birth defects

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FDA Launches New Probe Into Covid Vaccine Safety Claims

Agency scrutinizes reports involving child deaths, pregnant women after shots

(Newser) - The Food and Drug Administration is taking a closer look at reports of deaths among young people and pregnant women following COVID-19 vaccinations—an inquiry that comes despite years of global research affirming the vaccines' strong safety record, reports the New York Times . The new review appears to reflect...

Illness That Caused 'Global Panic' Never Really Went Away

There's still no vaccine for mosquito-born Zika that struck in 2015; experts worry of future outbreak

(Newser) - In 2016, the United Nations declared that the Zika virus—a mosquito-borne illness that can cause serious neurological effects in newborns with infected moms— was no longer a worldwide emergency . But the virus didn't actually disappear: In fact, Medriva deems it a "silent threat still lurking." The...

Massachusetts Dem's 'Off the Rails' Remarks Draw Backlash

At City Council meeting, Michael Hugo tied abortion to costs of services for special-needs kids

(Newser) - A Massachusetts town official is making the apology rounds after comments he made that tied abortion and children with special needs. NBC Boston reports that during a Framingham City Council meeting on Feb. 7, the council voted unanimously to pass an ordinance that offered local protection for reproductive rights. In...

For This Popular Diabetes Drug, a 'Surprisingly High' Risk

Study: Offspring of men who filled metformin Rx during sperm development see risk of rare genital defects

(Newser) - One of the most widely prescribed diabetes drugs has been linked to an increased risk of birth defects in the offspring of men who filled a prescription for it shortly before conception, according to new research. "When I saw the paper ... I thought: 'Yup, this is gonna go...

Pup Born With Upside-Down Paws Has Life-Changing Surgery

Siggi the spotted rat terrier has finally learned to walk, and chase balls

(Newser) - A 7-month-old puppy with upside-down paws has gotten a new leash on life, thanks to a dedicated team of veterinary professionals at Oklahoma State University. CNN reports that Siggi, a spotted rat terrier, was "born an average puppy: sweet, cheerful, and extremely playful." But she'd also been...

Probe Launched After Babies Born Missing Arms in France

Some are concerned that the defects are being caused by pesticides

(Newser) - Some two dozen infants in rural areas of France have been born missing arms and hands since 2000, and now public health officials in that country have launched an investigation to uncover the cause of the defects. Recently, 11 new cases of such birth defects occurring in infants born in...

Case of Babies With Missing Limbs Closed Without Answer

3 clusters have been studied in France

(Newser) - "The absence of a hypothesis of a possible common cause does not make it possible to hold further investigations." Such is the pronouncement of France's public health agency after investigating a rash of cases of babies born without arms, forearms, or hands. The Guardian reports the focus...

Severe Birth Defects Don't Mean Death Sentence
Severe Birth Defects Don't Mean Death Sentence
NEW STUDY
Jul 27, 2016 11:21 AM CDT

Severe Birth Defects Don't Mean Death Sentence

Canadian study suggests birth defects aren't as lethal as doctors previously advised

(Newser) - Parents of newborns with rare genetic conditions used to hear that severe birth defects were "incompatible with life." Support groups and social media showing the exceptions have changed the landscape—and so has mounting research suggesting not all such babies will die, the AP reports. The latest study...

Girl With Zika-Linked Birth Defect Born in NJ

Mother became infected in Honduras

(Newser) - It's believed to be a first in the continental US, and it was probably inevitable. A baby girl with severe microcephaly was born at a hospital in Hackensack, NJ, on Tuesday to a mother infected with the Zika virus, ABC News reports. The CDC confirmed in April that the...

Zika Moms Face 'Substantial' Risk for Birth Defects

Up to 14% chance, says CDC

(Newser) - A month after confirming Zika causes birth defects , CDC researchers say there is a "substantial" risk that a pregnant woman will have a baby with a birth defect if infected with Zika during her first trimester. More specifically, the risk for microencaphaly is 1% to 14% depending on the...

Study Highlights Zika's Devastating Spread to Fetus

Study offers strongest evidence yet of birth defects from virus

(Newser) - The Zika virus' apparent effect on fetuses is on shocking display in a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine that was rushed to publication given the virus' spread . Though it offers no definitive link between Zika and fetal abnormalities, the study does produce the first evidence of...

2 Antidepressants Linked to Birth Defects
2 Antidepressants Linked
to Birth Defects 
STUDY SAYS
Jul 10, 2015 4:20 PM CDT

2 Antidepressants Linked to Birth Defects

Paxil and Prozac implicated; newer SSRIs like Zoloft, Celexa cleared

(Newser) - A CDC study of almost 28,000 women has shown links between use of the antidepressants Paxil and Prozac and birth defects, Reuters reports. The study, published in the British Medical Journal , sought to answer long-debated questions about the effect of taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, during pregnancy,...

Cluster of fatal birth defects a mystery in rural Washington

 Fatal Birth Defects 
 a Mystery in Rural 
 Washington 
in case you missed it
Feb 22, 2014 11:29 AM CST

Fatal Birth Defects a Mystery in Rural Washington

23 cases of anencephaly reported in a 3-year period

(Newser) - Anencephaly is a "uniformly fatal" birth defect that leaves babies born without part of their brain or skull—and it's been striking three counties in rural Washington state at a rate at least four times the national average. But the cluster—in Yakima, Franklin, and Benton counties—remains...

50 Years Later, Thalidomide Maker Apologizes

Morning sickness drug caused birth defects in the 1950s

(Newser) - The German pharmaceutical company that created the drug thalidomide apologized for the first time—after more than 50 years—for the thousands of children worldwide born with deformities because their mothers took the popular morning sickness medication. The CEO of Gruenenthal read the apology at a dedication of a statue...

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