The Division of Intramural Research provides fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems through basic, clinical, and population-based research.
News
NICHD issues News Releases and Media Advisories to the news media. Spotlight and Research Feature articles explain NICHD research findings and public health issues to the general public. An Item of Interest is a short announcement of relevant information, such as a notable staff change.
Spotlight: One year and counting: Male birth control study reaches milestone
Learn about an experimental male contracteptive gel called NES/T, which was developed in collaboration with NICHD and the Population Council.
Science Update: Pre-pregnancy obesity may increase child asthma risk, NIH study suggests
Maternal obesity before pregnancy may increase the risk of asthma in early childhood, suggests a study by the National Institutes of Health. Children born to mothers with obesity were more likely than those born to mothers without obesity to have persistent wheezing, an indication of asthma.
Spotlight: Scientific advances from the Division of Intramural Research
The Division of Intramural Research provides fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems through basic, clinical, and population-based research.
Media Advisory: Asthma, allergy risk may be higher for children conceived with infertility treatment
Children conceived with infertility treatment may have a higher risk for asthma and allergies, suggests a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health.
Spotlight: Scientific advances from the Division of Intramural Research
The Division of Intramural Research provides fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems through basic, clinical, and population-based research.
Science Update: Juice consumption before six months linked to childhood overweight and obesity, NIH study suggests
Children who were first given juice before they were six months old were more likely to have overweight or obesity in early and mid-childhood, compared to kids who were given juice at one year old or later, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health. The finding provides additional support for a theory that giving young children sweet foods or drinks may foster a preference for sweet tastes that can lead to weight gain later in childhood.
Spotlight: Women in Science: Dr. Una Grewal Charts Her Own Path
Dr. Una Grewal, director of NICHD’s intramural Division of Population Health Research, worked in academia, the corporate world, and state and federal government agencies prior to settling into a leadership role in science administration. Read about how she shaped her unique career path.
Science Update: Development scores higher for infants born later in term pregnancy, NIH study suggests
On average, scores on development tests were lower for infants born earlier in the range of a term pregnancy—from 37 to 41 weeks—than for those born later in the range, suggests a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health. The slight difference in scores, first apparent at eight months, persisted through age seven. The findings may have implications for current practice guidelines recommending induction of labor for non-medical reasons at the 39th week of pregnancy.
Science Update: NIH study identifies potential prenatal risk factors for suicide
An individual’s risk for death by suicide may begin before they are born, suggests a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health. The authors compared pregnancy and birth records of nearly 50,000 individuals born between 1959 and 1966 to death records through 2016. They found that suicide rates were higher for males, white people, and for those who were among the younger siblings in a family. Other risk factors included having a parent with less than a high school education, having a parent who worked a manual labor job, and having a mother with a high rate of pregnancy complications or who smoked during pregnancy.
Spotlight: Selected NICHD Research Advances of 2021
Read about NICHD’s research findings and activities from 2021.
Release: NIH study suggests women with disabilities have higher risk of birth complications and death
Pregnant women with disabilities have a much higher risk for severe pregnancy- and birth-related complications and death than other pregnant women, according to findings by researchers at the National Institutes of Health. Appearing in JAMA Network Open, the analysis of more than 223,000 deliveries in 19 U.S. hospitals found that roughly 2,199 women had a disability.
Item of Interest: PregSource® Mobile App Allows Access from Anywhere
It just got easier to participate in the PregSource®: Crowdsourcing to Understand Pregnancy research project. The free app allows participants to track their weight, sleep, mood, and other features of their pregnancy in just a few taps.
Item of Interest: Una Grewal Appointed Director of the Division of Population Health Research
Dr. Grewal has been acting director of the division since February 2020.
Media Advisory: Extreme eating problems in early childhood linked to higher chance of developmental delay, NIH study suggests
Young children with a history of eating problems in the first three years of life were more likely to receive low scores on assessments of child development, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health. The findings suggest that children with multiple eating problems—frequent crying during meals, pushing food away, gagging and others—may benefit from screening for developmental delay.
Media Advisory: NIH researchers link depression during pregnancy to placental gene modifications
Episodes of maternal stress or depression during pregnancy are associated with chemical modifications to placental genes, according to a study by researchers from the National Institutes of Health. The modifications involve DNA methylation—binding of compounds known as methyl groups to DNA—which can alter a gene’s activity. Some of the methylation changes associated with maternal depression occurred near genes involved in brain development, suggesting that maternal depression in pregnancy could have long-term implications for the mental development of the child.
Item of Interest: NICHD website seeks to foster contraceptive and infertility research
A new website offers reproductive health researchers a way to search for genes, proteins, and other molecules that could provide the basis for studies to develop new contraceptive methods and infertility treatments. The Contraceptive Infertility Target Database (CITDBase) is a free public resource developed by the Contraceptive Development Program in the NICHD’s Division of Population Health Research.
Science Update: Juice consumption before 6 months linked with sweet beverage consumption in later childhood, NIH study suggests
Children who were given juice before they were 6 months old drank more juice and soda, and less water, by early and mid-childhood, on average, than children first given juice at or after 12 months, according to a study conducted by researchers at the National Institutes of Health. The findings support a theory that giving children sweet foods and drinks at an early age fosters a preference for sweet tastes that persists into childhood, increasing the risk for childhood weight gain and tooth cavities.
Release: NIH data challenge seeks innovative methods for identifying complication risks in first-time pregnancies
The National Institutes of Health will award up to $400,000 to individuals or groups who design an effective method for analyzing a large data set of first-time pregnancies and identifying risk factors for adverse outcomes, such as hypertensive disorders, diabetes and infection. A total of $50,000 will be awarded to each of seven winners designing the most effective means to analyze the data. An additional $10,000 will be awarded to the top five winners whose methods identify risk factors in disadvantaged populations.
Director's Corner: We STRIVE to Do Better
Dr. Bianchi reflects on the life and contributions of Eunice Kennedy Shriver ahead of Mrs. Shriver’s 100th birthday and how improving equity, diversity, and inclusion at NICHD continues Mrs. Shriver’s work.