Birth Defects News and Research

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New report calls for comprehensive smoke-free policies

A new WHO report, Tobacco Control To Improve Child Health And Development, calls for raising awareness among practitioners and policymakers about the importance of strong tobacco control measures for protecting the health and development of children, including banning tobacco advertising, implementing 100% smoke-free environments and raising taxes on tobacco.

16 Mar 2021

NYITCOM researcher secures NSF CAREER award to study brain-skull interactions

Akinobu "Aki" Watanabe, Ph.D., assistant professor of anatomy at New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM), has secured a prestigious Faculty Early Career Development Program award from the U.S. National Science Foundation.

10 Mar 2021

Uninherited genetic mutations can cause spina bifida

Genetic mutations which occur naturally during the earliest stages of an embryo's development can cause the severe birth defect spina bifida, finds a new experimental study in mice led by UCL scientists.

19 Feb 2021

Benjamin L. Ebert receives Sjöberg Prize for breakthrough research on blood cancer

Benjamin L. Ebert, USA, receives this year's Sjöberg Prize, worth one million US dollars, for his research into how lenalidomide works as a treatment for blood cancer.

15 Feb 2021

Commuters are breathing in high levels of chemicals that increase cancer risk

A new study finds that California's commuters are likely inhaling chemicals at levels that increase the risk for cancer and birth defects.

15 Feb 2021

Immunomodulatory drugs improve the success rate of cancer therapies

Immunomodulatory drugs, including the Contergan derivatives lenalidomide and pomalidomide, have significantly improved the therapy of hematologic malignancies such as multiple myeloma.

15 Feb 2021

Updated spina bifida guidelines cover care across the entire lifespan

Globally, nearly 300,000 babies are born with neural tube defects including spina bifida (SB) each year.

9 Feb 2021

Preclinical study uncovers how Zika virus passes from mother to fetus during pregnancy

A preclinical study by a University of South Florida Health Morsani College of Medicine research team has discovered a new mechanism for how Zika virus can pass from mothers to their children during pregnancy - a process known as vertical transmission.

3 Feb 2021

Study shows accuracy of dried blood spot testing for detection of CMV infection in newborns

In Minnesota, there are currently about 60 diseases that all newborns are screened for at birth using a heel prick and a few drops of blood.

2 Feb 2021

Suicide mosquitos may prevent the spread of Zika virus

In 2016, the World Health Organization called the Zika virus epidemic a "public health emergency of international concern" due to the virus causing birth defects for pregnant women in addition to neurological problems.

27 Jan 2021

Researchers discover rare genetic disorder that affects the brain, heart and facial features

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have discovered a new genetic disorder characterized by developmental delays and malformations of the brain, heart and facial features.

20 Jan 2021

FISH technique can be used to probe sperm DNA for chromosomal defects

Chemotherapy and radiation treatments are known to cause harsh side effects that patients can see or feel throughout their bodies.

19 Jan 2021

Study investigates control mechanism that ensures accurate chromosome inheritance during cell division

Starting as a single cell, organisms undergo millions of generations of divisions to ultimately generate the bones, heart, brain and other components that make up a living being.

6 Jan 2021

Researchers receive $2.1 million NIH grant to study causes of congenital heart defects

Congenital heart defects are the most common type of birth defect, affecting nearly 1% of births in the United States each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Doctors have been unable to lower that number due to a lack of knowledge about their source.

5 Jan 2021

Study provides new insights into the molecular underpinnings of Duchenne muscular dystrophy

A UT Southwestern research team has catalogued gene activity in the skeletal muscle of mice, comparing healthy animals to those carrying a genetic mutation that causes Duchene muscular dystrophy (DMD) in humans.

21 Dec 2020

Zika infection affects fetal retinal development during pregnancy but not after birth

While the SARS-CoV-2 virus has dominated the news this past year, researchers continue to study the health effects of the Zika virus, which has been reported in 86 countries globally.

18 Dec 2020

Networks of genes involved in congenital heart disease revealed

Over two million babies, children, and adults in the United States are living with congenital heart disease--a range of birth defects affecting the heart's structure or function.

14 Dec 2020

Scientists identify two drug candidates that counteract deficiencies caused by lack of MECP2 gene

Most autism spectrum disorders have a complex, multifactorial genetic component, making it difficult to find specific treatments. Rett syndrome is an exception.

9 Dec 2020

Mine ponds increase risk of mercury exposure for indigenous communities and wildlife

The proliferation of pits and ponds created in recent years by miners digging for small deposits of alluvial gold in Peru's Amazon has dramatically altered the landscape and increased the risk of mercury exposure for indigenous communities and wildlife, a new study shows.

27 Nov 2020

Women with interstitial lung disease may not need to terminate their pregnancies

A new study shows that women with interstitial lung disease (ILD) related to autoimmune disease may not need to terminate their pregnancies--despite the increased risk of adverse outcomes--provided they have close monitoring from their team of multidisciplinary physicians before, during and after pregnancy.

6 Nov 2020

Birth Defects News and Research

New report calls for comprehensive smoke-free policies

NYITCOM researcher secures NSF CAREER award to study brain-skull interactions

Uninherited genetic mutations can cause spina bifida

Benjamin L. Ebert receives Sjöberg Prize for breakthrough research on blood cancer

Commuters are breathing in high levels of chemicals that increase cancer risk

Immunomodulatory drugs improve the success rate of cancer therapies

Updated spina bifida guidelines cover care across the entire lifespan

Preclinical study uncovers how Zika virus passes from mother to fetus during pregnancy

Study shows accuracy of dried blood spot testing for detection of CMV infection in newborns

Suicide mosquitos may prevent the spread of Zika virus

Researchers discover rare genetic disorder that affects the brain, heart and facial features

FISH technique can be used to probe sperm DNA for chromosomal defects

Study investigates control mechanism that ensures accurate chromosome inheritance during cell division

Researchers receive $2.1 million NIH grant to study causes of congenital heart defects

Study provides new insights into the molecular underpinnings of Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Zika infection affects fetal retinal development during pregnancy but not after birth

Networks of genes involved in congenital heart disease revealed

Scientists identify two drug candidates that counteract deficiencies caused by lack of MECP2 gene

Mine ponds increase risk of mercury exposure for indigenous communities and wildlife

Women with interstitial lung disease may not need to terminate their pregnancies

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

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