Birth Defects News and Research

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March of Dimes to receive 2010 Paul G. Rogers Distinguished Organization Advocacy Award

March of Dimes will receive Research!America's 2010 Paul G. Rogers Distinguished Organization Advocacy Award. The award recognizes March of Dimes' decades of successful advocacy for maternal and child health research and services.

10 Mar 2010

Exposure to BPA during pregnancy causes permanent abnormalities in uterus of offspring

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have discovered that exposure during pregnancy to Bisphenol A (BPA), a common component of plastics, causes permanent abnormalities in the uterus of offspring, including alteration in their DNA. The findings were reported in the March issue of Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.

8 Mar 2010

BPA exposure during pregnancy may cause permanent reproduction problems for female offspring

Here's more evidence that "safe" plastics are not as safe as once presumed: New research published online in The FASEB Journal suggests that exposure to Bisphenol A (BPA) during pregnancy leads to epigenetic changes that may cause permanent reproduction problems for female offspring. BPA, a common component of plastics used to contain food, is a type of estrogen that is ubiquitous in the environment.

26 Feb 2010

Robot-assisted surgery advantageous over laparoscopic surgery for uretero-pelvic junction obstruction

A comparison of two types of minimally invasive surgery to repair kidney blockages that prevent urine from draining normally to the bladder found that robot-assisted surgery was faster and resulted in less blood loss and shorter hospital stays.

22 Feb 2010

Children born through assisted reproduction at greater risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes related defects

More than three million children have been born as a result of assisted reproductive technologies since the birth of the first "test tube baby" in 1978. While the majority of these children are healthy and normal, as a group they are at greater risk of certain kinds of birth defects and being low birth weight, which is associated with obesity, hypertension and type 2 diabetes later in life.

22 Feb 2010

Six states to study sickle cell disease and thalassemias in national pilot project

Medical researchers are developing a new surveillance system to determine the number of patients diagnosed with a family of inherited blood disorders known as hemoglobinopathies, including sickle cell disease, thalassemias, and hemoglobin E disease.

19 Feb 2010

Special issue reviews current state of science in fetal therapy

Repairing birth defects in the womb. Inserting a tiny laser into the mother's uterus to seal off an abnormal blood flow and save fetal twins. Advancing the science that may allow doctors to deliver cells or DNA to treat sickle cell anemia and other genetic diseases before birth.

17 Feb 2010

Two families having premature baby visit White House to share their inspiring stories with President Obama

Two families who know all too well the trauma of having a baby born prematurely visited the White House today to share their inspiring stories with President Obama. The Hall family from Leesburg, Va., and the Hoffman family from Weston, Fla., are ambassadors for the March of Dimes, a nonprofit foundation that works to prevent premature birth, birth defects, and infant mortality.

15 Feb 2010

Cal-EPA intents to add BPA to state's list of chemicals known to cause cancer

The California Environmental Protection Agency signaled intent to add bisphenol A (BPA) to the state's list of chemicals known to cause cancer or birth defects, adding to evidence the chemical should be banned from food and beverage containers.

12 Feb 2010

Cardiology 2010 conference focuses on current treatments for children with heart disease

An international group of over 900 medical experts gathers today to discuss the most current treatments for children with heart disease. Affecting about 8 in every 1,000 children, congenital (present at birth) heart disease is the most common birth defect. In its severe forms, it is also the leading cause of death from birth defects in infants.

10 Feb 2010

Health hazards: Clinging tobacco smoke reacts with nitrous acid and produces dangerous carcinogens

Nicotine in third-hand smoke, the residue from tobacco smoke that clings to virtually all surfaces long after a cigarette has been extinguished, reacts with the common indoor air pollutant nitrous acid to produce dangerous carcinogens. This new potential health hazard was revealed in a multi-institutional study led by researchers with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab).

9 Feb 2010

Study sheds new light on cancer metastasis

Some cells are natural rule-breakers. Neural crest cells for example, not only migrate throughout the body during development (most cells are more selective in their wandering), they are also more developmentally flexible than their predecessors (a no-no for nearly all cell types).

4 Feb 2010

Research shows DNA looping can impact gene expression

University of Michigan researchers have shown that tension on DNA molecules can affect gene expression---the process at the heart of biological function that tells a cell what to do.

3 Feb 2010

Study shows cooling technique in heart operations does not impair neurological outcomes in children

Congenital heart defects (CHD) are the most common birth defects in humans, affecting 8 per 1000 live births with one third of affected children requiring intervention in early infancy.

28 Jan 2010

Study could lead to better understanding of how certain birth defects occur in humans

Scientists have identified a gene family that plays a key role in one of the earliest stages of development in which an embryo distinguishes its left side from the right and determines how organs should be positioned within the body. The finding in mice likely will lead to a better understanding of how certain birth defects occur in humans.

27 Jan 2010

Selective use of DHCA during surgery for CHD in infancy does not impair neurological outcomes

Congenital heart defects (CHD) are the most common birth defects in humans, affecting 8 per 1000 live births with one third of affected children requiring intervention in early infancy. Increasing numbers of survivors combined with developmental expectations for independence, behavioral self-regulation and academic achievement have led to a growing identification of neurobehavioral symptoms in some survivors. A study now suggests that a cooling technique often used in heart operations does not impair neurological outcomes.

27 Jan 2010

Dr. Shinya Yamanaka to receive the 2010 March of Dimes Prize in Developmental Biology

The scientist who reprogrammed adult cells into embryonic-like stem cells has been chosen to receive the 2010 March of Dimes Prize in Developmental Biology.

27 Jan 2010

Injectable sealant found to be biocompatible and effective for fetal tissue repair

A sealant inspired by mussels' ability to stick to surfaces under wet conditions has shown promise in the repair of defects in human fetal membranes, according to a recent Northwestern University study.

23 Jan 2010

NCD calls for policymakers to proactively address shortages in disability workforce infrastructure

The National Council on Disability (NCD) today released a report titled Workforce Infrastructure in Support of People with Disabilities: Matching Human Resources to Service Needs, calling for policymakers at all levels of government to proactively address current shortages and examine how labor market changes are driving both current and future supply.

22 Jan 2010

Combination of saliva test with ultra high-tech biopsy process may help prevent genetic disorders

Florida's largest fertility clinic announced it is the first in the state to offer promising new tests against birth defects: a coupling of technologies that will allow couples to avoid passing along more than 100 genetic diseases to their newborn.

22 Jan 2010

Birth Defects News and Research

March of Dimes to receive 2010 Paul G. Rogers Distinguished Organization Advocacy Award

Exposure to BPA during pregnancy causes permanent abnormalities in uterus of offspring

BPA exposure during pregnancy may cause permanent reproduction problems for female offspring

Robot-assisted surgery advantageous over laparoscopic surgery for uretero-pelvic junction obstruction

Children born through assisted reproduction at greater risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes related defects

Six states to study sickle cell disease and thalassemias in national pilot project

Special issue reviews current state of science in fetal therapy

Two families having premature baby visit White House to share their inspiring stories with President Obama

Cal-EPA intents to add BPA to state's list of chemicals known to cause cancer

Cardiology 2010 conference focuses on current treatments for children with heart disease

Health hazards: Clinging tobacco smoke reacts with nitrous acid and produces dangerous carcinogens

Study sheds new light on cancer metastasis

Research shows DNA looping can impact gene expression

Study shows cooling technique in heart operations does not impair neurological outcomes in children

Study could lead to better understanding of how certain birth defects occur in humans

Selective use of DHCA during surgery for CHD in infancy does not impair neurological outcomes

Dr. Shinya Yamanaka to receive the 2010 March of Dimes Prize in Developmental Biology

Injectable sealant found to be biocompatible and effective for fetal tissue repair

NCD calls for policymakers to proactively address shortages in disability workforce infrastructure

Combination of saliva test with ultra high-tech biopsy process may help prevent genetic disorders

Leveraging the power of automation to boost research

Automating research - solutions and best practices

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

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