help answer the question as to whether this infection causes significant harm in pregnancy, a new study, released as a medRxiv* preprint, reports on the disease outcomes of this infection in pregnant women.

5 May 2021

Study could pave way for new therapies for kidney disease

Our kidneys are charged with the extraordinary task of filtering about 53 gallons of fluid a day, a process that depends on podocytes, tiny, highly specialized cells in the cluster of blood vessels in the kidney where waste is filtered that are highly vulnerable to damage.

5 May 2021

New device offers a quicker, less invasive way to seal tears and holes in blood vessels

A team of researchers led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has developed a device that offers a quicker and less invasive way to seal tears and holes in blood vessels, using an electrically-activated glue patch applied via a minimally invasive balloon catheter.

4 May 2021

New gene therapy restores dystrophin protein in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

UT Southwestern scientists successfully employed a new type of gene therapy to treat mice with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), uniquely utilizing CRISPR-Cas9-based tools to restore a large section of the dystrophin protein that is missing in many DMD patients.

3 May 2021

Surgery to correct congenital heart disease linked to increased risk of adult hypertension

In a medical records study covering thousands of children, a U.S.-Canadian team led by researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine concludes that while surgery to correct congenital heart disease (CHD) within 10 years after birth may restore young hearts to healthy function, it also may be associated with an increased risk of hypertension -- high blood pressure -- within a few months or years after surgery.

8 Apr 2021

USC Stem Cell scientist receives $2.56 million NIH grant to explore 'synthetic' embryonic development

Whether in an earthworm or a human being, developmental processes are driven by complex networks of genetically-encoded signals that enable cells to take cues from each other and their environment.

8 Apr 2021

World's first human tracheal transplant performed by Mount Sinai surgeons

A team of Mount Sinai surgeons has performed the world's first human tracheal transplant--an achievement that has the potential to save the lives of thousands of patients around the world who have tracheal birth defects, untreatable airway diseases, burns, tumors, or severe tracheal damage from intubation, including those who had been hospitalized with COVID-19 and placed on a ventilator.

6 Apr 2021

Study uncovers mechanism that causes genetic movement disorder

A research team at the Greenwood Genetic Center (GGC) has identified the mechanism that causes movement disorders in patients with mutations in the NUS1 gene.

22 Mar 2021

Study identifies how environmental information is transmitted by non-DNA molecules in the sperm

It has long been understood that a parent's DNA is the principal determinant of health and disease in offspring.

16 Mar 2021

Birth Defects News and Research

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

Study offers clues for earlier diagnosis of folate deficiency

Discovery opens door to new diagnostics and therapeutic strategies for male infertility

New human organoid mimics the earliest developmental steps of the nervous system in embryos

Can acetaminophen use during pregnancy increase the risk of ADHD and autism symptoms in children?

Researchers identify new way to improve the diagnosis of fetal heart defects

Are COVID-19 medications safe in pregnancy?

New focus on adverse impact of male factors in assisted reproductive treatments

WVU study examines the effects of vaping during pregnancy

UCL researchers highlight systemic inequalities in indoor air pollution exposure

3D-printed fetus models allow surgeons to identify potential obstacles, reduce risks of surgery

Pregnancy may increase the risk of COVID-19 severity

Study could pave way for new therapies for kidney disease

New device offers a quicker, less invasive way to seal tears and holes in blood vessels

New gene therapy restores dystrophin protein in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Surgery to correct congenital heart disease linked to increased risk of adult hypertension

USC Stem Cell scientist receives $2.56 million NIH grant to explore 'synthetic' embryonic development

World's first human tracheal transplant performed by Mount Sinai surgeons

Study uncovers mechanism that causes genetic movement disorder

Study identifies how environmental information is transmitted by non-DNA molecules in the sperm

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

From Puberty to Menopause: Clue’s CEO, Audrey Tsang on the Power of Femtech

Latest News