Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a compound found in green tea, appears to inhibit the biochemical processes that promote the growth and development of fibroid tumors cells, suggests a study funded in part by the National Institutes of Health. In laboratory tests of human fibroid cells, EGCG reduced the amount of a compound that promotes cell division and the quantity of proteins responsible for the tumors’ fibrous contents.
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.
Director's Corner: Advancing Our Knowledge of Human Milk and Lactation
Strengthening our understanding of human milk biology and lactation is essential to support breastfeeding and to ensure the health of infants who do not have access to a lactating parent’s milk. NICHD supports a range of efforts to explore human milk as an active biological system and to promote the inclusion of pregnant and lactating people in clinical research.
Media Advisory: Cervical pessary no more effective than usual care in preventing preterm birth risk
A device known as a pessary, thought promising for reducing preterm birth risk due to a short cervix, appears no more effective than usual medical care, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. A pessary is a rounded silicone device that fits around a cervix that has shortened, to keep it from opening and leading to miscarriage or preterm birth. The device is typically removed before the 37th week of pregnancy.
Science Update: NIH-funded study in macaques suggests cannabis use during pregnancy may alter offspring DNA expression
Offspring of female nonhuman primates given a cannabis product during pregnancy had changes in their DNA expression like those seen in human children with autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to a small study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The findings suggest that children whose mothers consume edibles or other products containing Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive substance found in cannabis, could experience permanent developmental changes.
Science Update: Social support promotes HIV suppression among young adults, NIH-funded study suggests
Young adults born with HIV who report average or high levels of social support are more likely to maintain viral suppression than peers with low social support, according to a U.S. study funded by NIH. The findings also suggest that having sufficient social support is particularly important just prior to a young adult’s transition from pediatric to adult HIV care.
Science Update: Prenatal depression may increase risk of cardiovascular disease after birth, NICHD-funded study suggests
Depression from six weeks gestation through the end of pregnancy may increase the risk of heart and blood vessel disease up to two years after birth, suggests an analysis funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Director's Corner: Preventing Pediatric Injuries
With its longer days and warmer temperatures, summer is an ideal season for outdoor recreation. But fun activities like swimming also carry the risk of injuries, especially among children. NICHD supports a broad spectrum of research that seeks to prevent and treat pediatric injuries from drowning to dog bites.
Science Update: Drug reduces fibroids in mice, according to NIH-funded study
Tranilast, a drug used to treat allergies and certain types of scars, reduced the size of human fibroid tumors implanted in mice, according to an NIH-funded study. The authors said the results warranted additional studies in animals and perhaps in later human trials to evaluate this potential treatment for non-cancerous gynecologic tumors that can cause bleeding and pain and sometimes interfere with fertility.
Science Update: Umbilical cord milking may increase blood flow to brain and lungs of nonvigorous term and near-term infants
A previous study suggested that umbilical cord milking, a technique that moves blood from the umbilical cord into a newborn’s body, reduced the need for heart and respiratory support among infants classified as nonvigorous—limp, pale, and with minimal breathing—compared to the standard intervention, immediate cord clamping and cutting. A follow-up study supported by the National Institutes of Health indicates that the benefits of the technique may result from increased blood flow to the lungs and brain, along with an increase in blood pumped from the heart. The findings offer additional support for the use of umbilical cord milking in nonvigorous near term and term infants.
Item of Interest: NICHD-Developed Guide Sets Framework to Link Maternal, Infant Health Data
A new guide developed by NICHD and its partners promises to standardize the exchange of clinical data on maternal and infant health. The guide is an important step toward establishing a common framework to help clinicians and scientists better understand the root causes and high rates of maternal morbidity and mortality.
Item of Interest: NIH selects next round of winners in the Connecting the Community for Maternal Health Challenge
NIH has announced the next round of winners of its Connecting the Community for Maternal Health Challenge—a $3 million prize competition to encourage community-based and advocacy organizations in the United States to develop the infrastructure and capabilities necessary to conduct maternal health research.
Science Update: NIH-funded study finds no effects of COVID-19 vaccine on menstrual cycle regularity, bleed length, or menstrual pain
Premenopausal females who were vaccinated for COVID-19 were no more likely to report irregular menstrual cycles, heavier bleeds or menstrual pain than a similar group of unvaccinated women, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. However, consistent with several previous studies, participants reported a small increase in cycle length of roughly one day following injection.
Spotlight: Smartphone app may help detect child abuse early
A new smartphone app may improve early recognition of physical child abuse. By applying an evidence-based strategy developed with NICHD support, the app can help healthcare providers and social workers evaluate bruising on children younger than 4 years of age and identify cases that may need further investigation for child abuse.
Science Update: NIH-funded researchers identify another potential SIDS-related brain anomaly
Researchers funded in part by the National Institutes of Health have identified a second brain receptor abnormality in tissue from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) cases. Like the abnormality the group identified previously, the receptor binds to serotonin, a chemical that conveys messages between neurons. Although serotonin is involved in diverse functions such as mood, sleep, digestion, and wound healing, the abnormality the researchers identified is found in the medulla, or brain stem, a region involved in waking up, arousal, and breathing. The study authors believe the abnormalities underlie a vulnerability in the infant brain and may be responsible for an inability to wake up and take a breath under low oxygen conditions, such as when an infant’s mouth and nose are entrapped by bedding materials while sleeping face down.
Science Update: Increase in hippocampus volume may reflect successful adaptation to fatherhood, NIH-funded study suggests
Among certain new fathers, the brain structure known as the hippocampus appears to grow larger from their partner’s pregnancy through to their child’s second year, suggests a study funded in part by the National Institutes of Health. Men who began the study with the largest hippocampal volume and had the greatest increases in hippocampal growth reported the greatest increase in feelings of attachment and bonding and lower stress levels regarding their new child.
Item of Interest: New policies needed for maternal health care among incarcerated people with COVID-19, according to NICHD-funded researchers
The health of pregnant individuals and new mothers in the nation’s prisons should be prioritized to avoid future public health crises from COVID-19, according to an analysis by NICHD-funded investigators. Recommended policy changes include early release, when possible, because pregnant people are at high risk from COVID-19, and prisons are not well-equipped to provide the necessary medical care. Moreover, prisons should promote COVID-19 vaccination and develop targeted messages for this population to counteract vaccine misinformation.
Science Update: Gene discovery could lead to development of new male contraceptive, NIH-funded study suggests
Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have discovered a gene that could serve as a target for a new, non-hormonal contraceptive. The gene, arrestin domain containing 5 (ARRDC5) is present in several mammalian species and controls the last step in sperm maturation. Deactivating the gene results in lower sperm count and sperm with impaired movement that are incapable of fertilizing an egg—without any apparent ill effects elsewhere in the body.
Director's Corner: Supporting Small Business Innovations
Small businesses play a critical role in driving scientific progress by helping to move innovations out of labs and into the public marketplace. NICHD grants to small businesses have supported development of products ranging from the first FDA-approved endometriosis treatment to at-home rehabilitation devices.
Release: “Eat, Sleep, Console” reduces hospital stay and need for medication among opioid-exposed infants
Researchers have found the “Eat, Sleep, Console” (ESC) care approach to be more effective than using the Finnegan Neonatal Abstinence Scoring Tool (FNAST) to assess and manage opioid-exposed newborns, according to a national clinical trial funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Media Advisory: Biomarker pattern found in kids with COVID 19-linked inflammatory syndrome
Children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C)—a rare condition linked with the virus that causes COVID-19—have biochemical indicators of cell injury and cell death that are distinct from other children with COVID-19, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.