News & Updates

For the first time, researchers were able to track development of the human placenta from the merging of placental cells with blood vessels in the uterus to a fully formed organ using new ultrasound technology that visualizes and measures blood flow through extremely small blood vessels. The images and data provide a reference for typical placental development to help with comparison studies, tracking, identification of placental disorders, and other complications.

A virtual skill-based driving test can identify new drivers who are at higher-than-average risk for a crash within one year after they receive their licenses. The authors concluded that test assessments could inform development of interventions that would reduce crash risk in less skillful new drivers.

Ableism—discrimination and social prejudice against those who are disabled—is a major contributor to the health disparities experienced by people with disabilities. Within NIH, NICHD has been at the forefront of efforts to address ableism in medicine and scientific research.

Bacteria in the maternal digestive tract appear to stimulate blood vessel development of the placenta, suggests a mouse study. Studying the relationship between the mother’s microbiome and placental development may yield important insights into fetal and maternal health.

Researchers have developed a smart phone app that can track and analyze human locomotion—the ability to move from one place to another—and other types of movements. They suggest that using the app costs only 1% of conventional motion analysis techniques and works 25 times faster.

Compared to annual HIV screening alone, generic daily oral HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with HIV screening every three months would result in fewer HIV acquisitions, longer life expectancy, and fewer HIV-associated costs among young men who have sex with men in the United States.

A technique using near-infrared light to detect blood oxygen levels in the brain and abdomen may have potential for monitoring the health of preterm infants needing or given a blood transfusion.

NIH awarded $50 million for a research program that will identify youth at risk for or with HIV in eight African countries and get them into medical care. The five-year effort will focus on locations with limited research capacity and with populations underrepresented in HIV research, such as commercial sex workers and drug users.

A tablet-based screening app for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may improve early detection, suggests a study funded by NIH. By accurately identifying toddlers who warrant further investigation for ASD, the app may help health care providers ensure that children and families receive the support they need.

The properties of neuronal junctions that help form long-term memories and aid in learning are similar between mice and people, according to a new NIH study.

Each year, more than 20,000 families in the United States experience a stillbirth, the loss of a fetus at 20 weeks or more of gestation. Stillbirth is a traumatic event that takes a devastating, lifelong psychological toll on families. October marks Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, making this an opportune time to reflect on the work we must do to better understand the causes of—and ultimately prevent—these tragedies.

The risk for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy was higher for pregnant women with HIV if they had low CD4+ immune cell counts in the first or second trimester, or if they began taking antiretroviral drug regimens after 20 weeks of pregnancy, rather than at conception. The findings underscore the importance of getting HIV under control before becoming pregnant.

NIH has designated people with disabilities as a population with health disparities for research. People with disabilities often experience a wide and varying range of health conditions leading to poorer health and shorter lifespan. In addition, discrimination, inequality, and exclusionary structural practices, programs, and policies inhibit access to timely and comprehensive health care, which further results in poorer health outcomes.

NIH announced the launch of the design phase of a public-private partnership addressing the lack of medical devices designed and approved for children in the United States. In this initial phase, NIH and partners will develop a detailed plan to build and launch a partnership that will bring together the resources of U.S. government agencies and private sector organizations, including industry and non-profits.

New research in mice illuminates how infant cries activate maternal brain cells to increase release of oxytocin, a hormone that promotes mother-baby bonding. The findings provide a biological explanation for how sensory cues from an infant can help foster maternal behavior.

NIH will award up to $2 million in cash prizes as part of its Fetal Monitoring Challenge to accelerate development of diagnostic and monitoring technologies that improve fetal health outcomes in low-resource settings. U.S. scientists, engineers, and clinicians can submit innovative approaches and compete for prizes and resources to support technology development and clinical impact, with a focus on point-of-care and home-based diagnostic and monitoring technologies that may reduce fetal health risk and loss during and after birth.

The Division of Intramural Research provides fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems through basic, clinical, and population-based research.

A new imaging technique that measures the ability of the placenta to supply blood to the fetus may predict the chances of impaired fetal growth as early as the 14th week of pregnancy. The new method seems to allow earlier diagnosis than the standard ultrasound technique, which can detect reductions in placental blood flow at 20 to 24 weeks. Earlier detection of fetal growth restriction and risk of small for gestational age fetuses may lead to strategies for treating these conditions.

Catherine Gordon, M.D., M.S., has been appointed clinical director at NICHD. In her new role, she will lead the institute’s intramural clinical research program to improve understanding of the biological, medical, reproductive, and behavioral aspects of typical and atypical human development.

The effects of climate change on health are wide-ranging, from causing injuries and other medical concerns to disrupting vital supply chains. NICHD is committed to supporting scientific research to reduce climate-related health threats among its populations of interest—children, people of reproductive age, and people with intellectual and physical disabilities.