Birth Defects News and Research

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Newborns with CMV may have increased risk of developing acute lymphocytic leukemia

Newborns with congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) -- a common virus in the herpes family -- may have an increased risk of developing acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), according to new research published online today in Blood, the Journal of the American Society of Hematology. The study suggests the risk is even greater in Hispanic children.

15 Dec 2016

Dental problems linked to cleft lip and palate may be caused by abnormal salivary glands

A new study in the Journal of Dental Research suggests that dental problems commonly associated with cleft lip and palate may be caused by abnormalities in salivary glands and an imbalance of immune compounds in the mouth.

7 Dec 2016

Leukaemia patients could safely reduce side effects of drug by cutting dose in half, study shows

Patients with a chronic type of leukaemia could safely reduce the side effects of life-long treatment by cutting their dose in half, according to the results of a University of Liverpool led study presented at an international conference in America this week.

6 Dec 2016

Antidepressant use in early pregnancy may increase risk of congenital anomalies in babies or stillbirths

Academics at Swansea University have carried out a dose-response analysis which suggests that pregnant women who take a specific type of antidepressant in early pregnancy have a small but significantly greater risk of having babies with major congenital anomalies (sometimes referred to as birth defects) or stillbirths compared with those who did not take these antidepressants.

2 Dec 2016

Scientists discover molecular link between rare childhood genetic disease and major cancer gene

A team of researchers led by a University of Rhode Island scientist has discovered an important molecular link between a rare childhood genetic disease, Fanconi anemia, and a major cancer gene called PTEN.

1 Dec 2016

Zika virus can cause glaucoma in infants, report reveals

A team of researchers in Brazil and at the Yale School of Public Health has published the first report demonstrating that the Zika virus can cause glaucoma in infants who were exposed to the virus during gestation.

30 Nov 2016

Study finds link between birth defects and antiepileptic drugs during pregnancy

A joint study conducted by researchers from the universities of Liverpool and Manchester has found a link between birth defects and certain types of epilepsy medication.

29 Nov 2016

Researchers develop new mouse model to study Zika virus and find potential treatments

Researchers have developed a new mouse model that could be used in Zika research to better understand the virus and find new treatments, according to a study published in PLOS Pathogens.

18 Nov 2016

Empire State Building towers to go purple on 6th annual World Prematurity Day

The Empire State Building towers will light purple today in honor of the 6th annual World Prematurity Day (WPD) tomorrow. Parent groups and organizations worldwide join together on WPD to raise awareness of the serious problem of premature birth.

16 Nov 2016

Medicaid programs cover more number of preterm births than private insurance plans, study shows

Medicaid programs cover a higher proportion of preterm births than private insurance plans, according to a new study from researchers at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and the March of Dimes.

11 Nov 2016

Researchers identify blood test that may help predict FASD during pregnancy

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, Texas A&M College of Medicine and the Omni-Net Birth Defects Prevention Program in Ukraine have identified a blood test that may help predict how severely a baby will be affected by alcohol exposure during pregnancy, according to a study published November 9 in the journal PLOS ONE.

9 Nov 2016

Researchers find timing, duration of androgen exposure can influence genital defects in female mice

University of Florida researchers have identified cells targeted by a male hormone and found that an excess of that hormone at a specific time can cause genital defects in female mice.

8 Nov 2016

Researchers discover antibody that can protect fetus from Zika virus in pregnant mice

The most devastating consequence of Zika virus infection is the development of microcephaly, or an abnormally small head, in babies who were infected in utero.

7 Nov 2016

Carotenoid pigment compound reduces invasiveness of tumors in mouse models of lung cancer

Beta-cryptoxanthin (BCX), a carotenoid pigment compound found primarily in plants, reduces the number and invasiveness of tumors in mouse and cell models of lung cancer, report scientists from the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University.

1 Nov 2016

Small RNA molecules could contribute to serious pregnancy complication, study finds

A family of small RNA molecules affects the development of cells that give rise to the placenta - an organ that transfers oxygen and nutrients from mother to fetus -- in ways that could contribute to a serious pregnancy complication, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers report.

24 Oct 2016

Neurodevelopmental chick model may help study microcephaly effects of Zika virus

A newly published study from researchers working in collaboration with the Regenerative Bioscience Center at the University of Georgia demonstrates fetal death and brain damage in early chick embryos similar to microcephaly--a rare birth defect linked to the Zika virus, now alarming health experts worldwide.

20 Oct 2016

Network of proteins linked to cancer may play vital role in male fertility

Researchers studying reproductive science identified a network of proteins often linked to cancer as also important to male fertility and the birth of healthy offspring, according to a study in the Oct. 18 online issue of Cell Reports.

19 Oct 2016

SWAT team of immune cells linked to low infection rates after cleft lip and palate surgery in infants

The mouth is widely considered the dirtiest part of the human body, yet babies have surprisingly low infection rates following cleft lip and palate surgery.

18 Oct 2016

TSRI scientists elucidate how Zika virus attacks the brains of newborns

In a study that could one day help eliminate the tragic birth defects caused by Zika virus, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have elucidated how the virus attacks the brains of newborns, information that could accelerate the development of treatments.

17 Oct 2016

Babies born to older women from assisted reproduction have fewer birth defects, research finds

Babies born to women aged 40 and over from assisted reproduction have fewer birth defects compared with those from women who conceive naturally at the same age, according to new research from the University of Adelaide.