Latest news with #birthdefects
Daily Mail
12-07-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Why isolated American community is suffering huge number of babies with horrifying birth defects
It's the northernmost state in America, made up of remote towns and villages that suffer from brutal weather and months of darkness. Aside from Alaska 's harsh climate, the state also has to contend with a rising number of birth defects. Your browser does not support iframes.
Irish Times
12-07-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
State's ‘shameful' treatment of thalidomide survivors criticised
A Government backbencher has accused the State of behaving 'appallingly' towards the victims of thalidomide and criticised the 'glacial pace' with which the issue is being dealt. Fine Gael TD Barry Ward said the Government has 'dragged its heels' in apologising to the affected mothers and their children, now in their mid to late 60s. The treatment of the survivors 'is fundamentally wrong and shameful and is a stain on the recent history of this State', he said. He believed a 'basic justice' has 'never been met', more than 60 years after pregnant women were prescribed the drug, originally developed in Germany in the 1950s as a sedative and later promoted to treat morning sickness. It was withdrawn from most markets in 1961 following evidence of its link to birth defects. However, it was still sold in Ireland until 1964. READ MORE Many children were born without limbs or with shortened limbs, with hearing and vision impairment and injuries to internal organs. Mr Ward said since then there has been 'no apology, acknowledgment, full suite of treatment and no compensation'. The Dún Laoghaire TD said he was highlighting the issue because this week marks a year since the three former coalition leaders wrote a letter to thalidomide survivors, which was 'not in fact an apology or an acknowledgment, but really a communication in respect of some supports that have been put in place'. At the time the letter angered members of the Irish Thalidomide Association, still waiting for a State apology following a long-running campaign in which they are also seeking compensation and supports. [ Jacqui Browne obituary: Thalidomide survivor and leading advocate for the disabled Opens in new window ] There are fewer than 40 survivors still alive, and only five of their mothers who were prescribed the drug. In September 2024 the then government appointed retired High Court Judge Mr Justice Paul Gilligan to engage with thalidomide survivors. Mr Ward said he did not want 'in any way to interfere with that process'. But raising the issue of thalidomide in the Dáil this week, he condemned the lack of apology for what had happened to the women. 'These are people who have lived throughout their lives with debilitating issues as a result of the fact that they survived thalidomide while their mothers were pregnant,' he said. 'The glacial pace with which the State is actually addressing this problem is shameful' and 'the treatment of thalidomide survivors by allowing the matter to go on for as long as it has is a very poor reflection on the State'. He said most of the women who took the drug and 'bore that burden throughout their lives', have died. Minister of State for Justice Niall Collins told Mr Ward the Government 'is committed to supporting people affected by thalidomide' as he referred to the 'enhanced package' of health supports and personal social services. Enhanced healthcare, social care and independent living supports are currently available, he said. Mr Collins also pointed to the establishment last year of the national thalidomide advocacy office, set up to liaise with thalidomide survivors and assist them to access health and social service supports. 'The support provided is on a one-to-one basis, tailored to the specific needs of the person and in response to contact received from survivors,' with liaison from relevant HSE and other personnel to ensure the services are provided. He said 'each survivor is also eligible for a medical card on an administrative basis, regardless of means, in addition to aids and appliances, equipment, housing adaptations and access to a full range of primary care, hospital and personal social services'. The Minister also said the German Grünenthal Foundation, established by the drug manufacturer, has 'accepted applications from individuals for compensation for thalidomide-related injury'.
Daily Mail
10-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Taking common antibiotic in early pregnancy increases risk of devastating birth defects, study finds
Taking an antibiotic for a common health problem during pregnancy could increase the risk of a baby having devastating birth defects, a study suggests. American scientists found that taking a specific kind of medication for a urinary tract infection (UTI) significantly increased the odds of baby being born with a congenital problem. These issues ranged from a cleft palate to potentially serious problems with a baby's heart. UTIs—infections which affect the tube where urine exits the body (the urethra), bladder, or kidney—are particularly common in pregnant women. They are considered serious infections for expectant mothers as they can cause devastating consequences for both woman and baby. But now experts have found an antibiotic medics prescribe to clear UTIs could have health complications of its own. Called trimethoprim, researchers found the risk of birth defects in the woman taking the drug in their first trimester was 26.9 per 1,000 infants. This translated to about one out of every 145 more patients having a baby with a congenital anomaly that they would otherwise. Such defects included 'severe' heart malformations as well as cleft lip and palates. In contrast, the risk posed by other antibiotics was lower, with only 19.8 to 23.5 malformations per 1000 infants. The researchers said this figure was in line with the standard chances of a baby having a birth defect, meaning there was no 'elevated risk' from other antibiotics used to treat UTIs. Trimethoprim is prescribed about 130,000 times in England per month. Women in the study—aged between 15 and 49—had either been prescribed a strong, specialised antibiotic such as nitrofurantoin, trimethoprim, or fluoroquinolone or a 'standard' antibiotic, such as penicillin. Dr Caroline Ovadia, an expert obstetrics at the University of Edinburgh, who was not involved in the study said previous research suggested trimethoprim blocked a key nutrient in pregnancy. 'Trimethoprim can block the action of folic acid, which we know is important in early fetal development,' she said. UTIs are among the most common infections in pregnancy, affecting up to 10 per cent of all pregnant women. This is roughly double the prevalence compared to non-pregnant women of the same age. Left untreated, they have been connected to premature births, low birth rate, kidney infections, and even sepsis. While UTIs classically cause symptoms like a burning sensation they can be asymptomatic meaning they are hidden infections causing no obvious problems but still still increasing the risk of complications. This is why pregnant women in Britain offered a urine test, to check for such hidden UTI at their first midwife appointment, which typically happens at around 10 weeks. In the US, the test is performed slightly later, between 12 and 16 weeks.
CBS News
01-07-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Pennsylvania mom raising awareness about CMV after infant daughter develops hearing loss
June is Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Awareness Month, and many parents have never even heard of it. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CMV is the leading infectious cause of birth defects in the United States and can have lifelong consequences. A 2-month-old girl from Landenberg, Chester County, is battling the effects of CMV with help from a team of doctors at Nemours Children's Hospital in Wilmington. Callie Resler, who was born on April 25, has permanent hearing loss in her left ear because of congenital CMV, according to her mother, Lindsay Resler. "Her right ear is mildly damaged and her left ear is currently severely damaged," Lindsay Resler said. "With CMV, it can progress and get worse throughout their whole childhood. We're hopeful that both ears will hang on, but her left ear could fully become profoundly deaf, which would lead to cochlear implants." CMV causes mild symptoms in healthy adults, but can be dangerous when passed from mother to baby in the womb, according to experts. "If it's very early in pregnancy, sometimes the result can be very serious," pediatric infectious disease doctor Jennifer Vodzak, from Nemours Children's Hospital, said. "It can lead to a miscarriage and sometimes can lead to very serious birth defects for an infant." Lindsay Resler found out her daughter had CMV after she failed her hearing tests. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, babies who do not pass their hearing screening test should be tested for CMV within 21 days of birth. Congenital CMV infection is diagnosed with a urine, saliva or blood test. "We had no idea," Lindsay Resler said. "I had a healthy pregnancy." Lindsay Resler believes she caught CMV during pregnancy from her 2-year-old daughter Lily Resler, who goes to daycare. Toddlers can carry the virus without symptoms, and it can spread through saliva or contact with toys. "So that's why it really is crucial if you are pregnant with younger kids, just to be really diligent with not sharing utensils, washing your hands, just all of those things," Lindsay Resler said. Vodzak, one of seven doctors working with the family, started Callie on antiviral medication to slow the virus and protect her body. "There are some researchers, and so hopefully some success ahead in the near future, about a possible vaccine for CMV," Vodzak said. Until then, Lindsay Resler is on a mission. She is pushing for CMV screening during pregnancy and raising awareness among moms everywhere. "It's just important to really jump on everything right away within that first month of birth so that hopefully they can live as normal of a life as possible," Lindsay Resler said.
Daily Mail
19-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Residents of toxic town Love Canal suffered devastating deformities after chemical dumping
The residents of the now deserted toxic town of Love Canal in upstate New York suffered miscarriages, birth defects, and diseases including cancer in a horrific environmental disaster. Love Canal was built as a model town in 1890 on a three-block patch of land on the eastern edge of Niagara Falls, and is named after its founder William T Love. A few years later work began on a canal to link lakes Erie and Ontario, but it was abandoned after only one mile was dug. In the 1940s the canal was bought by the Hooker Chemical Company, which made dyes, perfumes, and solvents for rubber and synthetic resins. Between 1942 to 1953 the company used the canal as a landfill and dumped around 22,000 tons of toxic byproducts there. Love Canal was sold to the Niagara Falls City School District for 1$ in 1953, and developed into a 'charming' rural neighborhood. After leaving the site, the Hooker Chemical Company, which closed in 1968, covered the 16-acre hazardous waste landfill with a 2ft bed of clay, and around 100 homes and a public school were built on top of this. Eckardt Beck, an administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency visited the area in 1979, and reported meeting one woman who had two grandchildren with birth defects. The girl was born 'born deaf with a cleft palate, an extra row of teeth, and slight retardation', while the boy had an eye defect. Beck met two other men whose children had birth defects, and spotted 'puddles of noxious substances' which had 'a faint, choking smell'. He continued: 'Children returned from play with burns on their hands and faces.' People in the surrounding areas of Niagara Falls say toxic waste still impacts the residents. In a Facebook group about the town, a resident named Sally Ann wrote: 'The sad thing is that people believe that it's all 'fixed' and the chemicals don't go past the fence. 'It's still leaking into the ground. There are still active tank trucks that are pulling chemicals out of the ground. 'The part of the 102nd street dump on the river is visible from my dad's dock on Cayuga Island and I can see it from there. Everyone that lives around here is sick. 'My mother died from a rare autoimmune illness and my father has three different kinds of cancer. This is not coincidental. 'It's sad what they did to this area so many years ago. The repercussions will last forever.' In the same Facebook thread, Susan Rufrano Waitzman revealed how her aunt lived in the town and got mouth cancer, which resulted in the palate of her mouth being removed. Heidi Czewicz Barnett described how she had equally haunting memories of the place, writing: 'Lived on the corner of Colvin Boulevard and 97th Street. One of the original built houses. 'The fumes in the basement were so bad my mother used to pass out because of it and would always fall down the stairs to do laundry. 'My sister had boils all the time. My father used to watch contractors dig foundations for new homes and would ask what the green stuff was coming out of the ground. 'They told him to mind his own business. I myself came across some white rock that I thought was chalk and gave me a chemical burn all over my body. It's terrible.' William T Love had planned the community around the canal as an energy supply, but the project was ditched due to economic fluctuations. The EPA report noted that: 'In the 1920s the seeds of a genuine nightmare were planted [and] the canal was turned into a municipal and industrial chemical dumpsite.' It is believed that 82 different compounds were dumped in the site, including 11 suspected carcinogens. But after residents started complaining about chemical leaks and strange substances surfacing in their yards and basements that they said were leading to health problems, an investigation was launched. Tests revealed that there were high levels of toxic chemicals in the soil, air, and water, prompting government action. As a primary organizer of the Love Canal Homeowners Association, Lois Gibbs helped to bring wide public attention to the environmental crisis in Love Canal. Both of her young children started to suffer from health issues, including asthma and seizures, after moving to the town. After much campaigning, on August 7, 1978, the then-New York Governor Hugh Carey announced that the state would purchase the homes of residents affected by the Love Canal chemical contamination. This decision came after a public health emergency was declared due to the hazardous waste site. The state's purchase aimed to facilitate the relocation of families from the most contaminated areas. In his 1979 report, Beck noted that he was 'very pleased' with how the Love Canal relocation initiative was actioned. But he concluded: 'But this is not really where the story ends. Quite the contrary. 'We suspect that there are hundreds of such chemical dumpsites across this nation. 'Unlike Love Canal, few are situated so close to human settlements. But without a doubt, many of these old dumpsites are time bombs with burning fuses - their contents slowly leaching out. And the next victim cold be a water supply, or a sensitive wetland. 'Love Canal can now be added to a growing list of environmental disasters involving toxics, ranging from industrial workers stricken by nervous disorders and cancers to the discovery of toxic materials in the milk of nursing mothers.'
