http://www.medindia.net/healthnews/Achondroplasia-news.asp Medindia largest health website in india. en-us Copyright 2013. All Rights Reserved. Sun, 26 May 2013 00:40:05 GMT http://www.medindia.net/news/health-ministry-launches-special-screening-to-detect-birth-defects-in-children-115898-1.htm Special screening for early detection of birth defects in kids has been launched by scientists. Under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), health screening and early intervention services will carried out to cover 30 common health conditions prevalent in children for early detection and free intervention and treatment under the National Rural Health Mission, a senior health ministry official said. An estimated 27 crore children in the age group of 0 to 18 years are expected to ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/health-ministry-launches-special-screening-to-detect-birth-defects-in-children-115898-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/virtually-unknown-virus-responsible-for-congenital-birth-defects-115897-1.htm A virtually ignored virus, that most of us carry, is thought to be the top cause of congenital birth defects. One in 750 children are born with, or develop, permanent disabilities such as hearing loss or brain damage as a result of CMV (cytomegalovirus) infection in the womb. Major research efforts are underway to combat this invidious disease. Researchers from Cardiff University and the La Jolla Institute, California, have discovered a previously unknown cellular mechanism that could prove critical in creating a CMV vaccine....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/virtually-unknown-virus-responsible-for-congenital-birth-defects-115897-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/researchers-exploring-ways-to-develop-vaccine-to-treat-leading-infectious-cause-of-congenital-birth-defects-115860-1.htm Researchers are currently developing a new vaccine to treat cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, which is the leading infectious cause of congenital birth defects, affecting one in every 750 children born who develop permanent disabilities such as brain damage or hearing loss. Researchers from the La Jolla Institute for Allergy (and) Immunology and Cardiff University in Wales (UK) have discovered a previously unknown cellular mechanism that could prove critical in creating a CMV vaccine. "We have ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/researchers-exploring-ways-to-develop-vaccine-to-treat-leading-infectious-cause-of-congenital-birth-defects-115860-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/study-finds-link-between-absence-of-key-enzyme-in-folic-acid-metabolism-and-birth-defects-113091-1.htm The risk of neural tube birth defects in a developing embryo increases in the absence of a critical enzyme in the folic acid metabolic pathway, according to a new study conducted by researchers at University of Texas. It has been known for several decades that folic acid supplementation dramatically reduces the incidence of neural tube defects, such as spina bifida and anencephaly, which are among the most common birth defects. In some populations, folic acid supplementation has decreased neural tube defects by as much as 70 percent....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/study-finds-link-between-absence-of-key-enzyme-in-folic-acid-metabolism-and-birth-defects-113091-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/likely-basis-of-birth-defect-causing-premature-skull-closure-in-infants-discovered-110195-1.htm Two areas of the human genome linked with the most common form of non-syndromic craniosynostosis have been identified by a team of geneticists, pediatricians, surgeons and epidemiologists. Non-syndromic craniosynostosis is the premature closure of the bony plates of the skull. "We have discovered two genetic factors that are strongly associated with the most common form of premature closure of the skull," said Simeon Boyadjiev, professor of pediatrics and genetics, principal investigator ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/likely-basis-of-birth-defect-causing-premature-skull-closure-in-infants-discovered-110195-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/research-sheds-light-on-finding-triggers-of-birth-defects-in-an-embryo-heart-109366-1.htm A way to create three-dimensional maps of the stress that circulating blood places on the developing heart in an animal model has been devised by researchers at Case Western Reserve University. This is a key step in understanding triggers of heart defects. The team has begun testing the technology to uncover how alcohol, drugs and other factors set off events that result in defects found in newborn humans. Passing blood cells drag on the endothelial cells that line the growing heart, a ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/research-sheds-light-on-finding-triggers-of-birth-defects-in-an-embryo-heart-109366-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/genetic-basis-of-cardiac-craniofacial-birth-defects-identified-109363-1.htm Important advances in the rapidly-expanding field of "regenerative medicine" have been made by a group of researchers in Israel, the United States and other nations. They have outlined for the first time connections in genetic regulation that normally prevent birth defects in heart and facial muscles. Some of these problems are surprisingly common - about 1 percent of all people have a congenital heart defect. This basic research will provide a road map to ultimately allow scientists to ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/genetic-basis-of-cardiac-craniofacial-birth-defects-identified-109363-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/intake-of-folic-acid-vitamin-b12-during-pregnancy-prevents-birth-defects-109355-1.htm Experts have urged pregnant women to take vitamin B12 supplement along with folic acid to prevent their children developing birth defects such as spina bifida. New research suggests that taking the supplement alongside folic acid will further help prevent the series of birth defects that affect the development of the spine and central nervous system, the Daily Mail reported. Women who are trying to conceive, or who are in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, are already advised to take 400 micrograms of folic acid each day....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/intake-of-folic-acid-vitamin-b12-during-pregnancy-prevents-birth-defects-109355-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/worlds-oldest-dwarf-is-113-years-old-109220-1.htm The world's most elderly dwarf is an Indian woman has been claimed to be 113 years old. Zeenat Bi, a resident of Bhopal, India, has government pension records stating she is 101, but she claims that she is twelve years older, the Daily Mail reported. The current record holder, according to Guinness World Records, is Lowell Deforest Mason, who was 74 years-old as of February this year. Bi, who stands just three feet tall, has revealed a wish list of things she wants to do before she ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/worlds-oldest-dwarf-is-113-years-old-109220-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/ivf-tied-to-increased-birth-defects-risk-108830-1.htm A new research has linked In vitro fertilization (IVF) to increased risk of birth defects. Using IVF can lead to birth defects, particularly those of the eye, heart, reproductive organs and urinary systems. According to the study, despite increasing use of IVF in the United States, associations between birth defects and IVF are poorly understood. Management of birth defects comprises a large part of pediatric surgical care and demands significant health care resources. According to the Centers ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/ivf-tied-to-increased-birth-defects-risk-108830-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/exposure-to-common-herbicide-raises-birth-defect-risk-107789-1.htm Exposure to common herbicide, which is used in United States, increases the the risk of congenital abnormality of the nasal cavity known as choanal atresia. The study by Dr. Philip Lupo, assistant professor of pediatrics - hematology/oncology at BCM and Texas Children's Cancer Center, is scheduled for publication in The iJournal of Pediatrics/i. Choanal atresia is a disorder where the back of the nasal passage is blocked by tissue formed during fetal development. It is a rare condition ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/exposure-to-common-herbicide-raises-birth-defect-risk-107789-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/birth-defects-affect-900000-chinese-newborns-every-year-106920-1.htm The Chinese health ministry has revealed that around 900,000 babies are born with birth defects in China every year. This constitutes about 5.6 percent of the total number of newborns, Xinhua reported. The ministry report for 2012 on prevention and treatment of defects in newborn babies said birth defects -- at 19.1 percent -- have become the second-biggest cause of infant deaths in China. Birth defects are a serious problem in China's rural areas. Neural tube defects, congenital heart ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/birth-defects-affect-900000-chinese-newborns-every-year-106920-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/study-throws-fresh-light-on-alcohol-related-birth-defects-106071-1.htm Researchers, with the use of imaging studies, have tried to shed new light on the link between alcohol and birth defects. The project, which is a collaborative effort by scientists at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Duke University, and University College of London in the UK, led by Kathleen K. Sulik could help enhance how doctors diagnose birth defects caused by alcohol exposure in the womb. The findings of the new study also illustrate how the precise timing of that ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/study-throws-fresh-light-on-alcohol-related-birth-defects-106071-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/protein-involved-in-dna-replication-linked-to-dwarfism-104929-1.htm Gene mutations in some patients with Meier-Gorlin syndrome (MGS) are thought to give rise to dwarfism, small brain size, states study. Although only 53 cases of Meier-Gorlin syndrome have been reported in the medical literature since the first patient was described in 1959, it is a malady whose mechanisms are bringing to light new functions for some of the cellular processes common to all life. Pathology related to MGS is traced in the new research to one of these, the fundamental process ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/protein-involved-in-dna-replication-linked-to-dwarfism-104929-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/risk-of-birth-defects-also-dependant-on-profession-of-father-104291-1.htm Delving into the area of birth defects, one of the primary causes of infant deaths and developmental disabilities in children, researchers found that father's profession had a bearing on the health of the unborn child. Call it an occupational hazard of the most severe kind, father's profession can be risky for his unborn baby, and can cause birth defects especially if they are hairdressers, artists, and photographers. Such professions increased the probability of stomach and intestine defects, the research revealed....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/risk-of-birth-defects-also-dependant-on-profession-of-father-104291-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/s-africa-health-officials-agonise-over-rare-birth-defects-103283-1.htm Concern voiced at the soaring number of children born with rare deformities by health officials in South Africa's Eastern Cape region on Monday. "There have been 50 cases of rare deformities in the past two years and five conjoined twins in less than 18 months," provincial health department spokesman Sizwe Kupelo told AFP. The latest birth defect registered last week was that of a baby girl born to a 16-year-old, with what looked liked a small penis on the forehead. "She was born with ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/s-africa-health-officials-agonise-over-rare-birth-defects-103283-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/chances-of-birth-defects-with-assisted-reproductive-technologies-101460-1.htm Michael Davis and his colleagues from Adelaide University's Robinson Institute conducted a comprehensive study to determine the risk of bbirth defects/b related to assisted reproductive technology (ART). The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented in Barcelona, Spain at the World Congress on Building Consensus in Gynecology, Infertility and Perinatology. Spina bifida, cleft palate, cerebral palsy, and gastrointestinal and musculoskeletal conditions ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/chances-of-birth-defects-with-assisted-reproductive-technologies-101460-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/hike-in-birth-defects-due-to-assisted-reproduction-101035-1.htm There is a risk of major birth defects tied to various types of assisted reproductive technology. This has been identified by researchers. In the most comprehensive study of its kind in the world, researchers from the University of Adelaide's Robinson Institute have compared the risk of major birth defects for each of the reproductive therapies commonly available internationally, such as: IVF (in vitro fertilization), ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) and ovulation induction. They ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/hike-in-birth-defects-due-to-assisted-reproduction-101035-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/scientists-unveil-cause-the-behind-birth-defects-99819-1.htm Scientists have for the first time proved that both nature and nurture interact could play a role in causing birth defects. Genes or environmental factors have long been suspected to be behind these abnormalities. The findings, by scientists from Sydney's Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute (VCCRI), could explain the reasons behind a host of unexplained congenital birth defects and help minimize the risk of babies born with the abnormalities, the Daily Telegraph reported. Researchers ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/scientists-unveil-cause-the-behind-birth-defects-99819-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/study-says-pregnant-diabetics-more-prone-to-birth-defects-99729-1.htm Pregnant women with diabetes likelier to have defective births, suggests study. "The study led by Newcastle University and funded by Diabetes UK, for the first time has evidence that quantifies the effect of glucose levels. The blood glucose level around the time of conception is the key factor predicting the risk of congenial anomaly," a statement from Newcastle University that has published the study said. The study carried out in mainly white women in England suggested that as many ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/study-says-pregnant-diabetics-more-prone-to-birth-defects-99729-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/genetic-cause-of-spinal-birth-defect-bypassed-by-fasudil-98573-1.htm Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a disease caused by an inheritable defect in the gene SMN1 that is incurable and progressive. Depending on the severity of the mutation it can result in the loss of spinal cord motor neurons, muscle wasting (atrophy) and even death of an affected child. A new study published in Biomed Central's open access journal IBMC Medicine/I shows that Fasudil, a ROCK inhibitor, can improve both the size of muscle fibers and their connection to motor neurons. Fasudil also ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/genetic-cause-of-spinal-birth-defect-bypassed-by-fasudil-98573-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/cause-of-birth-defect-tracked-97566-1.htm The source of a genetic disorder that causes life-threatening birth defects has been identified by researchers. Babies born with the disorder, known as Loeys-Dietz syndrome or Marfan syndrome type II, have cleft palates and other facial characteristics similar to babies born with other diseases - but also happen to suffer potentially fatal heart defects, making it critical for them to receive an accurate diagnosis right away. Researchers from USC found an abnormally high amount of a ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/cause-of-birth-defect-tracked-97566-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/traces-to-common-birth-defect-in-gene-expression-data-noticed-by-massgeneral-jackson-researchers-97237-1.htm The 27 new candidate genes for congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), a usual and often deadly birth defect were revealed by researchers at MassGeneral Hospital for Children (MGHfC), The Jackson Laboratory and other institutes. Their sophisticated data-filtering strategy, which uses gene expression during normal development as a starting point, offers a new, efficient and potentially game-changing approach to gene discovery. Babies born with CDH-representing one in every 3,000 live births-have ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/traces-to-common-birth-defect-in-gene-expression-data-noticed-by-massgeneral-jackson-researchers-97237-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/diabetic-moms-four-times-more-likely-to-have-babies-with-birth-defects-97131-1.htm The risk of birth defects like spina bifida; digestive, musculoskeletal and cardiovascular defects and urinary disease increases four-fold if the pregnant mother has diabetes, say researchers from Newcastle University. Diabetic women had a 7% risk of having a baby with a major birth defect, compared with about 2% in women without diabetes.After having analysed data from 401,149 pregnancies between 1996 and 2008, the researchers found that 1,677 women had diabetes and the risk of birth defects ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/diabetic-moms-four-times-more-likely-to-have-babies-with-birth-defects-97131-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Infant-Survival-Enhanced-Via-In-utero-Procedure-for-Birth-Defect-of-the-Diaphragm-94972-1.htm The journal iUltrasound in Obstetrics (and) Gynaecology /i publishes that the survival rate in severe cases of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is improved by foetal tracheal occlusion (FETO). CDH is a birth defect where there exists a severe malformation (hole) of the diaphragm and is a major cause of death in infants due to pulmonary hypoplasia, an incomplete development of the lungs. Researchers led by Rodrigo Ruano, MD, PhD, of the Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Infant-Survival-Enhanced-Via-In-utero-Procedure-for-Birth-Defect-of-the-Diaphragm-94972-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Report-Finds-1-in-50-Babies-Has-Birth-Defect-and-Highlights-Worrying-Gaps-in-Regional-Monitoring-94857-1.htm The latest annual report by the British Isles Network of Congenital Anomaly Registers (BINOCAR) has said that more than one baby in every 50 is born with a birth defect. This number is significantly more common than previously reported estimates of around one in 80. The study* - led by researchers at Queen Mary, University of London and commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) - is the most up-to-date and comprehensive of its kind, bringing together existing data in England and Wales from 2005 to 2009....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Report-Finds-1-in-50-Babies-Has-Birth-Defect-and-Highlights-Worrying-Gaps-in-Regional-Monitoring-94857-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Risk-of-Birth-Defects-in-Offspring-Not-Increased-by-Childhood-Cancer-94818-1.htm A new study has said that kids of childhood cancer survivors are not at an increased risk for birth defects stemming from their parents' exposure to chemotherapy or radiation. Childhood cancer survivors' exposure to chemotherapy, radiation does not increase risk of birth defects in their children The findings provide reassurance that increased risks of birth defects are unlikely for cancer survivors who are concerned about the potential effects of their treatment on their children, and can help guide family planning choices....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Risk-of-Birth-Defects-in-Offspring-Not-Increased-by-Childhood-Cancer-94818-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Pollutants-Linked-to-a-450-Percent-Increase-in-Risk-of-Birth-Defects-in-China-92228-1.htm According to scientists at The University of Texas at Austin and Peking University, pesticides and pollutants are related to an alarming 450 percent increase in the risk of spina bifida and anencephaly in rural China. Two of the pesticides found in high concentrations in the placentas of affected newborns and stillborn fetuses were endosulfan and lindane. Endosulfan is only now being phased out in the United States for treatment of cotton, potatoes, tomatoes and apples. Lindane was only recently ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Pollutants-Linked-to-a-450-Percent-Increase-in-Risk-of-Birth-Defects-in-China-92228-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Gene-Causing-Birth-Defects-in-Babies-Born-to-Diabetic-Mothers-Identified-92203-1.htm A key enzyme that significantly increases the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida and some heart defects among babies born to women with diabetes has been identified. A team at Joslin Diabetes Center, headed by Mary R. Loeken, PhD, say that the enzyme AMP kinase (AMPK) could lead to strategies to interfere with the mechanism and reduce the chances of such birth defects occurring. Even if women with diabetes-either type 1 or type 2 -- work vigilantly to control their blood ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Gene-Causing-Birth-Defects-in-Babies-Born-to-Diabetic-Mothers-Identified-92203-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Hypertension-Increases-Risk-of-Birth-Defects-in-Babies-92196-1.htm Expectant mothers with hypertension must be aware that the condition can cause birth defects such as congenital heart disease in their children. Researchers also found that the risk of malformation and birth defects in children looms large even if expectant women took anti-hypertension medication. The risk is present because of the underlying condition of hypertension, researchers said. Earlier studies had indicated the risk of birth defects with some of the anti-hypertension drugs employed to regulate blood pressure in expectant mothers....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Hypertension-Increases-Risk-of-Birth-Defects-in-Babies-92196-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Smoking-During-Pregnancy-Increases-Risk-of-Birth-Defects-in-Offspring-87626-1.htm A comprehensive study conducted by researchers from the University College London has once again warned the ill effects of smoking during pregnancy and said that the habit increases the risk of the baby suffering from a number of birth defects. The researchers led by Professor Allan Hackshaw used data from more than 170 research papers published on the subject over the last five decades and looked into over 174,000 cases of malformation and found that smoking during pregnancy increased the risk ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Smoking-During-Pregnancy-Increases-Risk-of-Birth-Defects-in-Offspring-87626-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Infertility-Birth-Defects-May-be-Prevented-by-Limiting-Calorie-Intake-87489-1.htm Many animal studies have shown that restriction of caloric intake helps to reduce age-related health problems and new research shows it can prevent infertility and birth defects too. Investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have suggested that from a mice study that this strategy may combat a major cause of age-associated infertility and birth defects. They have shown that restricting the caloric intake of adult female mice prevents a spectrum of abnormalities, such as extra ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Infertility-Birth-Defects-May-be-Prevented-by-Limiting-Calorie-Intake-87489-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Birth-Defect-Risk-High-For-Surviving-Baby-When-Twin-Dies-Early-In-Womb-87407-1.htm The risk of birth defects increases for the surviving baby when its twin dies early in the mother's womb, Associate Professor Michael Davies of the University of Adelaide has said. He is the co-director of the Research Centre for the Early Origins of Health and Disease at the university.The "vanishing twin" phenomenon could perhaps be linked to a nearly two-fold increased risk of congenital malformation in the surviving baby, and a threefold increase in multiple birth defects. The phenomenon occurs ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Birth-Defect-Risk-High-For-Surviving-Baby-When-Twin-Dies-Early-In-Womb-87407-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Fortifying-Food-With-Folic-Acid-Could-Prevent-Birth-Defects-86529-1.htm Fortification of enriched cereal grains such as bread and pasta with folic acid was mandated by the Food (and) Drug Administration (FDA) beginning in 1998. Since then, the rate of birth defects of the brain and spine known as neural tube defects (NTDs), which include spina bifida and anencephaly, has decreased by nearly one-third. However, despite this success, about 3,000 pregnancies in the United States still are affected by NTDs annually and Hispanics have the highest rate when compared to other race or ethnic groups....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Fortifying-Food-With-Folic-Acid-Could-Prevent-Birth-Defects-86529-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Using-Epilepsy-Drugs-in-Pregnancy-Linked-to-High-Risk-of-Birth-Defects-in-Offspring-86028-1.htm A new study published in the journal Lancet Neurology has warned that pregnant women who are given high doses of epilepsy drugs are at a greater risk of delivering babies who have birth defects. Nearly 4,000 women were involved in the study conducted by researchers from Karolinska Institute in Sweden and the University of Pavia in Italy who found that 230 of more than 4,000 pregnancies of women with epilepsy resulted in birth defects. The researchers looked into the effect of taking four different ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Using-Epilepsy-Drugs-in-Pregnancy-Linked-to-High-Risk-of-Birth-Defects-in-Offspring-86028-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Geneticists-Birth-Defects-Comment-Sparks-Outrage-85721-1.htm A leading geneticist has sparked outrage in the Muslim community in Britain after he claimed that the practice of "inbreeding" or allowing cousins to marry each other in Islamic communities leads to an increased risk of birth defects. The Daily Mail quoted Professor Steve Jones, from University College London, as saying that "there may be some evidence that cousins marrying one another can be harmful." "We should be concerned about that as there can be a lot of hidden genetic damage. Children ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Geneticists-Birth-Defects-Comment-Sparks-Outrage-85721-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Gene-Linked-To-Common-Birth-Defects-Identified-84962-1.htm A gene responsible for Adams-Oliver syndrome, a condition which can cause birth defects of the heart, limbs or blood vessels has been, for the first time, discovered by the scientists at King's College London. The team of researchers, led by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) at King's College London and Guy's and St Thomas', said that these findings could lead to better ways of treating children with these defects and may, in the ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Gene-Linked-To-Common-Birth-Defects-Identified-84962-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Cell-Division-Problem-Linked-With-Miscarriage-and-Birth-Defects-83779-1.htm A recent study indicates that chromosomal defects that cause miscarriage and birth defects like Down's syndrome can be attributed to a certain feature in the egg cell division process. The findings are more specific in case of women over 40-years of age since they are at a higher risk of miscarriage than younger women. By the time a woman reaches 40, half f the eggs she ovulates are chromosomally abnormal unlike women in their 20s whose only 10% eggs are chromosomally abnormal. Researchers ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Cell-Division-Problem-Linked-With-Miscarriage-and-Birth-Defects-83779-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Research-Confirms-Key-Factor-to-Age-Related-Miscarriages-and-Birth-Defects-83747-1.htm A critical step in cell division that results in age-related miscarriages and birth defects, including Down syndrome has been confirmed in a new study. Washington State University researchers said they recreated the conditions in which an egg cell will continue to undergo cell division without properly arranging its chromosomes, creating offspring with aneuploidy, or an abnormal number of chromosomes. Sperm cells and those from elsewhere in the body will stop dividing until chromosomes are properly lined up....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Research-Confirms-Key-Factor-to-Age-Related-Miscarriages-and-Birth-Defects-83747-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Clue-for-Cancer-Cure-may-be-Found-by-Studying-Mutation-in-Ecuadorian-Dwarfs-81052-1.htm A type of growth mutation suffered by a group of Ecuadorian dwarfs could provide a vital insight in finding a cure for cancer according to a study published in the journal, Science Translational Medicine. The 22-year long study analyzed the health of 99 individuals from a north Ecuador province and found that just one of them developed cancer. In comparison, around 17 percent of the group's normal sized relatives developed cancer while over 5 percent suffered from diabetes. Lead research Dr Jaime ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Clue-for-Cancer-Cure-may-be-Found-by-Studying-Mutation-in-Ecuadorian-Dwarfs-81052-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Birth-Defect-in-Spine-Best-Repaired-by-Surgery-in-the-Womb-80672-1.htm Results of an eight-year US trial released Wednesday suggest surgery to repair a birth defect known as spina bifida is best done in the womb rather than after the baby is born. The method was so successful in boosting babies' health and mobility that the trial was halted early, said the findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Spina bifida is a disorder of the central nervous system that occurs when the spinal cord is partially exposed, protruding on the baby's back. Children ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Birth-Defect-in-Spine-Best-Repaired-by-Surgery-in-the-Womb-80672-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Model-To-Predict-Likelihood-of-Drug-Birth-Defect-In-Pregnancy-79099-1.htm Researchers have created a preclinical model for predicting a drug's tendency to cause fetal malformations during pregnancy based on characterizing the genes that it targets. The Children's Hospital Boston Informatics Program (CHIP) used bioinformatics and public databases to profile 619 drugs already assigned to a pregnancy risk class, and whose target genes or proteins are known. The researchers found that drugs targeting a large proportion of genes associated with fetal development tended to be in the higher risk classes....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Model-To-Predict-Likelihood-of-Drug-Birth-Defect-In-Pregnancy-79099-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Birth-Defects-Registry-of-India-A-Saving-Babies-Project-78389-1.htm bBirth Defects Registry of India aims to measure baseline prevalence of birth defects, reduce the incidence of birth defects and enable families to establish Support Groups for congenital disorders. /b Babies come into the world heralding the good news that the human species with all its diversities and complexities is still going good and hasn't come to a grinding halt. Though a newborn brings in its wake untold happiness to those around, there are some unfortunate babies whose birth is clouded ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Birth-Defects-Registry-of-India-A-Saving-Babies-Project-78389-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Boffins-Identify-Gene-Linked-to-Common-Birth-Defect-Hypospadias-in-Male-Genitalia-77451-1.htm A research team has discovered a new gene associated with Hypospadias, the congenital malformation of the male genitalia. The study, conducted by King's College London, in collaboration with Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre in The Netherlands, shows for the first time that a gene inherited from the mother is likely to be important in development of the condition. Hypospadias is a common congenital condition, which affects around 1 in 375 boys. In these infants the urethral opening ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Boffins-Identify-Gene-Linked-to-Common-Birth-Defect-Hypospadias-in-Male-Genitalia-77451-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Heavy-Drinkers-Babies-More-Likely-to-Have-Birth-Defects-75498-1.htm Babies born to women who drink heavily during their first trimester of pregnancy are more likely to have birth defects, compared to the babies of mothers who abstained from alcohol, says a new study. However, kids born to moms who drink occasionally during pregnancy don't have a higher risk of birth defects than children whose moms abstain, according to the study. These results fall in line with another recent study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, which found ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Heavy-Drinkers-Babies-More-Likely-to-Have-Birth-Defects-75498-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/WHO-Iraq-Studying-Growing-Birth-Defects-74975-1.htm The World Health Organisation and Iraqi authorities are carrying out a survey of birth defects in Iraq following media reports of abnormal patterns in Fallujah, a WHO spokeswoman said on Tuesday. "An investigation has begun in six governorates (administrative region) of Iraq into these reports of congenital defects," WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib told journalists. The BBC reported in March that large and growing numbers of birth defects were observed by doctors in Fallujah, a former insurgent ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/WHO-Iraq-Studying-Growing-Birth-Defects-74975-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Brit-Boy-is-a-Dwarf-Due-to-Negligence-by-Mother-73286-1.htm In some stunning news, a British boy was neglected by his mother so badly that it stopped his growth. The nine-year-old boy was so poorly treated he developed a condition called psychosocial dwarfism. This left him significantly shorter than his six-year-old brother, prosecutors told a judge. Daniel Sawyer, prosecuting, said: "In 2008 police had searched her home regarding an unrelated matter and discovered the three bedroom house was untidy and grubby.' "Social workers were called in and interviewed the boy at school....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Brit-Boy-is-a-Dwarf-Due-to-Negligence-by-Mother-73286-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Birth-Defects-Not-Caused-by-Some-Antiviral-Drugs-73140-1.htm A higher risk of birth defects is not caused by using certain antiviral drugs, concludes a new study. An analysis of data from Denmark found no associated increased risk of major birth defects for mothers who were exposed during the first trimester of pregnancy to the antiviral drugs acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir, often used to treat herpes simplex and herpes zoster infections. The prevalence of herpes simplex is high, and more than 1 percent of susceptible ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Birth-Defects-Not-Caused-by-Some-Antiviral-Drugs-73140-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Preclinical-Inquiry-Uncovers-Secret-Behind-Addiction-and-a-Birth-Defect-72742-1.htm Symptoms of the neurodevelopmental disorder Rett syndrome arise, causing a gradual loss of brain function during early development, when one protein goes missing or is mutated. This fact led Duke University Medical Center researchers to test a theory that the protein might also contribute to nerve-cell connection (synapse) changes in a fully formed adult mouse brain when exposed to psychostimulant use. In two experiments with mice, Anne West, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor of neurobiology, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Preclinical-Inquiry-Uncovers-Secret-Behind-Addiction-and-a-Birth-Defect-72742-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Birth-Defects-Caused-by-Psychotropic-Drugs-70549-1.htm A pregnant woman on psychotropic medications faces the risk of having a baby with birth defects. Between 1998 and 2007, psychotropic medications were associated with 429 adverse drug reactions in Danish children under the age of 17. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have published an article in the open access journal BMC Research Notes concluding that more than half of the 429 cases were serious and several involved birth defects, such as birth deformities and severe withdrawal syndromes....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Birth-Defects-Caused-by-Psychotropic-Drugs-70549-1.htm