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The plant compound apigenin improved the cognitive and memory deficits usually seen in a mouse model of Down syndrome, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other institutions. Apigenin is found in chamomile flowers, parsley, celery, peppermint and citrus fruits. The findings raise the possibility that a treatment to lessen the cognitive deficits seen in Down syndrome could one day be offered to pregnant women whose fetuses have been diagnosed with Down syndrome through prenatal testing.

Intramural Group Wins Microphotography Prize

Traces of genetic material from the placenta and other organs circulating in a pregnant woman’s blood stream could potentially be used to predict the risk for complications in later pregnancy, according to a new NICHD-supported study.

Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have used a rapid DNA sequencing technique to identify gene variants in roughly a third of cases of nonimmune Hydrops fetalis (NIHF), a serious condition in which a fetus develops fluid buildup inside the abdominal cavity, lungs, or other parts of the body. The findings suggest that the DNA sequencing technique, known as exome sequencing, could be used to provide information unavailable with current genetic testing methods.

NICHD has awarded nearly $2.5 million in grants to support research aimed at improving the understanding and prevention of firearm violence and mortality.

A National Institutes of Health study in mice suggests that parents have an innate capacity to respond to an infant’s cries for help and this capacity may serve as a foundation from which a parent learns to adjust to an infant’s changing needs.

Pediatric hospitalization rates increase when unemployment levels rise, suggests a National Institutes of Health-funded analysis of data from 14 states spanning 12 years. The study authors concluded that more research is needed to understand how to potentially offset the declining health conditions brought on during economic downturns.

The pandemic reinforces why the NIH INCLUDE (INvestigation of Co-occurring conditions across the Lifespan to Understand Down syndromE) Project matters to families and communities.

NIH announces funding for three centers for collaborative research on Fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited form of intellectual and developmental disability, and related conditions.

NIH has launched a new initiative that will combat the growing problem of maternal mortality and morbidity in the United States.

Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) does not appear to lower the risk of infection for obese women after cesarean delivery, suggests a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The treatment involves placing a low-pressure pump over a closed surgical wound to create negative air pressure. Earlier studies had suggested that NPWT might reduce infection risk and promote healing after surgery. The study of more than 1,600 obese women found no significant difference in infection between women treated with NPWT and those receiving standard wound dressing.

The drug miglustat appears to stabilize the swallowing problems that occur in children and adolescents with Niemann-Pick type C1 (NPC1), a rare and ultimately fatal neurological disease, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health. The authors conclude that the drug could slow the deterioration of swallowing function in NPC1 cases and decrease the risk of pneumonia resulting from aspiration, or inhaling food or drink. Aspiration pneumonia accounts for roughly 2 out of 3 deaths in people with NPC1.

We can all help control the COVID-19 pandemic by taking personal precautions, wearing masks and keeping a safe distance. Another way is to test as many people as possible. NIH is rising to the challenge.

Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have found that of 246 stillbirths, about 6% likely resulted in mutations to single genes. Of these, 9 cases resulted from gene variants implicated in stillbirth and 6 resulted from variants that had been suspected in stillbirths. The researchers concluded that the genome mapping method, called whole exome sequencing, could potentially provide information for counseling families of stillborn infants and to inform medical care of future pregnancies.

The study of approximately 16,000 pregnant women will continue 12 months after childbirth and compare maternal, fetal and newborn outcomes of participants infected with the virus to those of pregnant women who have not.

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a disproportionate toll on people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs), write the directors of the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Centers (IDDRC) Network, a nationwide group funded by NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. A large number of people with IDD who require in-person care have lost the support of trained caregivers and community service providers due to the pandemic.

Opioid use among women trying to conceive may be associated with a lower chance of pregnancy, suggests a National Institutes of Health study. Moreover, opioid use in early pregnancy may be associated with a greater chance of pregnancy loss.

Theresa Hayes Cruz, Ph.D., has been selected as director of the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR).

The National Institutes of Health has announced research funding to encourage the development of approaches that identify children at high risk for developing Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), thought to be a severe complication of COVID-19. Up to $20 million will be awarded to successful research proposals over four years.

Scoring system developed by NIH-funded researchers standardizes patient data to aid research, surveillance and improvement initiatives.