News & Updates

Children with birth defects have a higher risk of cancer than children without birth defects. Now, researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have found that children conceived through in vitro fertilization—who have a higher risk of birth defects than children conceived naturally—also have a commensurately higher risk of cancer than naturally conceived children with birth defects.

The plant compound apigenin improved the cognitive and memory deficits usually seen in a mouse model of Down syndrome, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other institutions. Apigenin is found in chamomile flowers, parsley, celery, peppermint and citrus fruits. The findings raise the possibility that a treatment to lessen the cognitive deficits seen in Down syndrome could one day be offered to pregnant women whose fetuses have been diagnosed with Down syndrome through prenatal testing.

Traces of genetic material from the placenta and other organs circulating in a pregnant woman’s blood stream could potentially be used to predict the risk for complications in later pregnancy, according to a new NICHD-supported study.

Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have used a rapid DNA sequencing technique to identify gene variants in roughly a third of cases of nonimmune Hydrops fetalis (NIHF), a serious condition in which a fetus develops fluid buildup inside the abdominal cavity, lungs, or other parts of the body. The findings suggest that the DNA sequencing technique, known as exome sequencing, could be used to provide information unavailable with current genetic testing methods.

NICHD has awarded nearly $2.5 million in grants to support research aimed at improving the understanding and prevention of firearm violence and mortality.

Pediatric hospitalization rates increase when unemployment levels rise, suggests a National Institutes of Health-funded analysis of data from 14 states spanning 12 years. The study authors concluded that more research is needed to understand how to potentially offset the declining health conditions brought on during economic downturns.

The pandemic reinforces why the NIH INCLUDE (INvestigation of Co-occurring conditions across the Lifespan to Understand Down syndromE) Project matters to families and communities.

NIH announces funding for three centers for collaborative research on Fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited form of intellectual and developmental disability, and related conditions.

NIH has launched a new initiative that will combat the growing problem of maternal mortality and morbidity in the United States.

Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) does not appear to lower the risk of infection for obese women after cesarean delivery, suggests a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The treatment involves placing a low-pressure pump over a closed surgical wound to create negative air pressure. Earlier studies had suggested that NPWT might reduce infection risk and promote healing after surgery. The study of more than 1,600 obese women found no significant difference in infection between women treated with NPWT and those receiving standard wound dressing.

Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have found that of 246 stillbirths, about 6% likely resulted in mutations to single genes. Of these, 9 cases resulted from gene variants implicated in stillbirth and 6 resulted from variants that had been suspected in stillbirths. The researchers concluded that the genome mapping method, called whole exome sequencing, could potentially provide information for counseling families of stillborn infants and to inform medical care of future pregnancies.

The study of approximately 16,000 pregnant women will continue 12 months after childbirth and compare maternal, fetal and newborn outcomes of participants infected with the virus to those of pregnant women who have not.

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a disproportionate toll on people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs), write the directors of the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Centers (IDDRC) Network, a nationwide group funded by NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. A large number of people with IDD who require in-person care have lost the support of trained caregivers and community service providers due to the pandemic.

Theresa Hayes Cruz, Ph.D., has been selected as director of the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR).

The National Institutes of Health has announced research funding to encourage the development of approaches that identify children at high risk for developing Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), thought to be a severe complication of COVID-19. Up to $20 million will be awarded to successful research proposals over four years.

Scoring system developed by NIH-funded researchers standardizes patient data to aid research, surveillance and improvement initiatives.

NICHD has supported gynecologic and reproductive health research for decades. Learn more about its leading role in menstruation research.

The placental membranes that contain the fetus and amniotic fluid lack the messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule required to manufacture the ACE2 receptor, the main cell surface receptor used by the SARS-CoV-2 virus to cause infection, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health.

In a study of mice, NIH-funded researchers have developed a prototype technique for shrinking uterine fibroids—sometimes painful, noncancerous tumors that form in the uterus. The method involves encasing a tumor-killing drug in nano-sized spheres called liposomes and delivering them directly to the fibroids through the bloodstream. The findings set the stage for studies to determine if the method is safe and effective for treating fibroids in people.

Screen time before bed may affect kids differently, depending on whether they have a particular personality trait, suggests a study funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Nighttime electronic media use was linked to less sleep in children who scored lower on a measure of effortful control—the ability to override inappropriate impulses, focus attention, and complete difficult tasks. In contrast, bedtime screen use was not associated with sleep reduction in children who scored high in effortful control.