Birth defects center opens, 1st in Europe

A multi-million pound research centre dedicated to investigating birth defects is to be opened in London Thursday, it was announced. The Newlife Birth Defects Research Centre is Europe's first centre to examine the diagnosis and treatment of birth defects, officials at the centre said. The centre, based at University College London's Institute of Child Health, was funded through donations given to Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity. The 6.5 million pounds centre will be home to three specialist teams who will examine ways to prevent birth defects - which affect 2% of European pregnancies. Professor Andrew Copp, head of the centre, said in a statement: "When a baby is born with a serious birth defect, it can completely change a family's life. "Some children require surgery in the first few weeks of life. Even if the operation is successful, the child usually needs further medical and surgical treatments throughout his or her life. "We are able to prevent only a very small number of birth defects. We remain ignorant of what actually causes common birth defects such as cleft palate, heart defects and spina bifida. "A huge amount of research needs to be done. The Newlife Birth Defects Research Centre will be the first research grouping to focus specifically on understanding how birth defects arise, and finding new ways to treat and prevent them."