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Endometriosis affects an estimated 10% of women, can cause severe pain and infertility, and typically has long delays in diagnosis. NICHD is accelerating efforts to definitively diagnose, prevent, and treat this chronic disease.

Children born preterm who underwent several painful medical procedures in early life may be at high risk for autism spectrum disorders and lower motor and language scores at 18 months of age, suggests a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The authors concluded that repeated exposure to pain may affect early brain development and that their findings underscore the need to develop more effective pain management procedures for preterm infants.

For the 35th observance of World AIDS Day, NICHD reflects on recent progress in HIV/AIDS research to optimize outcomes for infants and children, tailor care for adolescents and young adults, promote reproductive health, and support pregnancy and parenthood.

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

Antibodies given to pregnant people to target cytomegalovirus appeared to have no benefits for their children by age two, suggests a follow-up study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The virus can cross the placenta and infect the fetus and full effects of the infection during pregnancy may not appear until a child is two years old. Like the original study, the follow-up found no differences between children of pregnant individuals who received the treatment and those who received a placebo.

A questionnaire can detect posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after childbirth with high probability, suggests an early study funded by the National Institutes of Health. If large-scale studies verify its effectiveness, the questionnaire could provide a rapid and efficient method for screening PTSD in people who have recently given birth so that they could be referred for a thorough assessment and offered treatment.

This collaboration will promote safe infant sleep with and within American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

A study funded by the National Institutes of Health has found that among more than 1,800 women planning a pregnancy, those who received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine before getting pregnant were no more likely to miscarry than those who were unvaccinated. Similarly, no increased miscarriage risk was found among roughly 1,500 couples whether the male partner was vaccinated before trying to conceive. The findings provide useful information on vaccination safety for couples planning pregnancy.

A treatment to move blood from the umbilical cord into an infant’s body may provide a safe option for preterm infants born after 28 weeks who need rapid support, suggests a study supported by the National Institutes of Health. Umbilical cord milking involves gently squeezing the cord between the thumb and forefinger and pushing the blood into the newborn’s abdomen. The new findings suggest that concerns raised by a previous study of infants born before 28 weeks—which concluded that umbilical cord milking might increase the risk of bleeding inside the brain—do not apply to preterm infants born after 28 weeks.

Researchers at NIH have developed a model of how mitochondria—the energy producers in cells—obtain the essential mineral magnesium through the Mitochondrial RNA Splicing 2 (MRS2) channel.

Using new ultrasound technology that can visualize and measure blood flow through extremely small blood vessels, researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have tracked the placenta’s development from the merging of placental cells with blood vessels in the uterus to a fully formed organ. The images and data provide a reference for normal placental development to help with comparison studies, tracking of placental development in healthy pregnancies, and identification of placental disorders that may lead to low birth weight, preterm birth, 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.

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.

The National Institutes of Health has awarded $50 million for a research program to identify youth at risk for HIV or with HIV and get them into medical care. The funding will be provided over 5 years to support studies in eight African countries. The effort will focus on locations with limited research capacity and with populations underrepresented in HIV research, such as sexual and gender minorities, 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.