January Highlights Preventing Birth Defects

Birth defects are serious problems that impact the physical and emotional health of many children and their families, and are the single leading cause of infant mortality. Drawing attention to this is the naming of January as Birth Defects Prevention Month by the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation.

“The factors that cause many birth defects are unknown, but probably include both genetic and environmental agents. My research has found evidence that indicates that a woman’s genes influence the in utero environment in a way that may effect the development of a birth defect,” notes genetic epidemiologist Laura E. Mitchell, Ph.D., associate professor at the Institute of Biosciences and Technology.

“I am involved in a study known as the Spina Bifida Research Resource, which investigates the causes of spina bifida, a common birth defect. Since the study began in 1997, we have enrolled more than 300 families. To date, these have been primarily from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Alfred I. duPont Hospital of Children in Wilmington, Del. Our goal is to enroll 700 families, and we hope that by adding families from Texas this will be possible.”

The study is currently funded by two grants from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Those interested in study enrollment can contact Mitchell at lmitchell@ibt.tamu.edu.

Before joining the Texas A&M University System Health Science Center in the summer of 2002, Mitchell spent six years at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in the departments of biostatistics and epidemiolgy, and pediatrics. At IBT in Houston she is a member of its Center for Environmental and Genetic Medicine, where she researches the causes of common birth defects such as cleft lip and spina bifida, seeking to understand more completely how genes influence the development of these conditions. She also assesses the impact of maternal factors such as nutritional status on the development of birth defects.

“I hope my work can lead to improved genetic counseling and also aid in devising preventive strategies to avoid birth defects,” Mitchell said.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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