MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'birth defects'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:21:02 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841987&cid=t_128149_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FPnFE-Cg3WGw%2F Good morning, everyone, and how are you today? Here on the Pharmalot corporate campus, we are engaged in the off-to-the-school-house hustle. This calls, of course, for a cup or two of stimulation. How else to gear up for those meetings and deadlines? So please feel free to join us. And here is another invitation: our webinar next week on the injectable drug delivery market. Meanwhile, we offer you these tidbits of the world at large. Have a great day and do stay in touch… North Carolina Delays Vote On Preemption Bill (Associated Press) CDC Blog On Zombie Apocalypse Proves Apocalyptic (AdWeek) Takeda To Buy Nycomed For $13.6 Billion (Reuters) Bill Gates Calls For A ‘Decade Of Vaccinations’ (Pharma Times) J&J Failed To Warn Parents Of Motrin Risks: Lawyer (Bloomberg Ne... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841987 Thu, 19 May 2011 11:47:58 +0100 4841987 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4580893&cid=t_128149_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpregnant-women-and-exposure-to-paint%2F2011.03.13 I came across an article the other day about paint and pregnancy. Yes, that paint — the kind that you put on a canvas or slap on your walls. Did you know that paint is made of pigment particles in a liquid base called a medium? Oil paints are thinned or cleaned with paint thinners. Latex paints are thinned or cleaned with water. Most paint that’s used in the home is latex. Can environmental forces affected pregnancy? The short answer is “yes,” according to the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS), whose mission is to study malformations of the unborn. Regarding paint and pregnancy, the amount of exposure is important. A one-time household exposure causes fewer problems than ongoing exposure through a work setting. And there have been medical stu... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4580893 Sun, 13 Mar 2011 22:00:06 +0100 4580893 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560254&cid=t_128149_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1162 According to a study in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, the study indicated an association between use of the drugs and a modest risk of congenital heart defects, as well as a heightened risk for spina bifida, hydrocephaly, congenital glaucoma and gastroschisis and was reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The analysis was based on the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (1997 to 2005) including data gathered from across 10 states. CDC researchers found that between 2 percent and 3 percent of mothers who took prescription painkillers such as codeine, hydrocodone or oxycodone (Oxycontin) either just prior to becoming pregnant or early in their pregnancy,  the risk of their newborn having a serious heart defect known as hypoplastic l... Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560254 Tue, 08 Mar 2011 16:26:50 +0100 4560254 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4517166&cid=t_128149_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-importance-of-diagnosing-birth-defects%2F2011.02.24 Birth defects, particularly those of the blood vessels, account for the majority of infant deaths, especially after the first week of life. Congenital heart disease (CHD) — meaning defects of the heart – is responsible for one-third of deaths between birth and the first year of life. Therefore, the diagnosis of CHD is critical in order to plan life-saving treatments, such as the proper place for the delivery, the type of delivery, and its timing. If it’s known in advance that an unborn baby has a heart problem and is delivered in a hospital that provides special care, its survival and future health will increase dramatically. Who’s at risk for having CHD and which expectant moms should have further evaluation? Families who have a history of CHD — especially ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4517166 Fri, 25 Feb 2011 00:00:49 +0100 4517166 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4455263&cid=t_128149_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fartificial-sweeteners-and-telling-pregnant-women-in-moderation%2F2011.02.09 I can already tell that this pregnancy is different from my first. When I was pregnant with Little Isis, I drank no caffeine and took no over-the-counter medication. I remember having a few headaches and Mr. Isis fighting with me to take a headache pill. I would then proclaim dramatically, “But I can’t! What if it hurts the baby?!” This morning, now pregnant with my second, I washed down a Zyrtec and two Tylenol with a cup of coffee. The little bugger is going to have to grow up with Little Isis. He might as well start building up his tolerance to exogenous substances at some point. I figure, now that its got a closed neural tube and a beating heart, we might as well begin. Still, you can’t blame a pregnant woman for being a bit neurotic. The feeling that one is solely res... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4455263 Wed, 09 Feb 2011 20:00:01 +0100 4455263 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4205938&cid=t_128149_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdental-fillings-and-birth-defects-what-moms-to-be-should-know%2F2010.11.26 Although the first trimester of pregnancy is sacred, there will be patients who will encounter problems at that time. During the first trimester, the brain and the central nervous system develops from 6 to 10 weeks, a time period commonly known as organogenesis. To minimize the risk of developing birth defects, medications and invasive procedures are usually postponed until the arrival of the second trimester. A recent article in the October 2010 issue of Ob.Gyn. News reported some disturbing findings: Dental fillings in the first trimester were linked to the development of a cleft palate. A cleft palate is a birth defect that has a slit in the roof of the mouth because it failed to close during the first trimester. The article by Susan London described a study in Norway where pregnant wo... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4205938 Fri, 26 Nov 2010 20:00:00 +0100 4205938 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3767337&cid=t_128149_160_f&fid=36189&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.skinmdblog.com%2F227%2Fhow-to-choose-safe-natural-skin-care-products%2F Choosing safe and natural skin care products can be very hard.   It isn’t that manufacturers don’t “claim” to provide them.  It’s just that their claims are not always completely honest. Safety is actually the big issue here.  If you are like most people, you would like naturally occurring ingredients, because you think they are safer than artificial ingredients. In many cases, you are right.   But, there are a few exceptions. Lead, mercury, cadmium and other heavy metals are found in nature.   They are probably not on the list of ingredients in your favourite cosmetics, they can be there as contaminants in natural plant extracts. Numerous contaminants are present in tap water, which is why water must be purified before it is used in skin care products. P... Skin MD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3767337 Mon, 19 Jul 2010 10:43:12 +0100 3767337 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3691114&cid=t_128149_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FKIwXZy8z1QA%2F For the second time this year, GlaxoSmithKline is moving to dispense with nagging litigation by agreeing to wholesale settlements. Last month, the drugmaker agreed to pay about $60 million to settle 700 lawsuits alleging its Avandia diabetes pill causes heart attacks and strokes (back story). Now, Glaxo is settling nearly 200 lawsuits that charged its Paxil antidepressant caused birth defects, although the amounts were not disclosed, The Legal Intelligencer reports. The move comes after a Pennsylvania state court jury last October awarded a woman $2.5 million in damages for failing to properly warn docs and pregnant women about the risks of the antidepressant. This case, which was filed by the family of three-year-old Lyam Kilker, who was born with heart defects his mother blamed on the d... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3691114 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:01:32 +0100 3691114 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3524116&cid=t_128149_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fsmiley-faces-foundation-promoting-awareness-beauty-and-amazing-kids%2F2010.05.01 We live in a society obsessed with outside beauty, so it’s no wonder that parents whose children are born with any imperfection worry endlessly about how their child will be accepted in society. As parents, though, our job is to make sure our kids see themselves as much more than whatever obstacles are tossed their way, as tough as that may be. Adam and Donna Bell felt that anguish first hand in 2005 when their son Ethan was born with cleft lip and palate. Ethan now has an adorable smile and hardly a scar at all thanks to the amazingly talented doctors at the NYU Institute of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery. Wanting to do more to raise awareness about the nearly 1 in 600 infants born with cleft (opening) lip or palate each year, the Bell’s founded Smiley Faces Foundation, a nonprofit w... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3524116 Sat, 01 May 2010 14:00:25 +0100 3524116 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3136614&cid=t_128149_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FBGgesr1ruaw%2F When a woman is pregnant, in her mind, her baby will be perfect. But perfect isn’t always what we think it will be. Sometimes, our perfect baby is born with a problem, such as spina bifida (hole in the back) or missing a limb, or a heart defect. Birth defects can sometimes be prevented and January is National Birth Defects Prevention Month. The goal of the month is to educate as many people as possible, not just mothers, about prevention of preventable birth defects. Taken from the National Birth Defects Prevention Network, here are 10 important facts you should know about birth defects: 1 Birth defects affect one out of ever 33 babies in the United States and is the cause of death in one of every five infant deaths. 2 Folic acid (folate) is a vitamin that all women of childbearing ... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3136614 Sat, 02 Jan 2010 10:41:36 +0100 3136614 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3084980&cid=t_128149_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FkBHSmm9TLCk%2F The big drugmaker has paid almost $1 billion to resolve lawsuits since launching its antidepressant in 1993, including about $390 million for suicides or attempted suicides said to be linked to the pill, Bloomberg News reports. The total including $200 paid million to settle Paxil addiction and birth-defect cases and $400 million to end antitrust, fraud and design claims. About 450 suicide-related Paxil cases were settled and about a dozen remain unresolved. The $1 billion total doesn’t include more than 600 claims that Paxil caused birth defects, Bloomberg writes. The $1 billion “would be worse than many people are expecting,” Navid Malik, an analyst at Matrix Corporate Capital, tells the news service. “I don’t think this is within the boundaries of current assumptions for ana... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3084980 Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:37:31 +0100 3084980 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2890945&cid=t_128149_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FB35-XqN8y4s%2F A Pennsylvania state court jury deliberated seven hours before finding the drug maker failed to properly warn docs and pregnant women about the risks of the antidepressant. This was the first of 600 cases, by the way, Bloomberg reminds us. The jury awarded the money in compensatory damages to the family of Lyam Kilker; the 3-year-old was born with heart defects his mother blamed on the drug. “The first win is always huge, especially when you get a jury saying the drug caused the injury,” Sean Tracey, the family’s lawyer, tells the news service. This is the first time a jury considered claims that Glaxo knew Paxil caused birth defects and hid risks to increase profits. The drug maker disagrees with the verdict and will appeal, spokesman Kevin Colgan tells Bloomberg. “While we s... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2890945 Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:41:03 +0100 2890945 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2306914&cid=t_128149_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fmonth-of-conception-linked-to-birth-defects%2F Spring and summer might not be the best time for women in the United States to conceive according to a new study published in the April edition of the Acta Pædiatrica journal. Seems that the study, which analysed the 30.1 million births in the U.S. between 1996 and 2002, found that there was an increased number of birth defects in the children born of women who last menstruated in April, May, June, or July. This is the time of the year when there are increased levels of pesticides, such as atrazine (which is banned in Europe but still permitted in the US) and nitrates, in surface water across the United States. Based on the evidence this study has uncovered, the researchers suspect there is a strong correlation between the seasonal increase in pesticides in the surface water and numbers ... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2306914 Wed, 01 Apr 2009 14:56:12 +0100 2306914 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1546984&cid=t_128149_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F320532902%2F Much of the hoopla one reads about the controversial antidepressant concerns the risk of suicide and the extent to which the drugmaker disclosed - or did not disclose - meaningful clinical trial data. However, a pending lawsuit points up another issue - whether Glaxo adequately disclosed and investigated the risk of congenital abnormalities. In an expert witness report written by Suzanne Parisian, an industry consultant who is a former FDA medical officer and US Public Health Service officer, the drugmaker is taken to task for failing to adequately design pre-clinical trials to detect cardiovascular effects; not including and later updating risk info for developing fetuses in the Paxil labeling; and failing to investigate indications of an association between first trimester Paxil use and ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1546984 Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:42:08 +0100 1546984 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1488321&cid=t_128149_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F303307790%2F A new study in Pediatrics links low birth weight (less than 5.5 pounds) and preterm birth to an increased risk for autism in infants by about twofold, and more so in girls than in boys. From an overview at CBS.com: When the 565 boys and girls with autism were looked at separately, the boys had less than a twofold increased risk of autism if they were born at low birth weight, but the low-birth-weight girls had a threefold or higher risk, found [Diana] Schendel [PhD, lead health scientist at the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities at the CDC] and her CDC colleague Tanya Karapurkar Bhasin, MPH. They also found that low birth weight (less than 5.5 pounds) and early preterm birth (less than 33 weeks’ gestation) affected groups of children differently, dependin... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1488321 Mon, 02 Jun 2008 23:42:48 +0100 1488321 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=703256&cid=t_128149_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F06%2Fthis-week-in-nejm.html Conclusions: Our findings do not show that there are significantly increased risks of craniosynostosis, omphalocele, or heart defects associated with SSRI use overall. They suggest that individual SSRIs may confer increased risks for some specific defects, but it should be recognized that the specific defects implicated are rare and the absolute risks are small......Our analysis did not confirm previously reported associations between overall use of SSRIs and craniosynostosis, omphalocele, or heart defects as a groupThe problem is that drugs are not routinely tested on pregnant women. This results in an unknown effect on the fetus/child prior to giving the medicine. The only answers we have are on women who had taken a drug prior to knowing they were pregnant. This leads to very few drugs ... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=703256 Thu, 28 Jun 2007 21:00:00 +0100 703256