Birth Defects News

February 25, 2025

Top Headlines

Child ADHD Risk Linked to Mother's Use of Acetaminophen

Feb. 20, 2025 — Fetal acetaminophen exposure increases the likelihood that a child will develop attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a new ...

Hidden Genetic Causes of Congenital Heart Disease Identified

Feb. 20, 2025 — Scientists have identified novel genetic interactions that may contribute to congenital heart disease (CHD), a common birth ...

Promising Results from First Prenatal Therapy for Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Feb. 19, 2025 — Scientists report results from a promising new approach to treat the rare neurodegenerative ...

Air Pollution Exposure Late in Pregnancy Increases NICU Admission Risk

Feb. 14, 2025 — In a study measuring neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions and satellite-based air pollution data, newborns exposed to higher levels of NO2 have a 30-35% higher risk of NICU admission and an 11-22% increased risk associated with ...

Latest Headlines

updated 10:44pm EST

Gene Therapy for Rare Epilepsy Shows Promise in Mice

Feb. 14, 2025 — Recent research takes aim at the a variant in gene SCN1B, which causes a severe form of developmental epileptic ...

What Causes Reproductive Complications?

Feb. 12, 2025 — Our cells constantly receive DNA damage from factors such as ultraviolet rays, irradiations, toxins and chemicals. For women, that can lead to poor egg quality, which in turn can cause infertility, ...

New Blood Test Accurately Predicts Preeclampsia

Feb. 12, 2025 — A new blood test has an 80% accuracy in predicting preterm preeclampsia, according to a new study. The condition, which results in over 70,000 maternal deaths and 500,000 fetal deaths each year ...

Pregnancy Complications Linked to Cardiovascular Disease in the Family

Feb. 7, 2025 — Women who have experienced pregnancy complications have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Now, a new study shows that sisters of women with complicated pregnancies are also at higher risk, ...

Is CBD Use During Pregnancy as Safe as People Think? New Study Uncovers Potential Risks to Babies

Feb. 5, 2025 — A new study has uncovered potential risks, including impaired fetal growth, associated with the use of both tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary ...

Maternal Stress During Pregnancy Could Leave Traces in the Placenta That Could Affect the Baby's Development

Feb. 4, 2025 — Maternal stress could leave epigenetic imprints on genes in the placenta associated with cortisol -- a necessary hormone for fetal development -- and ...

Music Can Touch the Heart, Even Inside the Womb

Feb. 4, 2025 — Researchers have used mathematical analysis tools to study the effect of classical music on a fetal heartbeat and identify patterns in heart rate variability. They recruited 36 pregnant women and ...

Vitamin D Matters During First Trimester

Feb. 3, 2025 — Maternal vitamin D levels in the first trimester were related to both prenatal growth and pregnancy outcomes, according to a new study. Low vitamin D levels during the first trimester of pregnancy ...

Researchers Identify Protective Properties of Amniotic Fluid

Jan. 31, 2025 — Researchers have made new discoveries about amniotic fluid, a substance historically not well understood in medical research due to the difficulty in obtaining it during pregnancy, especially across ...

Beneficial Prenatal Vitamins to Reduce Risk of Infant Death

Jan. 29, 2025 — Researchers publish landmark analysis on the impacts of prenatal vitamins on mothers and ...

Research Suggests Common Viral Infection Worsens Deadly Condition Among Premature Babies

Feb. 24, 2025 — Researchers say they found that infection with a common virus that can be transmitted from mother to fetus before birth significantly worsens an often-fatal complication of premature birth called ...

Study Shows Potential of Resveratrol to Aid Fertility

Jan. 30, 2025 — A new study has highlighted the potential of resveratrol, a natural compound found in grapes, blueberries, and raspberries, to enhance female fertility. The systematic review found that resveratrol ...

SIDS Discovery Could ID Babies at Risk of Sudden Death

Jan. 22, 2025 — New research revealing the fingerprints of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome within blood samples could open the door to simple tests to identify babies at ...

Brain Changes in Huntington's Disease Decades Before Diagnosis Will Guide Future Prevention Trials

Jan. 17, 2025 — Subtle changes in the brain, detectable through advanced imaging, blood and spinal fluid analysis, happen approximately twenty years before a clinical motor diagnosis in people with Huntington's ...

Excess Weight Gain in First Trimester Associated With Fetal Fat Accumulation

Jan. 17, 2025 — Fetuses of pregnant people who gained excess weight in the first trimester of pregnancy show signs of excess fat distribution in the upper arm and in the abdomen, according to a new study. These ...

Study Finds Surprising Way That Genetic Mutation Causes Huntington's Disease, Transforming Understanding of the Disorder

Jan. 16, 2025 — Scientists have discovered a surprising mechanism by which the inherited genetic mutation known to cause Huntington's disease leads to the death of brain cells. The findings change the ...

Link Between Gene Duplications and Deletions Within Chromosome Region and Nonsyndromic Bicuspid Aortic Valve Disease

Jan. 15, 2025 — Large and rare duplications and deletions in a chromosome region known as 22q11.2 , which involves genes that regulate cardiac development, are linked to nonsyndromic bicuspid aortic valve ...

IVF Pregnancies at Greater Risk of Exposure to Medicines That Can Harm the Fetus

Jan. 15, 2025 — A new study has revealed a potential reason why some pregnancies achieved through assisted reproductive technology (ART) may result in birth defects in comparison to naturally conceived ...

Human 'Domainome' Reveals Root Cause of Heritable Disease

Jan. 8, 2025 — Unstable proteins are the main drivers of many different heritable diseases, according to a new study, including genetic disorders responsible for the formation of cataracts, and different types of ...

Study Links Gene Regulating Brain Circuit Formation to Autism and Seizures

Jan. 8, 2025 — A new study offers insights into how the gene neuropilin2 contributes to the development of behavioral changes associated with autism spectrum disorder and ...

'Smooth Brain' Disorders May Share a Common Cause -- and Potential Treatment

Jan. 2, 2025 — Lissencephaly is a spectrum of rare, genetic disorders in which the brain fails to develop its hallmark folds. The disorders are often associated with seizures and intellectual disability and ...

How Do MS Drugs Affect Pregnancy?

Dec. 24, 2024 — Many women are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) at an age when they are considering starting a family. What does the disease and its medication mean for the child? To answer this question, a ...

Breakthrough Study Reveals How Assisted Reproduction Affects Placenta and Child's Growth

Dec. 20, 2024 — Researchers have studied placental genes to explore how Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) affects a child's development. Differences showed up between pregnancies from frozen and fresh ...

Developmental Disorder Discovery Could Lead to Better Treatments for Rett Syndrome

Dec. 19, 2024 — New discoveries about the severe developmental disorder known as Rett syndrome could open the door to better treatments for the devastating, life-shortening ...

Delivery Timing in Mothers With Chronic Hypertension

Dec. 19, 2024 — Physician researchers found 39 weeks of gestation is optimal for delivery in mothers with chronic ...

Building a Backbone: Scientists Recreate the Body's 'GPS System' in the Lab

Dec. 18, 2024 — Scientists have generated human stem cell models which contain notochord -- a tissue in the developing embryo that acts like a navigation system, directing cells where to build the spine and nervous ...

Every Cell Has a Story: Tumor and Immune Cell Interactions Within Craniopharyngiomas

Dec. 16, 2024 — Craniopharyngiomas are brain tumors that negatively impact the hormonal function of the nearby pituitary. The tumor location often prevents necessary surgical intervention. Alternative ...

Scientists Identify a Probable Contributor to Weakness of the Aorta in People With Genetic Disorder

Dec. 9, 2024 — Studying the cells of people and genetically engineered mice, scientists say they have uncovered a potential reason why patients with Loeys-Dietz syndrome, an inherited connective tissue disorder, ...

Fetal Defense: Study Reveals Early Immune Protection in the Womb

Dec. 9, 2024 — Research revealed that foetuses are not as defenceless as once thought; they can actually fight infections from within the womb. This new understanding could significantly change the way doctors ...

Changes in Blood Cell Production Over the Lifetime Could Impact Leukemia Outcomes

Dec. 5, 2024 — The first comprehensive map of the dramatic changes that take place in the blood system over the course of the human lifetime could have implications for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia and ...