Compared to younger mothers, mothers over 35 are at higher risk of death and serious illness if they conceive 6 months or less after the birth of a previous child, according to a study funded in part by the National Institutes of Health. For mothers of all ages, such short intervals between pregnancies were associated with higher risk for preterm birth and for having infants small for their gestation age.
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: Short interval between pregnancies may increase health risks for mothers and infants
Release: NIH to fund national data collection on new mothers with disabilities
Collaboration with CDC aimed at evaluating pregnancy initiatives and outcomes
Release: Astrocytes regulate signal speeds of neurons
NIH findings in rodents suggest that astrocytes play an important role in how the brain processes information.
Podcast: Rethinking Disability: The Egans and Down Syndrome
Dr. Kathleen Egan and her son David Egan, pioneers of inclusion for people with Down syndrome, share their experiences. Listen.
Science Update: Nearly a third of children with concussion experience symptoms for a year, NICHD-funded study finds
Nearly a third of children experiencing a concussion had symptoms, including headache, irritability, and fatigue, up to a year after their injury, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Science Update: Researchers identify two cell types that produce melatonin in pineal gland
The brain’s pineal gland has two kinds of pinealocytes—cells that make melatonin—the hormone that regulates the body’s sleep and wake cycles, according to a rodent study conducted by researchers at the National Institutes of Health. The findings have the potential to inform future research on disorders that involve melatonin, such as jet lag and seasonal affective disorder.
Release: Myo-inositol unlikely to reduce risk of eye complication in preterm infants
Contrary to results from earlier studies, the vitamin-like substance myo-inositol does not appear to prevent a potentially blinding complication of preterm birth and may even reduce rates of survival among preterm infants, suggests a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Spotlight: Highlighting Research on Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
NICHD’s mission includes understanding child development and behavior. Check out these scientific advances related to Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.
Release: Delayed pushing appears to have no effect on chances for spontaneous vaginal delivery
Delaying pushing during the second stage of labor—when the cervix is fully dilated at 10 centimeters—is a common practice at many U.S. hospitals, but it may have no effect on whether pregnant women deliver spontaneously (without a cesarean section or other intervention), according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Release: NIH funds specialized centers for child maltreatment research
Three national centers to develop best practices for prevention, intervention and treatment.
Release: NIH led task force submits recommendations on research needs for pregnant and nursing mothers
NIH led task force submits recommendations on research needs for pregnant and nursing mothers
Release: NIH, DoD to Develop Limb Loss and Preservation Registry
National repository aims to improve rehabilitation and quality of life for people who have lost a limb.
Release: NIH funds study to prevent, treat HIV among adolescents in poor countries
The National Institutes of Health has awarded $7.5 million for an international research program to prevent and treat HIV infection among adolescents and young adults in seven African countries and Brazil.
Item of Interest: Federal report on health, well-being of America’s children and youth now available
The latest report features statistics from U.S. government agencies on the status of at-risk children and youth.
Media Advisory: Gene variations linked to severity of Zika-related birth defects, small NIH study suggests
The severity of birth defects caused by Zika virus infection may be influenced by natural variations in a pregnant woman’s genes for a key enzyme, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other institutions.
Release: Neurons absorb and release water when firing, NIH study suggests
Neurons absorb and release water when they relay messages throughout the brain, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other institutions. Tracking this water movement with imaging technology may one day provide valuable information on normal brain activity, as well as how injury or disease affect brain function.
Science Update: NICHD-supported study explores inherited and environmental influences on gene activity
Findings from a study on twins may help explain factors that activate or silence genes.
Release: EXP2 protein helps deadliest malaria parasite obtain nutrients during infection
Researchers from the National Institutes of Health and other institutions have deciphered the role of a key protein that the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum uses to obtain nutrients while infecting red blood cells. Their study appears in Nature Microbiology.
Release: Blood test may identify gestational diabetes risk in first trimester, NIH analysis suggests
A blood test conducted as early as the 10th week of pregnancy may help identify women at risk for gestational diabetes, a pregnancy-related condition that poses potentially serious health risks for mothers and infants, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other institutions.
Release: Induced labor at 39 weeks may reduce likelihood of C-section, NIH study suggests
Healthy first-time mothers whose labor was induced in the 39th week of pregnancy were less likely to deliver by cesarean section, compared to those who waited for labor to begin naturally, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.