Birth Defects Research最新文献

{"title":"Enumeration of Microscopic Ovarian Structures in Rodents: Best Practices and Toxicological Significance","authors":"P. S. Coder,&nbsp;J. D. Vidal,&nbsp;C. A. Picut,&nbsp;B. K. Dray,&nbsp;J. Baily,&nbsp;E. de Rijk,&nbsp;B. Zimmerman","doi":"10.1002/bdr2.70100","DOIUrl":"10.1002/bdr2.70100","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Reproductive toxicity studies for industrial and agricultural chemicals require enumeration of ovarian follicles (OF). In recent years, the enumeration of corpora lutea (CL) in histological sections has also been requested. Both endpoints are now considered routine quantitative measures to assess female reproductive toxicity of (agro)chemicals and have also been used to support pharmaceutical drug development, when warranted. Procedural guidance for both endpoints from FDA, EPA, OECD, and other regional health authorities is generally limited. While most laboratories follow the generically stated procedures for including a statistically appropriate number of animals and ovarian section selection, methodologies vary significantly across the industry making cross-study data comparisons extremely challenging. In March 2023, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) published its report on its EOGRTS Review Project and noted the lack of information on laboratory proficiency and high variability as the main deficiencies in OF and CL count data which resulted in industry-wide discussions regarding the lack of published guidance and the need for updates to regulatory guidelines. In June 2025, OECD TG 443 was updated to include additional information regarding qualitative ovarian evaluation; however, no new information regarding laboratory proficiency or reduction of variability was included.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We discuss the biological relevance of these endpoints, the need for consistency across the industry, and technical and scientific considerations for quantitative ovarian assessments and present historical control data for these endpoints.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Recommendations and Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Based on the authors' collective experience and successful regulatory history, we put forth best practice recommendations for data collection and analysis with the goal to provide a frame of reference for industry laboratories.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":9121,"journal":{"name":"Birth Defects Research","volume":"118 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148711380","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Inpatient Hospitalization Charges for Children With Birth Defects in Texas, 2021–2023","authors":"Dayana Betancourt,&nbsp;Charles Shumate,&nbsp;Henal Gandhi,&nbsp;Rachel Allred,&nbsp;Caitlyn Yantz,&nbsp;Jason Salemi,&nbsp;A. J. Agopian","doi":"10.1002/bdr2.70098","DOIUrl":"10.1002/bdr2.70098","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 <section>\u0000 <h3> Introduction</h3>\u0000 <p>Children with birth defects often require complex medical care, contributing to increased healthcare costs. Understanding the economic burden of birth defects is important for resource planning, but recent Texas-specific data are lacking.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 <section>\u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 <p>A retrospective data analysis was conducted using the Texas Hospital Inpatient Discharge Public Use Data File (PUDF) for all pediatric discharges (ages 0–17 years) documented between 2021 and 2023. We identified hospitalizations with birth defects based on the presence of an ICD-10 code (Q00-Q99) in any of the 26 diagnosis code fields. Median inflation-adjusted hospitalization charges were calculated for hospitalizations with and without birth defects and were then stratified by characteristics of interest. Median charges were compared using the Wilcoxon-rank sum test. Among hospitalizations of children with a birth defect in the principal diagnosis code field, charges were examined by birth defect phenotype. A sub-analysis assessed charges for hospitalizations that occurred primarily in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 <section>\u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 <p>In Texas, 12.5% of all pediatric hospitalizations were for children with a birth defect. Aggregate total charges for these hospitalizations exceeded $26 billion and comprised 34.9% of all pediatric hospitalization charges. Hospitalizations for children with a birth defect had significantly higher median charges ($12,876 vs. $7,813) compared to hospitalizations for children without birth defects (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). Higher charges were observed for hospitalizations among several subgroups (e.g., ICU hospitalizations).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 <section>\u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 <p>Inpatient hospitalization charges for children with birth defects had a disproportionately high impact on hospitalization charges in Texas.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":9121,"journal":{"name":"Birth Defects Research","volume":"118 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148683420","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"In Memoriam: Dr. Godfrey P. Oakley Jr.—Folic Acid Ambassador","authors":"Vijaya Kancherla","doi":"10.1002/bdr2.70099","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bdr2.70099","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":9121,"journal":{"name":"Birth Defects Research","volume":"118 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148752553","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Maternal and Early Developmental Effects of Perinatal Exposure to Therapeutically Relevant Doses of Common Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in Rats","authors":"Sara Tawany Caetano dos Santos,&nbsp;Reggina Lorena Mellado Castro,&nbsp;Luara Magalhães,&nbsp;Giovanna Ferrari Rosalem,&nbsp;Julia Vitoria Francisco de Aquino,&nbsp;Otávio Galassi Vitale,&nbsp;Livia Trippe Nagaoka,&nbsp;Julia Stein,&nbsp;Beatriz de Matos Manoel,&nbsp;Bárbara Campos Jorge,&nbsp;Arielle Cristina Arena","doi":"10.1002/bdr2.70104","DOIUrl":"10.1002/bdr2.70104","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used during pregnancy, yet information on their developmental safety during sensitive perinatal windows remains limited. This study evaluated the maternal and early developmental effects of paracetamol/acetaminophen, aspirin, and nimesulide administered at therapeutically relevant doses during late gestation and lactation.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Pregnant Wistar rats were treated daily by oral gavage with paracetamol/acetaminophen (APAP; 126 mg/kg/day), aspirin (ASA; 5.6 mg/kg/day), or nimesulide (NIM; 11 mg/kg/day) from gestational day 15 to postnatal day 22. Maternal clinical parameters, body weight, food and water intake, organ weights, hematological and biochemical markers, and maternal behavior were evaluated. In F1 offspring, early developmental indicators, anogenital distance, sexual maturation endpoints, reproductive organ weights, and hematological parameters were assessed.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Exposure to the evaluated NSAIDs produced little evidence of overt maternal toxicity. Maternal body weight, food and water intake, gestational length, and most organ weights remained unchanged. Mild hematological and biochemical alterations were observed, particularly in NIM-treated dams. Maternal behavior was largely preserved, although APAP-treated dams showed reduced latency to initiate pup grooming. In offspring, anogenital distance and female reproductive maturation were unaffected. Male offspring exposed to APAP showed earlier testicular descent, whereas ASA exposure was associated with increased seminal vesicle weight. These findings were isolated and were not associated with a consistent pattern of reproductive alterations.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Perinatal exposure to therapeutically relevant doses of paracetamol/acetaminophen, aspirin, and nimesulide produced little evidence of overt maternal or developmental toxicity during the evaluated period. Although a limited number of drug-specific findings were identified, they were isolated and did not indicate a consistent pattern of reproductive toxicity. These results contribute to the preclinical safety assessment of NSAID exposure during pregnancy and lactation and support further studies to determine the functional relevance of these early observations.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":9121,"journal":{"name":"Birth Defects Research","volume":"118 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13429490/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148663365","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preconception and Early Pregnancy Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution and Risk of Cleft Lip and/or Palate: A Case–Control Study Using Single-Pollutant, Multi-Pollutant, and Mixture-Based Analyses","authors":"Fatih Sezer,&nbsp;Sıddika Songül Yalçın,&nbsp;Murat Kara,&nbsp;Fatma Figen Özgür","doi":"10.1002/bdr2.70102","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bdr2.70102","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Cleft lip and/or palate (CLP) is among the most common congenital anomalies worldwide. Ambient air pollution has emerged as an important environmental exposure potentially contributing to its multifactorial etiology. This study investigated associations between ambient air pollutant exposures during the preconception period and first trimester of pregnancy and the risk of CLP.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This hospital-based case–control study included 127 infants with CLP and 271 controls. Baseline participant characteristics were collected through structured interviews. Ambient air pollutant data (PM_2.5, PM₁₀, O₃, NO₂, NO_x, NO, SO₂, and CO) were obtained for the 3 months before conception and the first trimester of pregnancy. Associations between pollutant exposures and CLP risk were evaluated using adjusted single-pollutant, multi-pollutant, and weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression models.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Higher exposures to ozone (O₃), PM_2.5, and PM₁₀ were associated with an increased CLP risk. O₃ demonstrated the strongest and most consistent associations across exposure windows and analytical approaches, remaining the dominant contributor in WQS mixture analyses. In contrast, associations involving traffic-related pollutants were less consistent and were not retained across modeling approaches. Ambient air pollution, particularly ozone and particulate matter, was consistently associated with an increased risk of nonsyndromic CLP during the preconception period and early pregnancy.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>These findings support the potential importance of air quality within the multifactorial etiology of CLP and highlight the need for further studies using refined exposure assessment, larger populations, and phenotype-specific analyses to clarify causal pathways and inform prevention strategies.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":9121,"journal":{"name":"Birth Defects Research","volume":"118 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148617384","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Intentional Dexketoprofen Overdose During Pregnancy: Maternal and Fetal Outcomes in Three Cases","authors":"Nusret Uysal,&nbsp;Mesut Gungor,&nbsp;Baris Karadas,&nbsp;Ismail Yilmaz,&nbsp;Yusuf Cem Kaplan","doi":"10.1002/bdr2.70101","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bdr2.70101","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Dexketoprofen trometamol is a widely used short-acting nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Despite its widespread clinical use, pregnancy-specific safety data for dexketoprofen as an individual agent are lacking, and no previous report has described maternal or fetal outcomes following overdose in pregnant women.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Cases</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We present three cases of intentional dexketoprofen overdose during pregnancy. Case 1 involved a 33-year-old woman at 8 weeks of gestation who ingested dexketoprofen with ibuprofen, pseudoephedrine, and cefuroxime; she delivered a healthy male infant at 37 weeks with no congenital anomalies on follow-up. Case 2 involved a 36-year-old woman at 17 weeks who ingested dexketoprofen with ergotamine tartrate, mecloxamine, caffeine, and paracetamol; she experienced a spontaneous abortion at 20 weeks, complicated by cyst rupture requiring hysterectomy. Case 3 involved a 29-year-old woman at 6 weeks who ingested dexketoprofen, paracetamol, and chlorpheniramine, and underwent elective termination at 10 weeks.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The three cases demonstrated heterogeneous pregnancy outcomes. No congenital anomalies were identified in the single evaluable live-born infant. Multiple co-ingested agents substantially complicate causal attribution, most notably ergotamine tartrate in Case 2. The limited case number and outcome heterogeneity preclude identification of a consistent pattern of fetal adverse effects or definitive conclusions regarding fetal risk. All overdoses were intentional, underscoring the importance of integrating psychiatric assessment into toxicological management during pregnancy. These cases represent the first available observational data on maternal and fetal outcomes following intentional dexketoprofen overdose in pregnancy, highlighting the need for a multidisciplinary approach in this clinical setting.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":9121,"journal":{"name":"Birth Defects Research","volume":"118 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148616890","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fetal Superior Mesenteric Artery Peak Systolic Velocity as a Marker of Prenatal Bowel Inflammation in Gastroschisis: A Case–Control Study","authors":"Renata Jaczyńska,&nbsp;Boyana Mikulska,&nbsp;Magda Rybak-Krzyszkowska,&nbsp;Dariusz Mydlak,&nbsp;Ewa Sawicka,&nbsp;Anna Nimer,&nbsp;Tomasz Maciejewski","doi":"10.1002/bdr2.70097","DOIUrl":"10.1002/bdr2.70097","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study aimed to evaluate whether peak systolic velocity (PSV) in the fetal extra-abdominal superior mesenteric artery (SMA) is a useful prenatal marker of bowel inflammation in gastroschisis (GS), which manifests postnatally as bowel matting.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This case–control study included 30 fetuses with gastroschisis who underwent standardized bowel assessment and Doppler measurement of the extra-abdominal SMA-PSV. Postnatal bowel status was classified as normal or inflamed. The primary analysis examined the association between fetal SMA-PSV and bowel inflammation, using linear models and generalized estimating equations for repeated measurements.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Among 30 fetuses, bowel matting was identified postnatally in 10 cases (33.3%). These neonates had significantly lower birthweight percentiles (5.5 vs. 50.5; <i>p</i> = 0.002) and more frequent ultrasound inflammatory signs such as bowel wall oedema (80% vs. 15%; <i>p</i> = 0.002), bowel wall stiffness (50% vs. 5%; <i>p</i> = 0.004), and corrugation wall (60% vs. 5%; <i>p</i> = 0.004). PSV was strongly correlated with bowel wall thickness (<i>r</i> = 0.81) and significantly higher in fetuses with postnatally diagnosed bowel matting (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). GEE models showed that higher prenatal PSV independently predicted the later occurrence of bowel matting. Incorporating the time × bowel matting interaction significantly improved model fit (adjusted <i>R</i>² = 0.460).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Fetal SMA-PSV is significantly associated with prenatal/ultrasound and postnatal signs of bowel inflammation in gastroschisis, such as bowel wall thickening and bowel matting. This association appears independent of the simple/complex GS surgical classification, suggesting PSV as a functional marker of intestinal compromise. Although technically demanding, SMA-PSV assessment may aid prenatal evaluation and perinatal planning, particularly in detecting evolving intestinal inflammatory cases.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":9121,"journal":{"name":"Birth Defects Research","volume":"118 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148599163","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Maternal Stressors and Social Support in Early Pregnancy and the Risk of Stillbirth Among Fetuses With Birth Defects: Exploring Effect Modification by Race/Ethnicity","authors":"Meredith M. Howley,&nbsp;Jada M. Scott,&nbsp;Eva M. Williford,&nbsp;Uma M. Reddy,&nbsp;Eleni A. Papadopoulos,&nbsp;Suzan L. Carmichael,&nbsp;Chris M. Cunniff,&nbsp;A. J. Agopian,&nbsp;Nahed Elhassan,&nbsp;Wendy N. Nembhard,&nbsp;Sarah C. Fisher,&nbsp;for the National Birth Defects Prevention Study and Birth Defects Study to Evaluate Pregnancy exposureS","doi":"10.1002/bdr2.70096","DOIUrl":"10.1002/bdr2.70096","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Prenatal stress and social support are associated with adverse birth outcomes, including stillbirth, in the general population. Their relationship to stillbirth among fetuses with birth defects is unclear. Using data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study and the Birth Defects Study To Evaluate Pregnancy exposureS, we examined associations between maternal stress and social support and the risk of stillbirth among fetuses with birth defects and whether these associations differed by maternal race/ethnicity.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Participants self-reported exposure to stressors and social supports experienced 3 months before conception through the first trimester. Using log-binomial models, we estimated relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of stillbirth associated with high stress and low social support, adjusting for maternal age and race/ethnicity. We assessed additive and multiplicative effect measure modification by maternal race/ethnicity.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Neither stress nor social support was associated with stillbirth among fetuses with birth defects. Although we did not observe interaction, we observed increased risk of stillbirth among non-Hispanic Black women with low stress (RR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.3–3.6), Hispanic women with low stress (1.4, 1.0–2.1), and non-Hispanic Black women with high stress (2.8, 1.4–5.2) compared to non-Hispanic White women with low stress. We observed a similar pattern of results for low social support.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Stress and social support were not associated with stillbirth in fetuses with birth defects. We observed elevated risk of stillbirth among non-Hispanic Black women regardless of stress and social support levels.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":9121,"journal":{"name":"Birth Defects Research","volume":"118 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13401088/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148583445","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of Nimodipine on Neural Tube Development in Early Chick Embryos","authors":"İhsan Canbek,&nbsp;Emre Atay,&nbsp;Fatma Fırat,&nbsp;Gülan Albaş Kurt,&nbsp;Alperen Sarıtaş,&nbsp;Evrim Suna Arıkan Söylemez,&nbsp;Hakan Ak,&nbsp;Serhat Yıldızhan,&nbsp;Tolga Ertekin","doi":"10.1002/bdr2.70094","DOIUrl":"10.1002/bdr2.70094","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Although nimodipine is the only calcium channel blocker routinely used for the treatment of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, its precise mechanism of action remains unknown. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of nimodipine on many cells in the body due to its effect on calcium channels and neural tube development, especially in pregnancy.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A total of 100 fertile and 0-day-old specific pathogen-free (SPF) eggs of White Leghorn weighing 65 ± 5 g were used. SPF eggs were randomly divided into four groups: a control group and three different dose groups. SPF eggs were incubated for 28 h under appropriate temperature and humidity conditions. At the end of 28 h, nimodipine was subblastodermicly administered using a Hamilton microinjector at three different doses. At 48 h, all eggs were hatched, and the embryos were removed from the embryonic membranes. Then, morphological, histopathological, cell proliferation (PCNA), and genetic analyses were performed.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The results of the morphological analysis revealed that when the frequency of neural tube patency was evaluated among the experimental groups, a statistically significant difference was determined between the control group and all groups (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). Furthermore, the mean crown-rump length and somite number of the embryos were dose-dependently lower than the control group (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). Nimodipine exposure dose-dependently decreased the PCNA and increased the caspase-3, with this change being significant between the experimental groups.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In conclusion, nimodipine exposure delayed neural tube closure in chicken embryos by suppressing proliferation and apoptosis induction. Nimodipine exposure delayed neurogenesis and development in early chick embryos.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":9121,"journal":{"name":"Birth Defects Research","volume":"118 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148583542","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Congenital Cytomegalovirus Among Newborns in Neonatal Intensive Care Units, United States, 2010–2020","authors":"Kelley Raines,&nbsp;Ashrita Rau,&nbsp;Reese Clark,&nbsp;Kate R. Woodworth,&nbsp;Van T. Tong,&nbsp;David Sugerman,&nbsp;Tatiana M. Lanzieri","doi":"10.1002/bdr2.70092","DOIUrl":"10.1002/bdr2.70092","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Introduction</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Little is known about routine testing practices and diagnosis of congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infection in newborns admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) across the United States. We assessed demographics and clinical signs associated with cCMV testing and diagnosis in newborns admitted to US NICUs.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We analyzed Pediatrix Clinical Data Warehouse data, comprising 840,988 newborns admitted to 389 NICUs in 35 states during 2010–2020. We defined cCMV testing as culture or PCR performed on urine, saliva, blood, or cerebrospinal fluid collected within 21 days of life, and a positive result (except in saliva) as cCMV infection diagnosis. Logistic regression models examined associations between clinical signs and cCMV testing and diagnosis separately, adjusting for region, birth year, and prematurity.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Among 10,033 (1.2%) newborns tested (67.7% by culture; 79.8% using urine), 559 (5.6%) were diagnosed with cCMV infection. During 2010–2020, among those tested, the proportion with ≤ 1 clinical sign increased from 12.9% to 32.0%. Hepatosplenomegaly, petechiae, microcephaly, hepatitis, thrombocytopenia, chorioretinitis, and intracranial calcifications were associated with increased odds of both cCMV testing and diagnosis, with varying specificity.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Despite low CMV testing rates in the NICU, a shift toward testing newborns with fewer clinical signs occurred over time.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":9121,"journal":{"name":"Birth Defects Research","volume":"118 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148560894","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}