Media Advisory: Pregnancy Loss Occurs in 26 Percent of Zika-Infected Monkeys
New findings raise the concern that Zika virus-associated pregnancy loss in people may be more common than currently thought.
News & Updates
NICHD issues Releases and Media Advisories to the news media. Science Updates and Spotlights explain NICHD research findings and public health issues to the general public. An Item of Interest is a short announcement such as an initiative launch or a notable staff change. Director’s Corner posts are monthly updates from the NICHD director.
Item of Interest: NICHD announces gynecologic health and disease research themes and scientific vision
The Gynecologic Health and Disease Branch recently published its scientific vision. The document summarizes its research themes, which provide direction for future research.
Release: High thyroid hormone level in early pregnancy linked to gestational diabetes, NIH study suggests
Women in early pregnancy who have high levels of a certain thyroid hormone may be at greater risk for gestational diabetes, compared to women who have normal levels of the hormone, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health. Their study appears in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
Release: Insufficient vitamin D linked to miscarriage among women with prior pregnancy loss
Among women planning to conceive after a pregnancy loss, those who had sufficient levels of vitamin D were more likely to become pregnant and have a live birth, compared to women with insufficient levels of the vitamin, according to an analysis by researchers at the National Institutes of Health.
Release: Women with pregnancy-related diabetes may be at risk for chronic kidney disease
Gestational diabetes may predispose women to early-stage kidney damage, a precursor to chronic kidney disease, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other institutions.
Release: More than one day of early-pregnancy bleeding linked to lower birthweight
Women who experience vaginal bleeding for more than one day during the first trimester of pregnancy may be more likely to have a smaller baby, compared to women who do not experience bleeding in the first trimester, suggest researchers at the National Institutes of Health.
Science Update: NIH-supported study finds no difference between two surgeries commonly done to treat vaginal prolapse
Women in study report sustained improvements in symptoms five years after either procedure
Release: Anti-HIV drug combination does not increase preterm birth risk, study suggests
A drug combination aimed at preventing transmission of HIV from a pregnant woman to her fetus likely does not increase the risk for preterm birth and early infant death, according to a re-analysis of two studies funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Release: Elevated blood pressure before pregnancy may increase chance of pregnancy loss
Elevated blood pressure before conception may increase the chances for pregnancy loss, according to an analysis by researchers at the National Institutes of Health. The authors conclude that lifestyle changes to keep blood pressure under control could potentially reduce the risk of loss. The study appears in Hypertension.
Release: Antiviral drug not beneficial for reducing mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B when added to existing preventatives, study shows
An antiviral drug commonly prescribed to treat hepatitis B infection does not significantly reduce mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B virus, according to a clinical trial funded by NIH.
Release: NIH-funded researchers identify risk factors for sleep apnea during pregnancy
Snoring, older age and obesity may increase a pregnant woman’s risk for sleep apnea—or interrupted breathing during sleep—according to researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Media Advisory: Induced labor after 39 weeks in healthy women may reduce need for C section
Healthy first-time mothers whose labor was induced in the 39th week of pregnancy were less likely to have a cesarean delivery, compared to a similar group who were not electively induced at 39 weeks, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.
News Release: NIH Begins Large HIV Treatment Study in Pregnant Women
The National Institutes of Health has launched a large international study to compare the safety and efficacy of three antiretroviral treatment regimens for pregnant women living with HIV and the safety of these regimens for their infants.
News Release: Zika infection during pregnancy may disrupt fetal oxygen supply
Zika virus infection appears to affect oxygen delivery to the fetuses of pregnant monkeys, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Science Update: Maternal genetic material essential for embryo development, NIH-funded study suggests
A molecule containing genetic instructions passed on from the mother to the egg must be present for the fertilized egg to survive and develop into a normal embryo, according to results of an NICHD-funded zebrafish study.
Spotlight: Selected NICHD Research Advances of 2017
Over the past year, NICHD contributed to numerous scientific advances and key initiatives.
Podcast: NICHD supports research on pelvic floor disorders
NICHD's Dr. Donna Mazloomdoost, program director for the Pelvic Floor Disorders Network, explains problems of the pelvic floor, which affect as many as 1 in 3 women in the U.S.
Spotlight: Zika Research after Hurricane Maria
Dr. Carmen Zorrilla, who leads NICHD’s Zika in Infants and Pregnancy (ZIP) study in Puerto Rico, reports on how Hurricane Maria affected the Island’s largest hospital in San Juan.
News Release: Obesity during pregnancy may lead directly to fetal overgrowth, NIH study suggests
Obesity during pregnancy—independent of its health consequences such as diabetes—may account for the higher risk of giving birth to an atypically large infant.
Second trimester weight gain associated with fetal growth in twin pregnancies
A woman’s weight gain in the second trimester of a twin pregnancy is most closely associated with fetal growth and the size of the babies at the time of birth, according to a prospective study by researchers at the NICHD.
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