News & Updates

Children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C)—a rare condition linked with the virus that causes COVID-19—have biochemical indicators of cell injury and cell death that are distinct from other children with COVID-19, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Urea, present in breast milk but not digested by the infant, appears to foster the growth of beneficial bacteria in the infant gut, suggests a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. Urea is a nitrogen-containing waste product of protein digestion. In return for the breast milk-supplied urea, the bacteria provide the infant with essential nutrients. The results have important implications for the development of infant formula.

A research team including NICHD scientists has developed a potential gene therapy for hereditary spastic paraplegia 50, a rare childhood-onset neurodegenerative disorder that leads to developmental delays, cognitive impairment, and eventual paralysis.

Infants born in 2020 through mid-2021 to women with COVID-19 weighed less at birth, but grew at a faster rate than a comparable group born to women who did not have COVID-19, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. Previous studies have found that preterm infants and other infants who are small or underweight at birth and who undergo catch-up growth in the first year are at higher risk for later life obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes, compared to infants born at normal weight. The authors called for additional studies of infants whose mothers had COVID-19 during pregnancy to learn if they have increased health risks later in life.

Tranexamic acid appears no more effective than placebo in reducing the need for blood transfusion or preventing maternal death in patients with increased risk for excessive bleeding because of cesarean delivery, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. Tranexamic acid slows the natural breakdown of blood clots and was considered promising for reducing the risk of excessive bleeding after giving birth—known as postpartum hemorrhage—after cesarean delivery.

Dr. Veronica Gomez-Lobo, director of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology at NICHD, began her career as a clinician focused on caring for underserved populations. Taking advantage of interesting opportunities led her to become involved in medical education, and later, in scientific research.

The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) has announced new funding for participating centers in its Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units (MFMU) Network.

Black people are about three times as likely as White people to die from a pregnancy-related cause, regardless of income or education level. The NIH-wide IMPROVE initiative works to reduce preventable pregnancy-related deaths and complications and promote health equity.

Compared to unvaccinated women, women vaccinated for COVID-19 have a slightly higher risk of a heavier period after vaccination, suggests a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. However, flow returns to normal in the next menstrual period.

The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) has announced new funding for participating centers in its Neonatal Research Network (NRN). The purpose of the NRN is to improve healthcare and outcomes for newborns.

Placental cells secrete extracellular vesicles—tiny, balloon-like structures containing proteins, enzymes, DNA, and other molecules capable of transmitting chemical messages between cells—that appear to help regulate glucose uptake by maternal cells, according to a mouse study funded by the National Institutes of Health. In a series of experiments, the researchers found evidence that release of the vesicles follows placental release of the enzyme O-glycosyl transferase (OGT) after glucose levels rise. The findings may inform the development of new treatments for gestational (pregnancy-related) diabetes.

Cells lining the umbilical vein secrete a newly discovered extracellular vesicle—a tiny, balloon-like structure that influences other cells—suggests a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health. The findings may have implications for understanding fetal development and may inform strategies to use extracellular vesicles to deliver drugs and other therapies.

The National Institutes of Health announced the next round of winners of its RADx® Tech for Maternal Health Challenge—an $8 million prize competition to accelerate development of technologies to improve maternal health outcomes.

Serious complications from a rare childhood condition linked to COVID-19 infection appear to have decreased as SARS-CoV-2 evolved from 2020 to 2022, suggests a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The condition, called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), inflames different body parts, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs. The authors noted, however, that while the proportion of those with severe complications has dropped, 37% of children hospitalized with MIS-C needed intensive care.

HIV-free children whose mothers started taking anti-HIV medications while they were in the womb may be at higher risk for lower-than-average scores in one or more areas of development at age 5, according to a study supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Researchers at NIH have discovered that mutations in the gene SPIN4 cause a rare overgrowth disorder in people.

The theme for this year’s World Down Syndrome Day—With us, not for us—reflects a major goal of NIH’s INCLUDE project, which NICHD co-leads. INCLUDE aims to increase the participation of people with Down syndrome and their families in clinical research to expand our knowledge about the condition and its links to other health issues, with the ultimate goal of improving the health and quality of life of affected individuals.

The tool has the potential to assist with preterm birth, labor management and clinical decisionmaking.

A program with intervals of high-intensity walking promotes greater gains in fitness for stroke patients than the currently recommended program of moderate-intensity walking, suggests a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The study enrolled chronic stroke patients—those at least six months past their stroke—often considered more difficult to rehabilitate than recent stroke patients.