The NICHD’s research focus on pregnancy and complications of pregnancy and delivery is grounded in the mission of the Institute. Pregnancy research conducted and sponsored by the NICHD aims to: improve the short-term health of mothers and their fetuses, with a focus on preconception and prenatal care, as well as the long-term health of mothers and infants, by understanding how the uterine environment influences later health; understand and mitigate problems that can occur during pregnancy, such as gestational diabetes, preterm labor, and preeclampsia; and to define the mechanisms of normal pregnancy as well as those that lead to miscarriage and stillbirth.