France has launched a new investigation into a concerning number of babies born with missing or malformed limbs.

France has launched a new investigation into a concerning number of babies born with missing or malformed limbs, reports the BBC. The dozens of previously reported cases occurred in three clusters, affecting the eastern region of Ain, and the northwestern area including Brittany and Loire-Atlantique.  The original inquiry into the issue was recently closed due to a failure to find case-related commonalities, notes the Telegraph.
According to the BBC, "Officials concluded that in all three regions, further investigations were not possible without a hypothesis to pursue." 
Eleven newly-found cases combined with a public outcry prompted the nation's health officials to start another search for answers.  The Telegraph reports that Agnès Buzyn, the health minister, expects to announce initial conclusions in January and conclude the investigation by June.  At this time, many suspect the issue is linked to agriculture and perhaps the use of certain pesticides.