Promoting healthy pregnancies is a cornerstone of NICHD’S mission. Here we highlight some of the latest research findings and information related to pregnancy.
The January issue of NIH News in Health includes Pregnancy and Beyond: Make Healthy Choices for Yourself and Your Baby, which features:
- Dr. Uma Reddy, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist in NICHD’s Pregnancy and Perinatology Branch, discussing healthy weight gain during pregnancy
- Dr. Triesta Fowler, leader of the NICHD’s National Child and Maternal Health Education Program, describing the Moms’ Mental Health Matters initiative to raise awareness about depression and anxiety during pregnancy and after the baby is born
In addition, NICHD scientists and grantees have published research findings related to pregnancy, reproductive health, and child development. These include:
- Parents’ obesity linked to delays in child development: An NICHD study suggests that children of obese mothers are more likely to fail tests of fine motor skill—the ability to control movement of small muscles, such as those in the fingers and hands.
- Newborn screening device gets FDA approval: The new device, called SEEKER™ detects lysosomal storage disorders, which injure the brain and nervous system. It was created with support from NICHD’s Small Business Innovation Research program.
- Aspirin may help increase pregnancy chances in women with high inflammation: A group of women who have lost a pregnancy due to high levels of inflammation may benefit from taking a daily low dose of aspirin.
- Survival rate may be improving for extremely preterm babies: Very early preterm infants, those born before 24 weeks of pregnancy, are more likely to survive if born today than those born in previous years, according to an NICHD-funded research network.
- Complex health problems for infants exposed to Zika virus in the womb: An NICHD workshop highlights the need for multidisciplinary care, treatment, and ongoing research to help manage children affected by Zika.
- Cigarette smoking during pregnancy linked to changes in baby’s immune system: Infants whose mothers smoked cigarettes throughout pregnancy have higher levels of a specific inflammation marker at birth, according to an NICHD study.
- Azithromycin pretreatment lowers infection rate after C-section: An NICHD-funded study found that azithromycin treatment before an unplanned cesarean delivery reduced the post-operation infection rate by approximately 50 percent, compared to the standard treatment.
- NIH study links morning sickness to lower risk of pregnancy loss: A new analysis by NICHD scientists provides the strongest evidence to date that nausea and vomiting during pregnancy is associated with a lower risk of miscarriage.
For additional information, visit the Pregnancy A to Z Topic.
Originally Posted: February 28, 2017
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