Why the Body Needs Water-Soluble Vi... Aug 19, 2008
Folic acid is also needed to make DNA and has been found to reduce neural-tube birth defects in newborns. A folic acid deficiency may result in anemia and abnormalities in the digestive system. (Suite101.com)
Nursing a nuclear test hangover Aug 18, 2008
"The birth defects have passed down the generations. My own granddaughter was born with a tail," she says, as if this were scarcely out of the ordinary. "She was medevaced to Honolulu for surgery and now she's 14. Sue's her name what a smart girl.". (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Progress against toxins in toys takes small steps Aug 17, 2008
Then there are perfluorinated compounds in food packaging, stain-resistant carpets and non-stick pans that have been linked to cancer and birth defects. A chemical found in hard plastic baby bottles and water containers, bisphenol A, causes breast cancer and lowers sperm counts in animal tests. (Chicago Tribune)
Quarantines are a thing of the past Aug 16, 2008
The March of Dimes continues to fund private research of children s birth defects as well as leukemia and other cancers that seem to be more prevalent today than in the past. Chicken Pox, measles, mumps, whooping cough and croup were among the common illnesses contracted by children, and for most of us, they were considered a part of growing up. (Chippewa Falls Chippewa Herald, WI)
Stem cell group awards grants to scientists at 2 universities Aug 16, 2008
Six San Diego scientists will receive almost $15 million in funding from the state stem cell institute to support projects ranging from the development of a therapy to halt acute leukemias to research into therapies to prevent premature birth and birth defects. The grants, awarded yesterday, are part of a $59 million round of funding distributed to 23 scientists by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, or CIRM.. (San Diego Union-Tribune -- Business)
President Signs Phthalate Ban Into Law Aug 15, 2008
The phthalate ban, a provision of the Consumer Product Safety Commission Reform Act, will protect children from these harmful plastic-softening chemicals which are linked to breast cancer, decreased sperm counts, birth defects and other health problems ... "Public health advocates and parents were up against big oil and the chemical industry, and we won. This should serve as a wake-up call to industry: chemicals linked to cancer and birth defects have no place in consumer products." Key... (PR Newswire)
Shriners get into racing Aug 15, 2008
Most of all, they hope to spread the word about the philanthropy that helps thousands of youngsters with crippling birth defects, injuries and burns. The Shrine operates 22 hospitals where children are treated free of charge. (Madison Daily Leader, SD)
UC Davis researcher gets $2M for stem cell research Aug 14, 2008
Knoepfler, an assistant professor of cell biology and human anatomy at , studies how stem cells are programmed and how that programming can go awry, causing birth defects and cancer. Knoepfler also holds works at the at in Sacramento. (Sacramento Business Journal, CA)
Alternate Pathway That Leads To Palate Development Identified Aug 13, 2008
Cleft palate is one of the most common congenital birth defects, occurring in one out of every 700 live births ... "We found that if we blocked TGF-? or the receptors, a cleft palate develops," he says, "But when Smad4 was blocked, normal palate epithelium still covered the palatal shelf. The team found that p38 MAPK (mitogen activated protein kinase) can take Smad4's place in the pathway and signal DNA expression to form the palate. Normally serving as a stress-response protein and activated by... (Science Daily)
"Pregorexia" Inspired By Thin Celebs? Aug 12, 2008
Phillips noted that, "Calorie restriction is linked with growth retardation (and) birth defects, and (with) vitamin deficiencies, both for the mother and baby. What's interesting about vitamin deficiencies is, say, for instance, with calcium deficiency: The baby will probably get what he or she needs, but that'll be at the expense of the mother's bones. So, you really have to be careful with that" and take in more calories overall than you ordinarily would. Mother's of average weight are advised... (CBS News -- Early Show)
Vaccines and Vaccine-Preventable Di... Aug 12, 2008
It can cause birth defects when pregnant mothers are exposed. Sexually Transmitted Diseases Very Rare in Children. (Suite101.com)
Study Reveals Possible Connection Between Diabetes, Birth Defects Aug 12, 2008
That's according to a new government study which also identifies a wide range of diabetes-related birth defects. Las Vegas perinatologist, Stephen Wold, says poorly controlled diabetes can have a profound affect on pregnancies. (KLAS-TV.com, NV)
Healthful Hints: Do acne treatments fix or prolong the problem? Aug 12, 2008
It misdirects tissue development, causing evil birth defects. The other hypothetical discussion of it increasing adolescent depression and suicide is arguable and must dealt with on a case-by-case basis. (Winona Daily News, MN)
Newly discovered molecular switch helps decide cell type in early embryo development Aug 12, 2008
Finding at Cincinnati Children's creates new path to study birth defects and cancer. CINCINNATI Researchers have discovered a central molecular switch in fruit fly embryos that opens new avenues for studying the causes of birth defects and cancer in humans ... Looking forward the researchers plan to deepen their understanding of how this balance works, and what happens in the way of birth defects or disease when it becomes unbalanced should Sens or Hox exercise excessive dominance. (EurekAlert!)
Microscope may unlock mysteries of cell function Aug 9, 2008
The microscope's capabilities represent the most significant and potentially groundbreaking developments in the technology in decades, and could lead to major breakthroughs in the understanding of how cancer, birth defects and other health problems form. There are only three optical microscopy experimental microscopes in the world. (Globe and Mail)
Steven Milloy: Recycled Junk Science Aug 8, 2008
In attacking virtually every sort of industrial chemical, Shabecoff implies that almost all childhood illnesses, failed pregnancies and birth defects are attributable to the "42 billion pounds of chemicals per day" either made in or imported into the U.S.. Shabecoff asserts that industrial chemicals are barely regulated, companies "have knowingly put and kept toxic products on the market," children are more vulnerable to chemicals, "no one is safe," the health care costs attributable to... (Fox News)
The Dangers of Vitamin Megadosing Aug 8, 2008
Also, pregnant women who take more than the RDA doubles the risk of giving birth to a child with birth defects. Vitamin A taken in great amounts over a short period of time can result in: nausea, vomiting, headache, abnormal vision, constipation, loss of appetite, and low-grade fever. (Suite101.com)
Children's Hospital Oakland publishes first of its kind pediatric rehabilitation journal Aug 8, 2008
The institute is a leader in translational blood diseases, developing new vaccines for infectious diseases and discovering new treatment protocols for previously fatal or debilitating conditions such as cancers, sickle cell disease and thalassemia, diabetes, asthma, HIV/AIDS, pediatric obesity, nutritional deficiencies, birth defects, hemophilia and cystic fibrosis. . (EurekAlert! -- Business News)
Sen. Chambers Hopes Lawsuit Against God Carries Real Lesson Aug 7, 2008
The lawsuit accuses God "of making and continuing to make terroristic threats of grave harm to innumerable persons, including constituents of Plaintiff who Plaintiff has the duty to represent." It says God has caused "fearsome floods, egregious earthquakes, horrendous hurricanes, terrifying tornadoes, pestilential plagues, ferocious famines, devastating droughts, genocidal wars, birth defects and the like.". At the latest hearing on Tuesday, the judge took the case under advisement. (7 KETV Omaha)
Pregorexic: Are Some Moms-to-Be on Dangerous Diets? Aug 6, 2008
Alvarez said low folic acid levels can lead to birth defects and neural deficits such as spina bifida, a condition in which the newborn s spinal cord isn t completely formed. Babies who don't receive enough calcium in the womb may steal it from the mother, damaging the mother s bones and teeth. (Fox News)
Turkey investigates 27 infant deaths Aug 5, 2008
Over the weekend, Dr. Ugur Dilmen, who heads the hospital's newborn unit, said the babies' deaths were the result of birth defects, heart failure, hernia, hypertension and stillbirth. The hospital said tests had ruled out infection as a possible cause. (MSNBC -- International)
Abortion verdict out, country still divided on opinions Aug 5, 2008
Dr. one in ten children have congenital birth defects, should all of them be killed. Anita Kaul Head Foetal Medicine Apollo Delhi: It is ridiculous that we're in a situation where an anomaly scan is done at 19 weeks and they hold a shotgun to the parents, asking them to choose. (IBNLive.com)
HEALTH BLOG: Read the latest child wellness tips Aug 5, 2008
Parenting and kids' health - Better Life - USATODAY.com. Unhappy about Happy Meals and the like. (USA Today -- Money)
Toxic plastic toys could go the way of dinosaurs Aug 5, 2008
The proposed law would provide information about chemicals' effects on everything from cancer to birth defects. Manufacturers already go "above and beyond" government requirements and voluntarily use independent auditors to test chemicals, says Tiffany Harrington of the American Chemistry Council. (USA Today)
Landmark studies assess risk of exposure to elevated levels of EMS confirm clear toxicity threshold Aug 5, 2008
As chromosome damage and mutations are the underlying molecular events for birth defects and cancer, the results of these studies can be used to reassure patients exposed to elevated levels of EMS, and their healthcare providers, that they are not at increased risk for developing cancer. . (EurekAlert!)
Letters to the editor: (8/4/08) Aug 4, 2008
We chose instead to squander 200,000 lives in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 and many more later to cancer, mutations and birth defects. We can't let that ever happen again. (Anchorage Daily News)
The genetic testing revolution Aug 3, 2008
The tests, or screenings, are administered to determine if a person s DNA contains a gene identified as causing a specific disease, such as breast cancer, or condition, such as birth defects. But genetic testing also involves serious decisions, has implications for the entire family and, in a broader sense, helps advance research to prevent the disease. (Mason City Globe-Gazette, IO)
Scars Linger In Love Canal - And Former Residents Aug 2, 2008
Later this year, the state Department of Health is expected to close the book on another lingering project, a long-term study meant to evaluate the birth defects, cancer rates and deaths among residents exposed to the 21,800 tons of chemical waste dumped by Hooker Chemical Co. at Love Canal from about 1942 to 1953 and discovered seeping into basements and yards in the 1970s. The study's authors, in preliminary findings, have reported high rates of birth defects and bladder and kidney cancers... (CBS News -- US)
Love Canal residents mark 30 years since crisis Aug 2, 2008
The residents, led by housewife turned activist Lois Gibbs, say many people were excluded from the study and so their cancers, birth defects and other problems were not counted. State health officials have defended the methods behind the study after previous criticism. (The Trentonian, NJ)
Congress Bans Dangerous Chemicals in Toys Aug 1, 2008
"Public health advocates and parents were up against big oil and the chemical industry, and we won. This should serve as a wake-up call to industry: chemicals linked to cancer and birth defects have no place in children's products." Indeed, the business of making toys is already changing. Months before Congress took action, retailers and manufacturers including Wal-Mart, Toys-R-Us, Lego, Evenflo and Gerber announced plans to phase out phthalates in toys. (PR Newswire)
Opinion: Hard science should come before hard choices Aug 1, 2008
A British physician who found that an X-ray doubled risks of birth defects was opposed by professional groups. Years passed before her discovery changed standards. (Brookline TAB, MA)
U of L gets $10.3 million grant for Birth Defects Center Aug 1, 2008
3 million grant for Birth Defects Center - Business First of Louisville ... 3 million grant for Birth Defects Center ... 3 million in federal funding from the for research being conducted at the university s Birth Defects Center. (Louisville Business First, KY)
Pre-pregnancy diabetes tied to birth defects Jul 31, 2008
Moms diabetes hikes risk of birth defects ... ATLANTA - Diabetic women who get pregnant are three to four times more likely to have a child with birth defects than other women, according to new government research ... The study is the largest of its kind, and provides the most detailed information to date on types of birth defects that befall the infants of diabetic mothers, including heart defects, missing kidneys and spine deformities. (MSNBC -- Health)
Authorities euthanize 206 found in condemned home Jul 31, 2008
Some of the cats suffered birth defects believed to result from inbreeding, animal control officer David Baber wrote in a report. The cats also didn't make good candidates for adoption because of health risks and not having been litter-box trained, said spokeswoman Peggy Bender of Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control. (WKRC.com, OH)
Study: Diabetes, Birth Defects Linked Jul 31, 2008
Researchers Say Women With Diabetes More Likely to Have Babies With Birth Defects By WebMD Health News Reviewed by ... "For single [birth] defects, the risk is three to four times greater, and about eightfold for multiple defects," says Adolfo Correa, MD, MPH, PhD, the study's lead author and an epidemiologist at the CDC's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities ... While the diabetes-birth defects link has been long known, this new research breaks new ground, says... (WebMD)
Obesity 'linked to birth defects' Jul 31, 2008
Obesity 'linked to birth defects ... Women who are obese when they conceive are more likely to have babies with birth defects than are mothers of normal weight, a US study suggests ... The relevant birth defects include missing limbs and malformed hearts. (Yahoo News -- Fertility & Pregnancy)
First Generic Versions of Depakote Approved Jul 31, 2008
The generics will have the same label warnings as the brand-name medication, including cautions about increased risk of severe liver damage, inflamed pancreas, and neural tube birth defects. "Generic drugs undergo a rigorous scientific review to ensure that they will provide the patient with the same amount of high quality, safe and effective drug as the name brand product," Gary Buehler, director of the FDA's Office of Generic Drugs, said in an agency news release. (MEDLINEplus)
Feds OK generic rivals to Abbott drug Jul 30, 2008
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said cheaper copycat versions of the drug, known generically as divalproex sodium, will have to carry strong warnings about the risk of liver damage and birth defects just as the brand version. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Novartis AG's Sandoz unit are among those cleared by the agency to market generic versions. (Crain's Chicago Business)
The New Embryo Capsule Treatment Jul 30, 2008
Birth defects and miscarriages could possibly be less if the conception is closer to the way nature intended. Doctors would not need to incubate the embryos prior to implantation as they are incubated in the vagina, which means you would not need an expensive lab or equipment. (Suite101.com)
DEP: GP must build pipeline Jul 30, 2008
Dioxin, a toxic, carcinogenic compound, is the same chemical in Agent Orange that has caused birth defects in Vietnam for 40 years, she said. Young said it takes anywhere from 30 days to two or three months for water to flow from Palatka to the mouth of the St. Johns, and in the meantime, the company's discharge will sit there. (The St. Augustine Record)
Rocket fuel found in milk in California Jul 30, 2008
Low levels of thyroid hormones can lead to birth defects, and there's evidence that we are talking very low levels of perchlorate. " An Arizona study showed that women who drank Colorado River water with perchlorate levels of 1 to 2 parts per billion had infants with different thyroid hormone levels from infants from mothers who drank uncontaminated water, Walker said. Lyle of the state Food and Agriculture Department said that "because (the perchlorate data) is inconclusive, there is no basis... (Yahoo News -- Food Safety)
Do You Know What You're Putting on Your Skin? Jul 30, 2008
Exposure to one of these chemicals is unlikely to cause health problems, but repeated exposure can be linked to serious health issues like cancer and birth defects. More people are seeking safe cosmetics that they know won't be causing them, their families, or any animals harm. (Canton Daily Ledger, IL)
Pre-Pregnancy Diabetes Boosts Risk for Birth Defects Jul 30, 2008
This is the first study to identify the wide range of birth defects -- such as heart defects, brain and spine defects, oral clefts, limb deficiencies, and defects of the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract -- associated with pre-pregnancy diagnoses of type 1 or type 2 diabetes ... "The continued association of diabetes with a number of birth defects highlights the importance of increasing the number of women who receive the best possible preconception care, especially for those diagnosed with... (Health-Finder)
'Animal's People' is surreal mix of poison and plot Jul 29, 2008
Countless thousands more suffered long-term injuries such as blindness, kidney and liver failure, cancer, and birth defects. The novel also deals with the fact that the residents of Bhopal have never had their day in court and that no company executive has ever stood trial for one of the world's worst industrial accidents. (Boston Globe)
Recycling Tip of the Week Jul 29, 2008
Beauty/Body care products with phthalates and/or parabens: Phthalates are a group of industrial chemicals linked to birth defects. They are used in many cosmetic products from nail polish to deodorant. (Belmont Citizen Herald, MA)
31 comments Jul 28, 2008
They actually want to take tax dollars to drug new mothers, leading to more spontaneous abortions, birth defects, stillbirths, preterm births, heart disease in newborns, murder-suicides, SIDS, suicides, and long-term psychiatric admissions. And guess who is paying for the front groups and the promotion of the bill. (Human Events Online)
New research on pre-eclampsia in mice may have important implications for humans Jul 28, 2008
Its mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit or. (EurekAlert!)
Healthier kids Jul 27, 2008
Bad report card on birth defects in Alaska should spur action ... A recent state study found that Alaska babies are twice as likely to suffer from birth defects as babies Outside ... Six out of every 100 babies in Alaska are born with birth defects ranging from fetal alcohol syndrome to holes in the walls of the heart. (Anchorage Daily News)
Hope, in a time of horror, for pregnant cancer patients Jul 27, 2008
But now, starting chemotherapy during pregnancy is becoming more common since doctors have learned that babies exposed to chemotherapy during the second or third trimester have virtually no greater risk of birth defects than those not exposed to it. Chemotherapy in the first trimester has been shown to cause birth defects such as cleft palates at rates three times the average ... Radiation therapy can cause mental retardation and other birth defects and is avoided during pregnancy except in... (The Pantagraph newspaper)
GREGORY PENCE: Free-market baby making thrives Jul 25, 2008
Children conceived through IVF have a slightly elevated rate of rare birth defects. It is still not clear why; it could be because of the older age of the eggs and sperm of the parents. (Fresno Bee -- Opinion)
Victor McKusick, 86, Dies; Medical Genetics Pioneer Jul 25, 2008
And in a lecture on a landmark study in genetics at a meeting at the Hague in 1969, he made a bold proposal: he said that the time was ripe to map all the human genes as a way of understanding the basic derangements in birth defects. "In part, the proposal reflected the exuberant mind-set that followed the first moon landing," Dr. McKusick wrote in an autobiographical paper. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Health)
Studies conclude impurity in Roche's Viracept did not increase patients' risk of cancer Jul 25, 2008
In collaboration with the CHMP, Roche designed and commissioned in-depth animal studies to better define the potential impact of EMS. These studies demonstrated that patients who were accidentally exposed to the highest levels of EMS in nelfinavir received doses of the impurity significantly below the threshold at which DNA damage and therefore cancer or birth defects can occur. "Our primary focus throughout this process has been on protecting the safety of patients" said William M. Burns,... (EurekAlert!)
Hidden Toxins in Baby's Nursery Jul 24, 2008
1,4 Dioxane is derived from petroleum and is also suspected of causing birth defects. The journal Pediatrics (February 2008) that phthalates were found in infants blood. (Suite101.com)
Epilepsy Drug May Increase Risk Of Birth Defects Jul 24, 2008
ScienceDaily (July 23, 2008) Taking the epilepsy drug topiramate alone or along with other epilepsy drugs during pregnancy may increase the risk of birth defects, according to a study published in the July 22, 2008, issue of Neurology ... Research has shown that many epilepsy drugs increase the risk of birth defects, but little research has been done on topiramate ... Studies have shown that topiramate increases the risk of birth defects in animals. (Science Daily)
Women and Men Urged to Seek 'Preconception Care' Jul 24, 2008
Experts say most physicians realize the importance of pre-pregnancy counseling and measures, making sure, for example, that women take folic acid during their reproductive years to prevent birth defects ... But exposure to toxins, including pesticides, lead and cigarette smoke, may affect fertility, lead to miscarriage or cause birth defects, according to the March of Dimes. (MEDLINEplus)
Miramichi pathology class-action lawsuit filed Jul 23, 2008
Pregnant women who take a common epilepsy drug may increase their risk of birth defects, finds a new study. Doctors have begun pairing heart pumps with high doses of cardiac medication in hopes that more aggressive therapy will shrink flabby enlarged hearts enough to avoid a transplant, or at least enable patients to survive longer without one. (CBC.ca)
Increased Risk For Disabilities After Preterm Birth Jul 23, 2008
The study included children with a gestational age of 23 weeks or more who were born without birth defects ... Birth defects and preterm birth. (Science Daily)
Study links epilepsy drug to increased birth-defect risk Jul 22, 2008
By Mary Brophy Marcus, USA TODAY Pregnant women who take the epilepsy drug topiramate may increase their newborn's risk of birth defects, especially if they combine the drug with other epilepsy medications, according to a small study in this week's Neurology. Scientists who evaluated 203 women who became pregnant while taking topiramate, generic for Topamax, reported that of 178 babies born, 16 had major birth defects, including cleft palate and other malformations ... Four male babies had... (USA Today -- News)
Wind farms: now we've got the biggest in Europe Jul 22, 2008
And of course radio activity (thats cleaner than persil), come on we are not suggesting that in any way locations of nuclear plants contribute to high level of birth defects, cancers etc. in the local populations. (Scotsman)
Battle of the Booze: New Medication... Jul 21, 2008
Birth defects in pregnant women, increased risk of death from car crashes and other injuries as well as the risk of homicide and suicide are other dangers. The chronic alcoholic types have the highest rates of depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety disorders as well as high rates of smoking, and marijuana, cocaine, and opiate dependence. (Suite101.com)
Arogyasri helped only 0.50 per cent people : JP Jul 19, 2008
He said on an average around 80 lakh episodes of illness, ranging from diarrhoea to preventable birth defects, occur every year in the State, most of them warranting medical intervention. On account of the disease burden every year, about 30 lakh of the afflicted either sink deeper into poverty or continue to languish. (Andhra Cafe)
First-Trimester Asthma Flares Tied to Birth Defects Jul 19, 2008
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Asthma flare-ups early in pregnancy may raise the risk of birth defects, a new study suggests -- highlighting, researchers say, the importance of good asthma control in pregnant women ... Because the first trimester is a critical period in which most birth defects take shape, asthma attacks early in pregnancy may be particularly concerning, according to Dr. Lucie Blais, the lead researcher on the new study ... One type of drug has, in fact, been linked to birth... (MEDLINEplus)
Alaska newborns at higher risk for defects Jul 18, 2008
Alaska infants are twice as likely to be born with major birth defects as infants in the U.S. as a whole, according to a new study by the state Department of Health and Social Services -- and officials are at a loss to explain why ... But rates were especially high among Alaska Natives, for whom birth defects were reported in 10 ... Alaska public health officials have long suspected that infants here suffer higher rates of birth defects, said Janine Schoellhorn, an analyst in the state's... (Anchorage Daily News)
Premature Birth Linked to Some Unexpected Later Problems Jul 18, 2008
The study included data from more than 900,000 infants born without known birth defects between 1967 and 1983 in Norway. Of that group, 1,822 were born between 23 and 27 weeks of gestation -- 40 weeks is considered full-term. (MEDLINEplus)
Overweight Mothers Give Birth To Offspring Who Become Heavy, Amplifying Obesity Through Generations Jul 17, 2008
Funding for this work came from the National Institutes of Health, the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Adapted from materials provided by. (Science Daily)
