Breaking News - Professional Negligence and Medical Negligence

The following articles are about birth injuries and birth defects due to professional and medical negligence. Use these news stories to keep up to date with birth injury and defect information. A Weitz & Luxenberg attorney can help you and your family if your child is suffering from a birth defect. You may fill out this simple form and get your free case review today.

Birth defect gene is identified

December 22, 2005 (sciencedaily.com)

University of Southern California researchers have developed an animal model explaining how skull malformations occur and how they might be prevented.

The craniofacial scientists, led by Yang Chai, chairman of the division of craniofacial sciences and therapeutics in the USC School of Dentistry, identified the genetic factor leading to malformation of the forehead and frontal part of the skull.

Chai's group focused on a gene called transforming growth factor-beta. TGF-beta is known to play an important role in human and animal development.

Warning Over Multi-Vitamin Risk to Unborn Babies

July 20th, 2005 (4ni.co.uk)

An investigation by Trading Standards watchdogs and a birth defects charity has revealed that many expectant mothers may be harming their unborn children by taking certain food supplements, including multi-vitamins. The survey found that many mums-to-be are being misled by inadequate labelling on multi-vitamin supplements, which fail to warn of the risk of taking vitamin A supplements in pregnancy.

Very Premature Babies Are Still at Risk, Researchers Find

July 20, 2005 (nytimes.com)

Asthma, cerebral palsy, vision and hearing disorders, low I.Q., poor school performance and social difficulties are among the problems described in The Journal of the American Medical Association by doctors at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland. Such disabilities were far more common in the children born prematurely than in normal-weight children from similar backgrounds. For example, 38 percent of those born prematurely had I.Q.'s below 85, as opposed to 14 percent of the normal-weight children. Among the premature, 21 percent had asthma, compared with 9 percent of those with normal weight.

Toxic Elements Found in Infants' Cord Blood

July 14th, 2005 (palmbeachpost.com)

In a benchmark study released today, researchers found an average of 200 industrial compounds, pollutants and other chemicals in the umbilical cord blood of newborns, including seven dangerous pesticides — some banned in the United States more than 30 years ago.

The report, Body Burden — The Pollution in Newborns, by the Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Working Group, detected 287 chemicals in the umbilical cord blood of 10 newborns. Of those chemicals, 76 cause cancer in humans or animals, 94 are toxic to the brain and nervous system and 79 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests.

Doctors and father face stiffer charges

(www.taipeitimes.com)

"Two doctors, Lin Chin-nan and Liu Chi-hwa, had been charged with injury caused by occupational negligence, but because the girl died yesterday, they will now be charged with the more serious crime of causing death by occupational negligence," said the office's spokesman, Lin Pang-liang.

Gene Mutation Linked to Birth Defects

June 17th, 2005 (heart.healthcentersonline.com)

Defects in a critical gene in mice may contribute to the development of a congenital heart defect similar to a heart defect found in humans. This may help physicians diagnose and correct at least one form of congenital heart disease.

Congenital heart disease, or cardiac defects that occur before birth, occur in about one out of 100 infants. They range from mild defects to life-threatening conditions that will result in death without rapid surgical intervention.

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see also:

Paul Newman remembered In "The Verdict," Paul Newman defends a childbirth malpractice victim
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Changes in Drug Labels for Pregnant Women FDA proposes changes in drug labels to help pregnant women
Reducing the risk to pregnant women: Proposed changes in drug labels

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