Proper maternal folate levels during pregnancy may protect children from a future risk of obesity, especially those born to obese mothers, according to a study funded by NICHD.
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.
Weight loss before fertility treatment may improve pregnancy odds for women with PCOS
Overweight and obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) may have a greater chance of becoming pregnant if they lose weight before beginning fertility treatment, according to an analysis of two studies funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Zika virus damages placenta, kills fetal mice
Zika virus infects and crosses the placentas of pregnant mice and causes severe damage or death in fetal mice, report scientists funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Endometriosis linked to increased risk for heart disease, NIH-funded study finds
Endometriosis—an often painful gynecologic condition resulting when uterine tissue grows outside of the uterus—may increase the risk for heart disease, according to a study funded by NICHD and the National Cancer Institute.
Researchers identify source of inflammatory cells in endometriosis
Researchers have discovered the source of a cell type central to endometriosis, an oftentimes painful disease that occurs when tissue that lines the inside of the uterus grows outside of the uterus.
NICHD Begins Study in Brazil of Zika Virus Infection during Pregnancy
NICHD has launched an observational study of pregnant women in Brazil to help improve understanding of the effects of Zika virus infection on reproductive health and the developing fetus. The study augments an existing project in Brazil on cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection during pregnancy, expanding the project’s scope to include Zika virus.
Outcomes for Orphans in Low- and Middle-Income Countries Consistent, Regardless of Care Setting
As part of an NICHD-supported study, researchers found that the outcomes of orphaned and abandoned children in low- and middle-income countries are similar whether they live in group homes or family-based settings.
Infants exposed to multiple languages show enhanced interpersonal skills
Infants exposed to more than one language may be better able than their monolingual counterparts to see a situation from another point of view, according to a study funded in part by the National Institutes of Health.
NICHD appoints new chief for contraception research
NICHD has appointed Daniel S. Johnston, Ph.D., as Chief of its Contraception Research Branch.
Researchers identify molecule needed for sperm activation
Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have discovered the cellular switch that boosts the activity of sperm cells so that they can travel to the egg. The finding may lead to new options for male contraception as well as treatments for infertility resulting from problems with sperm mobility.
New treatment regimen cuts severity of drug-resistant malaria in pregnancy
A two-drug preventive treatment greatly reduces the severity of malaria during pregnancy, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The treatment provides an alternative for many parts of Africa where the malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium falciparum has grown resistant to standard treatment.
NICHD Invites Researchers to Share Their Data through Online Resource
Researchers may now add data from NICHD-funded studies directly to the NICHD Data and Specimen Hub (DASH).
Vaginal Ring Provides Partial Protection from HIV in Large Multinational Trial
A ring that continuously releases an experimental antiretroviral drug in the vagina safely provided a modest level of protection against HIV infection in women, a large clinical trial in four sub-Saharan African countries has found.
Advising moms not to bed share with infants does not discourage breastfeeding
Following advice to sleep in the same room with their infants —but not in the same bed—does not appear to discourage new mothers from breastfeeding, as some experts had feared, according to a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Only three genes needed for sperm production, mouse studies suggest
Recent NICHD-funded studies show in mice that only 3 genes are needed for sperm production, and the Y chromosome is not needed to make sperm precursors called spermatids. The findings may yield insight on potential treatments for male infertility.
NIH seeks research applications to study Zika in pregnancy, developing fetus
The National Institutes of Health today announced its research priorities for studies to investigate how Zika virus infection affects reproduction, pregnancy and the developing fetus.
Prenatal steroids lower risk of respiratory illness in late preterm infants
Prenatal steroid therapy reduces the chance of respiratory complications among infants born at 34-36 weeks, so-called “late” preterm infants, according to a study by a National Institutes of Health research network.
Video parent feedback program improves school readiness of children in poverty
A program that helps lower-income parents interact more effectively with their infants and toddlers through reading and play improves children’s attention and decreases rates of problem behaviors by age 3 years, according to a study funded in part by the National Institutes of Health.
Spotlight: NICHD Needs Your Input for the All of Us Research Program
NICHD needs your input for NIH’s All of Us program.
Kids Expecting Aggression from Others Likely to Be Aggressive Themselves
If someone offends you and you’re not sure whether they intended to, it’s best not to retaliate and to assume they meant no harm. That’s the takeaway message from an international study of how children react to a provocation.