Thalidomide Maker Apologizes After More Than 50 Years
More than a half-century after a German drugmaker took thalidomide off the market because of birth defects, the company said it was sorry. The occasion was the dedication of a memorial to the victims...
View ArticleHow Parents And The Internet Transformed Clubfoot Treatment
Clubfoot is a common birth defect that can make walking difficult. It used to be treated with surgery, which could have serious side effects, but a simple nonsurgical solution is now the norm. It took...
View ArticleWith Gene Disorders, The Mother's Age Matters, Not The Egg's
For a long while doctors thought that an egg's age relative to others explained why older women are more likely to produce eggs with genetic abnormalities. But a study finds that's not really true.
View ArticleBaby Thrives Once 3-D-Printed Windpipe Helps Him Breathe
Michigan doctors used 3-D printing to custom-make a splint to prop open Garrett Peterson's defective windpipe last January. He's home with his parents this Christmas, as "normal life" begins.
View ArticleDNA Blood Test Gives Women A New Option For Prenatal Screening
A simple blood test can analyze bits of fetal DNA leaked in the mother's bloodstream. It's less risky than invasive alternatives like amniocentesis, but it doesn't tell as much about fetal health.
View ArticleSome Antidepressants May Pose Increased Risk Of Birth Defects
Some antidepressants may be riskier than others when used during pregnancy. A study found the most widely used antidepressant, sertraline, wasn't associated with birth defects.
View ArticleFrances Kelsey, FDA Officer Who Blocked Thalidomide, Dies At 101
The physician and pharmacologist worked at the government agency in the early 1960s, when she uncovered a link between the drug and severe birth defects.
View ArticleAn Ill Newborn, A Loving Family And A Litany Of Wrenching Choices
As families consider how far to push an infant's medical care, a chasm can open between the parents' hopes and what doctors and nurses consider realistic. How do you measure a baby's quality of life?
View ArticleWhy Brazil Doesn't Want Women In The Northeast To Become Pregnant
In Brazil, health authorities suspect the mosquito-borne Zika virus is tied to a severe birth defect. They've urged women in certain regions to avoid getting pregnant.
View ArticleWhy Tortillas May Hold The Key To Healthier Babies
In the U.S., pastas and breads come with a dose of folic acid, a B vitamin that prevents severe neural tube birth defects. But it's not allowed in corn masa, a staple for many Hispanic women.
View ArticleStudy Finds Birth Control Pill Use Isn't Associated With Birth Defects
Even women who continued to use the pill during the first few months of pregnancy saw no increase in major birth defects, according to data gleaned from Danish registries.
View ArticleCDC Issues Travel Warning After Explosion Of Dangerous Zika Virus
U.S. health officials have warned pregnant women against traveling to Latin American and Caribbean countries with outbreaks of the tropical illness which may be causing microcephaly in newborns.
View ArticleZika Virus Will Spread Through The Americas, Health Group Says
WHO says the virus is moving fast because the mosquito carrying Zika is widespread in the hemisphere, and the population is not immune. Only Canada is likely to be spared.
View ArticleWHO Warns Of Zika Virus's 'Alarming' And 'Explosive' Spread
Facing criticism that the World Health Organization has been slow to respond to Zika, Dr. Margaret Chan delivers her first major address on the outbreak.
View ArticleCDC Arrives In Brazil To Investigate Zika Outbreak
U.S. disease detectives are launching a research project that health authorities hope will produce the most definitive evidence yet about whether the virus is really causing birth defects.
View ArticleStudy Finds Multiple Problems In Fetuses Exposed To Zika Virus
A study of pregnant women in Rio de Janeiro lends credence to a suspected link between Zika and microcephaly and suggests the virus could cause other complications, including stillbirth.
View ArticleLessons From Rubella Suggest Zika's Impact Could Linger
Forty-seven years after a vaccine against rubella was created, the virus still harms about 300 newborns every day, worldwide. Even a cheap vaccine can be a financial burden for poorer countries.
View ArticleZika Virus Can Cause Brain Defects In Babies, CDC Confirms
U.S. health officials say they are now convinced that Zika virus can target the developing brain before birth, leading to a severe type of microcephaly and other brain abnormalities.
View ArticleComing Soon To A Tortilla Near You: A Vitamin To Prevent Birth Defects
The FDA says tacos, tamales and other foods made with corn masa flour can now be fortified with folic acid. The move is aimed at reducing severe brain defects in babies born to Hispanic women.
View ArticleIn Houston, Pregnant Women And Their Doctors Weigh Risks Of Zika
Mosquitoes infected with Zika haven't turned up along the U.S. Gulf Coast yet, but could thrive in the region's sultry summer weather. Pregnant women and their doctors are already taking precautions.
View Article
