E-Mail New Haven, Conn. --Yale researchers have shown that developmental abnormalities, including those that lead to pregnancy loss and autism, are controlled by the genetics of the fetus and placenta -- and not the mother's intrauterine environment. The findings are reported in the April 28 online edition of the journal Placenta. One out of every 33 children is diagnosed with a birth defect each year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This translates into one baby born every 4 ½ minutes -- or 120,000 per year. "Mothers often feel that they are responsible for these defects. But it's not their fault," said senior author Dr. Harvey Kliman, a research scientist in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Services at the Yale School of Medicine. "This new research points to the genetics of these children as being the most important cause."