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Health News Results - 78
No Sign that Ozempic, Wegovy Pose Threat to the Fetus: Study
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- December 12, 2023
- Full Page
The diabetes and weight-loss drug Ozempic does not appear to harm a developing fetus when taken by pregnant women, a new study reports.
Researchers found no elevated risk of birth defects among newborns of women who took medications to control their type 2 diabetes, comp...
New Syndrome May Be Affecting Babies Exposed to Fentanyl
- Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter
- December 5, 2023
- Full Page
Doctors report they are seeing what they think is a new syndrome in babies who are exposed to fentanyl while in the womb.
All of the infants have cleft palates and unusually small heads, and all were born to mothers who said they'd used fentanyl and other drugs while pre...
Birth Defects More Common in Babies Born to Moms Who've Had Cancer
- Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- October 10, 2023
- Full Page
Teens and young adult women who survive cancer appear to have higher odds of delivering babies with birth defects, according to a new study.
Knowing this, young women making decisions about pregnancy and prenatal care should receive appropriate counseling and surveillanc...
FDA Will Begin to Regulate Thousands of Lab Tests
- Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
- September 29, 2023
- Full Page
Faced with growing reports of inaccurate clinical lab tests, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday announced that it will for the first time regulate these vital diagnostic tools.
Many Americans might have assumed that the FDA already had oversight of all medic...
Spotting Heart Defects While Baby Still in Womb Is Crucial, Study Shows
- Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- August 7, 2023
- Full Page
Diagnosis of congenital heart defects while a baby is still in the womb offers opportunities for earlier corrective surgery. And that can mean better outcomes for an infant's neurodevelopmental and physical health,
Testing Entire Genome Twice as Good at Spotting Genetic Disorders as Targeted Tests Are
- Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- July 11, 2023
- Full Page
Identifying genetic disorders in newborns and infants can help them get the care they need, but one approach -- whole genome sequencing -- appears far superior to another.
In a new study, researchers compared whole genome sequencing with targeted gene-sequencing. Th...
Monkey Study Suggests Hazards of Marijuana Use During Pregnancy
- Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- July 11, 2023
- Full Page
Marijuana use during pregnancy may impact the baby's brain development and long-term health, according to new research with monkeys.
THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) -- the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis -- altered the placental an...
Aidan's Tough Journey: Now Breathing Easier With a Rewired Heart
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- February 24, 2023
- Full Page
Ambar Marcus didn't think anything of going to the follow-up ultrasound her doctor recommended around 22 weeks of pregnancy — until she noticed how long it was taking.
“The technician was a lovely lady who chatted with me the whole time, but I noticed it felt like a ...
Smoking in Pregnancy Has Declined by a Third Since 2016
- Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
- January 31, 2023
- Full Page
There's good news for American mothers-to-be and their newborns: Rates of smoking during pregnancy have fallen by 36% since 2016, a new report finds.
The percentage of pregnant women who smoked was already low in 2016 compared to decades past: 7.2%. But by 2021, that rat...
Penis Birth Defects Are on the Rise -- Are Environmental Toxins to Blame?
- Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- January 20, 2023
- Full Page
Doctors are seeing an alarming increase in cases of a specific genital malformation in male babies, and new research suggests environmental factors might be at play.
The malformation is known as hypospadias, where the opening of the urethra is not at the tip of the penis...
Pandemic Silver Lining: Drop in Infections That Cause Birth Defects
- By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- September 12, 2022
- Full Page
The number of babies born with a virus that commonly causes birth defects may have dropped significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, new research suggests.
That was true in Minnesota, the first state to start screening all newborns for congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV)....
Pregnant Women Face Exposures to Dangerous Chemicals Daily
- By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
- August 30, 2022
- Full Page
Pregnant women are exposed to toxic chemicals in dishware, hair coloring, plastics and pesticides that can heighten their risk of cancer and harm child development, a new study warns.
No Sign That COVID Vaccine in Pregnancy Raises Birth Defect Risk
- By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- April 5, 2022
- Full Page
Public health experts have been telling pregnant women that it is safe -- and recommended -- to get a COVID-19 shot because they are at higher risk for poor outcomes and death from the virus.
New research now answers a key question about the vaccine's impact on their bab...
Rise in Birth Defects for Babies Whose Fathers Took Common Diabetes Drug
- Amy Norton
- March 29, 2022
- Full Page
Babies born to fathers who were taking the common diabetes drug metformin may have a slightly increased risk of certain birth defects, a large new study suggests.
Among over 1 million babies...
Heart Defects Could Raise Odds for Severe COVID-19
- March 7, 2022
- Full Page
People who were born with a heart defect have a nearly doubled risk for severe COVID-19 illness or death and need to get vaccinated, wear masks and take other steps to protect themselves, researchers report.
Those patients at the highest risk for severe COVID-19 were 50 ...
Smoking Around Time of Conception May Harm Embryo
- February 23, 2022
- Full Page
Smoking in the weeks before and after conception has a potentially unhealthy effect on an embryo, Dutch research shows.
"Smoking not only impacts an embryo's gr...
A Healthy Mouth Could Be a Lifesaver for Kids With Heart Conditions
- February 16, 2022
- Full Page
Kids with heart conditions are more likely than their peers to have frequent cavities, toothaches or bleeding gums, a new U.S. government study finds.
Researchers found that of U.S. children and teenagers with heart conditions, 10% had only "poor" to "fair" dental health...
Fertility Treatments Don't Raise Odds for Smaller, Preemie Babies
- Cara Murez
- January 12, 2022
- Full Page
Babies conceived through infertility treatment are more likely to be born early and small.
But there are reasons other than medically assisted reproduction to expla...
Family Factors Affect Child's Odds for Cleft Palate
- Cara Murez
- December 30, 2021
- Full Page
Economic status appears linked to increased risk of being born with a cleft palate or lip, new research suggests, building on past evidence that it can also result in delayed care and poorer outcomes.
Severe Illness in a Child Takes Big Toll on Parents, Siblings: Study
- Robert Preidt
- December 23, 2021
- Full Page
When a child has severe health problems, the suffering often extends to the entire family, new research finds.
Using data from a single health insurance provider, the study authors assessed nearly 7,000 children with life-threatening conditions and their families, and co...
Gene Therapy May Reverse Hurler Syndrome, a Rare and Severe Illness in Kids
- Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
- November 18, 2021
- Full Page
Gene therapy might soon offer a new option for children with a rare genetic disorder that damages tissues throughout the body, researchers are reporting.
In a study of eight children with the condition, called Hurler syndrome, researchers found that the gene therapy was ...
Pregnancy, Delivery Safe for Women Born With Heart Defects
- Robert Preidt
- October 18, 2021
- Full Page
Women who were born with heart defects may get some reassurance from a new study that finds they face no heightened risk to health during a pregnancy and delivery.
According to the researchers, doctors may often advise these women against getting pregnant due to the pote...
Why Are More U.S. Babies Being Born With Syphilis?
- Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
- September 16, 2021
- Full Page
The number of U.S. infants born with syphilis is climbing at an alarming pace, reaching a high not seen since the 1990s, according to new government figures.
Newborn syphilis, a potentially fatal condition, was at one time nearly eliminated in the United States. But the ...
Diabetes in Pregnancy Tied to Eye Issues in Kids
- Robert Preidt
- August 18, 2021
- Full Page
Children whose mothers had diabetes during pregnancy are at increased risk for severe forms of common eye problems such as far- and near-sightedness and astigmatism, a long-term study suggests.
Collectively, they're known as refractive errors, conditions in which the eye...
Premature Delivery Raises Odds for Cerebral Palsy
- Robert Preidt
- July 30, 2021
- Full Page
Extremely premature babies have a much higher risk of cerebral palsy and other neurological conditions than full-term infants, a large Israeli study affirms.
Cerebral palsy -- the name for a group of lifelong conditions that affect movement and coordination -- is the mos...
Vaping During Pregnancy Could Raise Odds for 'Preemie' Babies
- Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
- July 13, 2021
- Full Page
Women who use electronic cigarettes during pregnancy may be at heightened risk of having an underweight or preterm baby, a new study suggests.
The study of more than 79,000 U.S. mothers found that when women regularly used e-cigarettes late in pregnancy, their babies' ri...
Alcohol Still a Threat in Too Many American Pregnancies: Study
- Cara Murez
- July 1, 2021
- Full Page
More than half of American babies are exposed to at least some alcohol before they are born -- and for 8 out of 10, it happens before their mothers even realize they're pregnant, according to a Yale University study.
Because alcohol consumption may harm the developing fe...
Gene Therapy Uses HIV to Rescue Kids Born Without Immune System
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- May 12, 2021
- Full Page
Cora Oakley is a rough-and-tumble 4-year-old who loves gymnastics and outdoor activities, particularly if it involves bouncing on a trampoline.
It's hard to tell from looking at her that she was born without an immune system. Kids with this condition can acquire dangerou...
Could Your Child Have a Heart Defect? Know the Warning Signs
- May 8, 2021
- Full Page
Heart defects are often - but not always - detected at birth, so it's important to pay attention when a child gets dizzy, passes out or says her heart is "beeping."
These and other warning signs, such as an apparent change in fitness, shouldn't be overlooked, an expert s...
No Genetic Damage to Kids of Those Exposed to Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster: Study
- Robert Preidt
- April 23, 2021
- Full Page
There's no evidence of genetic damage in the children of parents who were exposed to radiation from the 1986 Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant disaster in Ukraine, researchers say.
Several previous studies have examined the risks across generations of radiation exposure from...
Lab-Made Heart Valves Can Grow Along With Youngest Heart Patients
- Cara Murez
- March 22, 2021
- Full Page
Lab-created heart valves that grow with the recipient could spare kids born with heart defects from the repeated valve-replacement surgeries they now endure.
University of Minnesota researchers found that lab-created valves implanted in young lambs for a year were capabl...
Scientists Create First Lab Model of Human 'Pre-Embryo' for Research Purposes
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- March 17, 2021
- Full Page
Research into miscarriages, infertility and birth defects is now primed to undergo revolutionary advances, thanks to the creation in the lab of an early stage of human embryos by two separate international teams of scientists.
Both teams were able to use human cells...
Drivers May Be Inhaling Dangerous Carcinogens Inside Their Cars
- Robert Preidt
- February 18, 2021
- Full Page
Worried about what damage the polluted air outside might pose to your health during your work commute? New research suggests you might want to worry more about the chemicals you are exposed to inside your car.
Benzene and formaldehyde are used in automobile manu...
Prescription Opioids, Antibiotics in Pregnancy Won't Raise Birth Defect Risk: Studies
- Robert Preidt
- February 11, 2021
- Full Page
Taking prescription opioid painkillers or a common class of antibiotics during pregnancy doesn't increase the risk of major birth defects, according to two new studies.
Both are often prescribed to pregnant women. Some studies have linked them with certain birth defects,...
Fetal Surgery Is Changing Lives for Kids With Spina Bifida
- Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
- February 10, 2021
- Full Page
Spina bifida is a diagnosis no parents-to-be want to hear as they await their child's birth, and the idea of performing surgery on a baby while it is still in the womb can be terrifying. But new research shows that performing the delicate procedure before the baby is born, and...
Kids With Congenital Heart Disease Face Higher Odds of Mental Health Issues
- Denise Mann
- January 5, 2021
- Full Page
Kids born with heart defects may be more likely to develop anxiety, depression and/or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), regardless of the severity of their heart condition.
Congenital heart defects are the most common type of birth defect in the United Sta...
Gene Therapy Shows No Long-Term Harm in Animals: Study
- Cara Murez
- December 11, 2020
- Full Page
Results from a long-term study of a gene therapy technique to prevent inherited mitochondrial disease show promise, researchers say.
Studies of the technique at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland show no adverse health effects in rhesus macaque monkeys and th...
Many Breast Cancer Survivors Have Healthy Babies: Study
- Cara Murez
- December 9, 2020
- Full Page
When a young woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, many questions go through her mind.
What treatments does she need? Will she survive? And will she still be able to have a baby?
In a review of recent research, an international team of investigators say the answe...
Birth Defects Tied to Rise in Lifelong Cancer Risk
- Robert Preidt
- December 3, 2020
- Full Page
Major birth defects are associated with an increased, lifelong risk of cancer, researchers say.
It has been known that people with major birth defects have a greater risk of developing cancer as children and teens, but it wasn't clear whether the risk extends into adulth...
COVID in Pregnancy Won't Affect Obstetric Outcomes: Study
- Steven Reinberg
- November 19, 2020
- Full Page
Pregnant women with COVID-19 have little risk of developing severe symptoms, as do their newborns, a new study finds.
In fact, 95% of these women have good outcomes, and just 3% of their babies test positive for COVID-19, researchers say.
"For 5% of COVID-19-positi...
Heart Defects Don't Increase Risk of Severe COVID-19
- Robert Preidt
- October 16, 2020
- Full Page
In what will come as reassuring news to those who were born with a heart defect, new research finds these people aren't at increased risk for moderate or severe COVID-19.
The study included more than 7,000 adults and children who were born with a heart defect (congen...
Zika Epidemic Was More Widespread Than Thought: Study
- Robert Preidt
- October 8, 2020
- Full Page
The Zika epidemic, which began as a mosquito-borne viral infection and led to severe birth defects, affected far more people than previously thought, new research shows.
For the study, researchers analyzed data from 15 countries and territories in South America, Cent...
Genetics Might Explain Some Cases of Cerebral Palsy
- Robert Preidt
- October 1, 2020
- Full Page
Genetic problems cause about 14% of cerebral palsy cases, and many of the implicated genes control the wiring of brain circuits during early fetal development, new research shows.
The largest genetic study of cerebral palsy supports previous findings and provides...
Common Heart Defect Limits Exercise Ability: Study
- Steven Reinberg
- September 23, 2020
- Full Page
People born with a hole in their heart may lose 20% or more of their exercise capacity as they age, even if the defect is repaired.
A ventricular septal defect is a hole in the wall separating the heart's pumping chambers. It can be surgically closed or left alo...
Narcolepsy Drug Doesn't Raise Odds for Birth Defects: Study
- Robert Preidt
- September 4, 2020
- Full Page
The narcolepsy medicine modafinil doesn't appear to increase the risk of birth defects, according to a new study that contradicts earlier research.
"This study is based on twice as many pregnancies as earlier studies, and we find no increase in the risk of malformati...
Study Zeroes in on How Zika Virus Is Passed From Mom to Fetus
- Robert Preidt
- September 1, 2020
- Full Page
New insight into how pregnant women can pass the Zika virus to their fetus could point to ways to prevent it, researchers say.
Babies infected with Zika in the womb can have abnormally small heads (microcephaly) and other birth defects.
In this study, resea...
Lupus Drug Prevents Low Heartbeat in High-Risk Newborns: Study
- Robert Preidt
- July 17, 2020
- Full Page
A drug used to treat lupus and malaria -- hydroxychloroquine -- reduced by half the risk of a potentially fatal heart condition in newborns who were at high risk for it.
The condition -- known as congenital heart block (CHB) -- results in a dangerously low heart rate...
Artificial Heart Valve Would Grow With Kids, Cutting Need for Repeat Surgeries
- Robert Preidt
- February 19, 2020
- Full Page
An expandable artificial heart valve could save children with congenital heart disease from repeated open heart surgeries as they grow up, researchers report.
Current artificial heart valves are fixed in size, meaning children need to get larger ones as they grow. C...
AHA News: Baby Born With 'One-of-a-Kind' Heart Receives Transplant
- February 11, 2020
- Full Page
When a test showed a dangerous drop in the heart rate of Courtney Agnoli's unborn daughter, the doctor who urgently admitted her to the hospital said, "You aren't leaving here without a baby."
Doctors had already identified two critical congenital heart defects that...
AHA News: For Kids With Heart Defects, the Hospital Near Mom May Matter
- February 10, 2020
- Full Page
Heart problems are often associated with older people. But every year about 1 in 110 children in the United States are born with congenital heart disease, which include a variety of defects ranging from holes in the heart to malformed or missing valves and chambers.