Grants to study birth defects

Press, 31 May 1978, Page 6

Grants to study birth defects

! Foundation Forty-One has announced grants totalling $39,000 towards research aimed at identifying abnormality at birth. The grants are the first to I be made by the Christie h u r c h-based foundation, which was set up in 1977 to support such research. The foundation says that one child in 10 in New Zealand is believed to be born with an abnormality. _ : Six research projects wiil be supported by the grants. The recipients are:— Professor G. C. Liggins, of the University of Auckland, who has been awarded ! $12,034 for a two-year study I of pre-natal factors in- ! fluencing the ability of i babies to breathe normally at birth; Dr G. B. Duff, a senior lecturer at the Christchurch Clinical School, wno has been awarded $BOOO for two! (years to assist with an injvestigation of the Use of

ultra-high-frequency sound in the detection of foetal problems during pregnancy;

Professor M. D. H. Holdaway, of the University of Otago, who has been awarded $lO,OOO for one year’s study of the role of maternal virus infections in causing harmful infections of babies before and after birth; Dr P. A. Silva, a research psychologist at the University of Otago, who has been awarded $5OOO. to assist with one year’s study aimed at defining pre-natal birth factors associated with later development disorders; and Messrs M. B. Starling, a research fellow, and J. M, Neutze, a cardiologist, both at Green Lane Hospital, Auckland, who have been awarded $4OOO to assist with an investigation of the control of pulmonary hypertension in neonates with prostaglandins.