New tools estimate fetal growth percentiles and velocity, and they account for racial and ethnic variations.
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.
Release: Iodine exposure in the NICU may lead to decrease in thyroid function, NIH study suggests
Exposure to iodine used for medical procedures in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) may increase an infant’s risk for congenital hypothyroidism (loss of thyroid function), suggests a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other institutions.
Item of Interest: Shyamal Peddada named Chief of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Branch in NICHD’s Division of Intramural Population Health Research
Shyamal D. Peddada, Ph.D., has been named the new chief of the Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Branch of the Division of Intramural Population Health Research at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Dr. Peddada joins NICHD from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, where he served as Chair of the Department of Biostatistics.
Science Update: Screen time before bed linked to less sleep in children with impulse control problems, according to NIH-funded study
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.
Director's Corner: COVID-19 Testing Technologies
As the nation begins to return to work and businesses re-open, reliable COVID-19 testing is needed. NIH is rising to the challenge.
Media Advisory: Genetic analysis suggests distinct subtypes of polycystic ovary syndrome
Polycystic ovary syndrome, an infertility disorder affecting at least 15% of reproductive-age women, may have at least two different subtypes, suggests a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The findings could provide important information on the possible causes of PCOS and for developing more effective ways to treat the condition.
Science Update: Mouse study links embryo culture after IVF with reduced placental, fetal growth
A mouse study funded by the National Institutes of Health suggests that a step in the in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure could account for the higher rate of complications in pregnancies resulting from this form of assisted reproductive technology (ART). The researchers linked the culture of embryos in laboratory dishes after fertilization with impaired growth of the placenta, smaller fetal size, and a higher risk of preeclampsia, a serious pregnancy-related blood pressure disorder.
Release: NIH-funded study links endometriosis to DNA changes
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.
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.
Director's Corner: Responding to COVID-19
Crisis often brings out the best in us. Recognizing one of NICHD’s essential workers on the front lines of the response to COVID-19 in New Mexico’s Navajo Nation.
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.