Carter Centers for Brain Research in Holoprosencephaly and Related Malformations

The Carter Centers for Brain Research in Holoprosencephaly (CCBRH) represent the most concentrated study of holoprosencephaly in the world. The centers were created to gather, store, organize, analyze and share information about HPE, but most importantly, to help families find hope. Holoprosencephaly (HPE) is a neurological birth defect in which the fetal brain does not grow and divide, as it should during early pregnancy. The effects of this brain malformation can range from mild to severe. Specific chromosomal abnormalities and gene mutations have been identified in some patients and there is evidence that in some families, HPE is inherited.