Scientists find gene linked to male birth defect

King's College London, in collaboration with Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre in The Netherlands, has discovered a new gene associated with hypospadias, the congenital malformation of the male genitalia. The research was published yesterday . It was previously known that genetics play a part in developing the condition, with five per cent of patients having an affected male relative, but the genes involved were unknown. This study shows for the first time that a gene inherited from the mother is likely to be important in development of the condition. Hypospadias is a common congenital condition which affects around one in 375 boys. In these infants the urethral opening is not located at the tip of the penis, but somewhere halfway, at the base of the penis, or in the scrotum. Children with the condition typically undergo surgery between six and 18 months of age, but the malformation may have medical, psychological and sexual consequences later in life.