Birth defects and early childhood cancers have soared in Fallujah, site of two major battles after the invasion of Iraq, doctors say.

She traveled to Iraq's Fallujah General Hospital in 2010 to research the birth defects and co-authored studies in 2010 and 2012.

Since the 2003 invasion, doctors in Fallujah have been reporting a sharp rise in birth defects among the city’s children—and to this day, no one knows why. Illustration by Molly Crabapple ...

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Iraqi doctors in Fallujah have complained since 2005 of being overwhelmed by the number of babies with serious birth defects, ranging from a girl born with two heads to paralysis of the lower limbs.

The cause of her birth defects were likely environmental and linked with burn pits, but the cause of her death was the destroyed hospital infrastructure.

Genetic causes of birth defects fall into three general categories: chromosomal abnormalities, single-gene defects, and multifactorial influences.

If CMV can infect a fetus and cause birth defects, then why aren't pregnant people tested and treated for this virus too? Prenatal CMV screening is not standard of care due to several limitations ...

And the incidence of birth defects in Iraq may be linked to burn pits and other detritus of war. FADEL: So you've been documenting intergenerational impacts on people in Iraq. What are you finding?

The birth defects were more likely, but still very uncommon, in infants conceived through certain fertility treatments, a large study found.

VATER syndrome is when certain birth defects commonly happen together. Learn more about what causes it, symptoms of Vater syndrome, and more.

There are birth defects that can't be detected during pregnancy. They include things like some forms of blindness or hearing loss, hypospadias, and others.