News & Updates

NICHD researchers found changes in DNA methylation of children born to older mothers. The children have changes in DNA tags, called methyl groups, which switch genes on and off. The findings may provide an explanation for the slightly higher health risks children born to older parents have.

Researchers developed a simulation to estimate the life span of youth with HIV and found that some could lose from 10 to 20 years of life, compared to youth without HIV. Life expectancy depends on factors such as whether they acquired HIV around the time of birth or later in life, or received ideal care.

NIH awarded two new grants to expand its Maternal Health Research Centers of Excellence. These institutions design and implement research projects seeking to reduce pregnancy-related complications and deaths and promote maternal health equity in the United States.

NICHD has awarded $15 million to fund two specialized centers to conduct research on the health disparities underlying uterine fibroids.

NIH awarded $1.4 million in first-year funding to the University of Colorado Denver to manage and improve DS-Connect^®: The Down Syndrome Registry. DS-Connect^® enables the Down syndrome community to connect with researchers, express interest in clinical studies, and complete surveys to improve understanding of their health.

NIH’s BRAIN Initiative is marking a milestone—10 years of advancing neuroscience and neurotechnology research by funding innovative projects. Dr. Bianchi shares her perspective on the impact BRAIN has made on NICHD’s mission.

For military members and veterans who have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), adding a service dog to their usual care could reduce the severity of PTSD symptoms, feelings of anxiety, and lower depression while enhancing their quality of life and psychosocial functioning, a new study suggests. The trial is the largest nationwide study comparing service dog partnerships to usual care alone.

Children with a history of adverse childhood experiences scored lower on tests of neurological and cognitive development than kids not exposed to early life adversity. Researchers called for the development of interventions to protect children from adversity’s potential neurological and cognitive effects.

NICHD is co-hosting several workshops and virtual meetings on women’s health topics in summer 2024. Please consider registering to participate in discussions and to help shape future research and care.

Results from an NICHD-funded clinical trial suggest that three common surgeries to repair pelvic organ prolapse are generally comparable and safe. This work provides healthcare providers and patients with clinical evidence to discuss available surgeries and decide upon the most appropriate treatment.

Blood transfusions for preterm infants to do not appear to increase the risk of a life-threatening intestinal condition, a new study suggests.

The odds of cerebral palsy among surviving preterm infants born before 27 weeks of pregnancy increased by an average of 11% per year and study authors say the increase may reflect improved survival due to advances in infant care.

To avoid radiation exposure, researchers developed prediction strategies to prevent pediatric trauma patients from receiving unneeded CT scans, which slightly increase the risk for radiation induced cancers.

NICHD scientists and colleagues identified genetic variants that disable the protein complex BORC as the cause of a severe neurodegenerative disorder that begins early in life. Subsequent work helped unravel the role of BORC in neurons and explain how defects in BORC function may contribute to neurodegeneration.

Within NIH, NICHD leads research focused on women’s health “below the belt.” This includes addressing a spectrum of gynecological and reproductive health issues, from endometriosis to pelvic floor disorders.

Individuals born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy and when they were children may be at an increased risk for high blood pressure and diabetes.

Gisela Storz, Ph.D., an NIH Distinguished Investigator at NICHD has been elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Dr. Storz was honored for her distinguished contributions to the field of microbiology.

Children born to mother who received a steroid injection in late pregnancy do not appear to be at risk for adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. The findings help to allay concerns that the treatment—given to help fetal lungs mature in case of preterm birth—could affect neurodevelopment.

Anomalies of the vascular system include lymphatic malformations that can cause lymphedema, or swelling in parts of the body. These anomalies arise from gene mutations that can be hereditary or occur spontaneously after conception. Research led by the Sheppard Lab at NICHD is seeking to understand the genetic causes of vascular anomalies, examine how they change over a lifetime, and identify drugs to treat them.

An AI program has the potential to identify signs of childbirth related post-traumatic stress disorder by evaluating short narratives of patients who have given birth. With further refinements, the program could potentially identify a large proportion of those at risk.