Dr. Hazra, an expert in pediatrics and pediatric infectious diseases, brings a wealth ofexperience as a researcher, clinical trialist, and science administrator to his new role.
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.
Media Advisory: Amygdala overgrowth that occurs in autism spectrum disorder may begin during infancy
The amygdala—a brain structure enlarged in two-year-old children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)—begins its accelerated growth between 6 and 12 months of age, suggests a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The amygdala is involved in processing emotions, such as interpreting facial expressions or feeling afraid when exposed to a threat. The findings indicate that therapies to reduce the symptoms of ASD might have the greatest chance of success if they begin in the first year of life, before the amygdala begins its accelerated growth.
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: Hydrocortisone does not prevent lung complication in extremely preterm infants
Hydrocortisone is no more effective than placebo at preventing damage that can result from oxygen and ventilator therapy necessary to keep preterm infants alive, according to research funded by the National Institutes of Health. The study of a potential treatment for the condition, known as bronchopulmonary dysplasia, appears in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Spotlight: Decoded: Data-Driven Solutions to Optimize Health and Outcomes for First-time Mothers
To help spur innovation against a growing maternal health crisis, NICHD launched the Decoding Maternal Morbidity Data Challenge last year. Learn about the winning proposals.
Science Update: NIH-funded researchers develop prototype genetic test to predict women’s risk for fibroids
Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have developed a prototype genetic test with the potential to predict the development and eventual severity of uterine fibroids—benign, but sometimes painful and debilitating tumors of the uterus. The test could be used to identify fibroid cases early and to better understand how they develop and how to treat them.
Media Advisory: Mandatory masking in schools reduced COVID-19 cases during Delta surge
NIH-funded study compared more than 1.1 million students across nine states.
Science Update: Maternal pregnancy complications may increase risk of infant health effects, NIH-funded study suggests
Life-threatening pregnancy complications known as severe maternal morbidity (SMM) appear to be associated with an increased length of hospital stay for infants and an increase in the cost of caring for them, suggests a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The findings support the hypothesis that infants of mothers with SMM may also be at risk for severe complications. The authors concluded that helping patients to reduce their risk factors—in early pregnancy or before conception—may reduce the chances for SMM and improve the health of infants.
Director's Corner: Prioritizing Mental Health
The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified mental and emotional health challenges for all of us. Dr. Bianchi highlights research to understand and address factors affecting the mental health of children and their parents.
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.
Science Update: Drug use, suicide, and homicide account for more than a fifth of pregnancy-associated deaths, study suggests
In the United States, more than 20 percent of deaths during pregnancy and the first year after childbirth are due to drug use, suicide, or homicide, an NICHD-funded study suggests. The number of pregnancy associated deaths from these causes increased between 2010 and 2019, with drug-related deaths nearly tripling.
Science Update: COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy may help protect offspring from SARS-CoV-2 through age 6 months, small NIH-funded study suggests
Vaccinating women against SARS-CoV-2 in mid to late pregnancy could provide their infants at least some protection against COVID-19 through six months of age, suggests a small study funded by the National Institutes of Health. Compared to infants born to mothers who had COVID-19 during pregnancy, infants born to vaccinated mothers were much more likely to have antibodies against the virus.
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.
Release: NIH-funded study suggests COVID-19 increases risk of pregnancy complications
Pregnant women with COVID-19 appear to be at greater risk for common pregnancy complications—in addition to health risks from the virus—than pregnant women without COVID-19, suggests a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.
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.
Director's Corner: Survival of the Tiniest
How early can a baby be born and not only survive but thrive? Dr. Bianchi discusses continued progress in saving extremely preterm infants and highlights NICHD’s efforts to prevent preterm births and improve the care of premature babies.
Science Update: Children born during pandemic may experience slight neurodevelopmental delays, NIH-funded study suggests
Infants born during the pandemic—regardless of whether their mothers had COVID-19 during pregnancy—scored slightly lower on certain tests of neurodevelopment at 6 months old, compared to a similar group of infants born before the pandemic, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The findings suggest that children born during the pandemic may need long-term monitoring to rapidly identify any future lags in development. The researchers theorized that maternal stress resulting from the pandemic could have effects on children’s neurodevelopment.
Science Update: Extended breastfeeding linked to higher hormone levels and later menopause onset
Women who breastfed for two years or longer had higher blood levels of anti-Müllerian hormone and later onset of menopause, compared to women who breastfed for one month or less, according to an
NICHD-supported analysis. The findings also suggest that previously observed relationships between menopause timing and the number of times a woman gave birth may be largely attributable to breastfeeding.
Science Update: Weight loss before infertility treatment does not improve live birth rate in unexplained infertility, NIH-funded study suggests
A new study funded by the National Institutes of Health contradicts the current recommendation that women with obesity should lose weight before trying to conceive. The study of more than 300 women with obesity found no difference in the proportion of live births among women with unexplained infertility who lost weight before infertility treatment and a similar group who did not lose weight before treatment.
Science Update: High-dose DHA influences immune responses during pregnancy, may reduce risk of preterm birth
Taking supplemental docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) during pregnancy may decrease the risk of preterm birth. A new NICHD-supported study offers a potential explanation for this effect by suggesting that a daily 1,000-milligram dose of DHA influences certain inflammatory immune responses linked to childbirth.