DNA from uterine cells of women with endometriosis has different chemical modifications, compared to the DNA of women who do not have the condition, according to researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health. The changes involve DNA methylation—the binding of compounds known as methyl groups to DNA—which can alter gene activity.
News
NICHD issues News Releases and Media Advisories to the news media. Spotlight and Research Feature articles explain NICHD research findings and public health issues to the general public. An Item of Interest is a short announcement of relevant information, such as a notable staff change.
Science Update: Pregnancy, birth complications higher among deaf and hard of hearing women, suggests NIH-funded study
Compared to other women, deaf and hard of hearing women have a higher risk for pregnancy and birth complications such as gestational diabetes and blood pressure disorders, according to a study funded by NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Moreover, infants of deaf and hard of hearing women were more likely to be born preterm, have low birth weight, and receive a low Apgar score—a screening test used to determine the baby’s need for additional medical services.
Release: NIH-funded study to evaluate drugs prescribed to children with COVID-19
Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have launched an effort to evaluate drugs prescribed to treat COVID-19 in infants, children and adolescents across the country.
Science Update: Delayed iron supplementation may improve long-term health of children with severe malarial anemia, NIH-funded study suggests
Waiting 28 days to give iron supplements to malaria-infected children with a severe low red blood cell count (anemia) may improve their iron levels a year later, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Item of Interest: Biospecimens from National Children’s Study pilot now available
Environmental, biological samples span the period from preconception to early childhood.
Release: NIH to test one-dose antibiotic for the prevention of maternal and infant sepsis
Researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will assess whether a single oral dose of the antibiotic azithromycin during labor reduces the risk of maternal and infant bacterial infection and death in seven low- and middle-income countries.
Science Update: Adolescents who take positive risks tend to be less impulsive, more connected to school, suggests NIH-funded study
Teens who take positive risks, such as enrolling in a challenging course or initiating a new friendship, tend to be more involved in school and less likely to act impulsively, compared to those who take negative risks like drinking alcohol or stealing, according to a study funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), part of the National Institutes of Health.
Media Advisory: NIH-funded study to investigate pregnancy outcomes resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic
Researchers to evaluate medical records of 21,000 pregnant women
Release: Autism risk estimated at 3 to 5% for children whose parents have a sibling with autism
Roughly 3 to 5% of children with an aunt or uncle with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can also be expected to have ASD, compared to about 1.5% of children in the general population, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The findings call into question the female protective effect, a theory that females have a lower rate of ASD than males because they have greater tolerance of ASD risk factors.
Science Update: Instruction method for parents improves language function in youth with Fragile X syndrome
An NIH-funded study found that youth with Fragile X syndrome experienced verbal improvements from a parent-based language intervention, but a drug treatment paired with the intervention did not provide additional benefit.
Media Availability: NIH maternal mortality workshop to address conditions that increase the risk of life-threatening pregnancy complications
Program will include lessons learned from caring for pregnant women with COVID-19.
Release: NIH-funded study links early sleep problems to autism diagnosis among at-risk children
A small study funded by the National Institutes of Health suggests that sleep problems among children who have a sibling with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may further raise the likelihood of an ASD diagnosis, compared to at-risk children who do not have difficulty sleeping.
Release: MRI technique could reduce need for radiation in measuring tumor response to chemotherapy
Whole body diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW MRI) may aid in the assessment of cancer treatment response in children and youth at much lower levels of radiation than current approaches, suggests a small study funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Science Update: Later school start times may reduce sleep deficits for high school students, suggests NIH-funded study
High school students who began classes roughly an hour later than students at neighboring schools slept an average of 43 minutes more per night, according to a study funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), part of the National Institutes of Health. The study authors wrote that the later morning start times accommodated the teens’ natural sleep period, which begins about two hours later than that of younger children.
Director’s Corner: Endometriosis Research to Develop Non-Invasive Treatment and Diagnosis
Research on the causes of and effective treatments for endometriosis is a high priority for NICHD. Our grantees share their findings and ongoing research.
Science Update: Mouse study links exercise during pregnancy to lower risk of obesity in offspring
Exercise during pregnancy stimulates fetal production of brown fat, which boosts metabolism and burns calories, even after birth, suggests a mouse study funded by the National Institutes of Health. When fed a high-fat diet, mice born to mothers who exercised had less weight gain than mice whose mothers did not exercise.
Science Update: Youth with chronic pain more likely to have lower educational, career achievement, suggests NICHD-funded study
Adolescents with chronic pain—persistent or recurrent pain for an extended period of time—may be less likely than adolescents without chronic pain to attain a high school or college degree and have a job with employer-provided benefits, according to a study funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
Release: NIH-funded research leads to pediatric labeling updates for doxycycline, clindamycin and caffeine citrate
Drug labels for doxycycline, clindamycin and caffeine citrate now include better information for healthcare providers on recommended usage and dosage in pediatric populations.
Item of Interest: James A. Griffin, Ph.D., named new Chief of NICHD’s Child Development and Behavior Branch
James A. Griffin, Ph.D., named new Chief of NICHD’s Child Development and Behavior Branch
Media Advisory: Gene mutation enhances cognitive flexibility in mice, NIH study suggests
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have discovered in mice what they believe is the first known genetic mutation to improve cognitive flexibility—the ability to adapt to changing situations.