Birth Defects News and Research

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Metformin found safe for men with type 2 diabetes planning for parenthood

Potential fathers with type 2 diabetes can be reassured that taking the drug metformin is not associated with birth defects in their offspring, concludes a large study of more than 3 million pregnancies published by The BMJ today.

17 Oct 2024

Houston Methodist researchers join national consortium to develop herpesvirus vaccine

Houston Methodist researchers will be part of a national consortium funded by an up to $49 million award from the U.S. Government's Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to develop a vaccine against two of the most common and destructive strains of herpesviruses that latently infect a majority of Americans and can lead to acute infections, multiple forms of cancer, autoimmune disease and birth defects.

3 Oct 2024

Research reveals 36% higher heart defect risk in IVF babies

The risk of being born with a major heart defect is 36% higher in babies who were conceived after assisted reproductive technology, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), according to results of a very large study published in the European Heart Journal today (Friday).

26 Sep 2024

Medicaid patients less likely to receive prenatal heart defect diagnoses

Patients insured by Medicaid are less likely to get prenatal diagnosis of heart defects than those with private insurance, and this disparity can be partly attributed to lower rates of 20-week ultrasound in pregnant people with public insurance, according to a study led by Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago in collaboration with Advocate Christ Children's Hospital. The study was published in the journal Prenatal Diagnosis.

23 Sep 2024

Investigating risks of postpartum hemorrhage treatment on future pregnancies

Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is a serious condition where a woman experiences significant blood loss after giving birth.

20 Sep 2024

Collaborative study offers hope for syphilis vaccine development

Syphilis cases have surged worldwide, leaving public health officials scrounging for ways to stop the spread. Now, a large, collaborative study of syphilis genetics from four continents has found hints of a possible target for a vaccine.

19 Sep 2024

Smoking during pregnancy affects children’s academic achievement

Smoking harms almost every part of your body. But if you smoke when pregnant, the toxic chemicals in tobacco will also harm your unborn baby, with new research showing that it could lead to reduced academic outcomes at school.

30 Aug 2024

Maternal prenatal smoking linked to poor academic outcomes in children

27 Aug 2024

Early exposure to 'forever chemicals' alters gut microbiome and increases metabolic disease risk

Early life exposure to 'forever chemicals' in the environment permanently disrupts the gut microbiome in mice, contributing to the development of metabolic disease in later life, according to new research led by Penn State.

14 Aug 2024

Alcohol use disorders in parents linked to accelerated aging in children

Researchers at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) have discovered that parents who struggle with alcohol use disorders can pass along symptoms of early aging to their children, affecting them well into adulthood.

8 Aug 2024

Olympic games could fuel spread of tropical diseases, warn health experts

Mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya could spread via the Olympics to countries where they are not normally prevalent, warn global health experts, as authorities step up disease monitoring in the French capital.

7 Aug 2024

Decreasing folate intake can support healthier metabolisms in aging animal models

In a study published in Life Science Alliance, Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists found that decreasing folate intake can support healthier metabolisms in aging animal models, challenging the conventional belief that high folate consumption universally benefits health.

2 Aug 2024

Could a Mediterranean diet be the secret to avoiding gestational diabetes?

The Mediterranean diet significantly reduces the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) according to a new systematic review and meta-analysis. Higher adherence to this diet correlates with lower GDM incidence.

25 Jul 2024

COVID vaccines and infections in early pregnancy show no increased risk of birth defects in large Nordic study

Research on 343,066 infants across Denmark, Sweden, and Norway shows no increased risk of congenital anomalies from COVID-19 infections or vaccinations during the first trimester. The study confirms safety, supporting vaccination recommendations for pregnant women.

22 Jul 2024

First trimester COVID-19 exposure and vaccination not tied to major birth defects

Neither covid-19 infection nor vaccination during the first trimester of pregnancy is associated with increased risk of major birth defects, finds a study from Scandinavia published by The BMJ today.

18 Jul 2024

Oil and gas activity may harm mental wellbeing before pregnancy

As the oil and gas industry continues its rapid expansion throughout North America, a growing body of research has linked fossil fuel development to physical and mental health conditions during and after pregnancy, including preterm birth, birth defects, and psychological stress.

12 Jul 2024

Birth Defects News and Research

Metformin found safe for men with type 2 diabetes planning for parenthood

Houston Methodist researchers join national consortium to develop herpesvirus vaccine

Research reveals 36% higher heart defect risk in IVF babies

Medicaid patients less likely to receive prenatal heart defect diagnoses

Investigating risks of postpartum hemorrhage treatment on future pregnancies

Collaborative study offers hope for syphilis vaccine development

Smoking during pregnancy affects children’s academic achievement

Maternal prenatal smoking linked to poor academic outcomes in children

Early exposure to 'forever chemicals' alters gut microbiome and increases metabolic disease risk

Alcohol use disorders in parents linked to accelerated aging in children

Olympic games could fuel spread of tropical diseases, warn health experts

Decreasing folate intake can support healthier metabolisms in aging animal models

Could a Mediterranean diet be the secret to avoiding gestational diabetes?

COVID vaccines and infections in early pregnancy show no increased risk of birth defects in large Nordic study

First trimester COVID-19 exposure and vaccination not tied to major birth defects

Oil and gas activity may harm mental wellbeing before pregnancy

High-resolution real-time imaging reveals early developmental processes in quail embryos

Adopting fully effective fortification with folic acid can help prevent birth defects

Fruit fly wing development offers clues to possible treatments for birth defects

New guideline issued for antiseizure medication use in pregnant epilepsy patients

Professor Nancy Ip: Pioneering New Paths in Neurodegenerative Therapy

Utilizing process Raman in optimizing cultivated meat production

Exploring the G:Box and for high-quality imaging

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