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News & Updates

NICHD issues Releases and Media Advisories to the news media. Science Updates and Spotlights explain NICHD research findings and public health issues to the general public. An Item of Interest is a short announcement such as an initiative launch or a notable staff change. Director’s Corner posts are monthly updates from the NICHD director.

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Media Advisory: Gout treatment may help prevent obesity-related type 2 diabetes, suggests small NIH study

The drug colchicine, used to treat the arthritic condition gout, could potentially reduce complications accompanying metabolic syndrome, a combination of high blood pressure, high blood sugar and other conditions that increase the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health.

Media Advisory: NIH to Host Community Engagement Forum on Improving Maternal Health

Pregnant woman talking to a group of pregnant women.

On April 8, 2019, join community organizations and healthcare professionals to discuss strategies for reducing the rising rate of maternal deaths in the United States.

Spotlight: Food for Health: Nutrition Research across the Lifespan

Man sharing healthy food with little girl.

Nutrition is vital to health, growth, and development through all stages of life. Poor nutrition causes health problems and can contribute to heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, cancer, and other diseases. NIH recently released a draft of its first-ever Strategic Plan for NIH Nutrition Research to focus efforts in advancing the scientific understanding of interactions between diet, nutritional status, biological processes, and the environment.

Science Update: NIH-funded mouse study links weight gain in pregnancy to obesity in later life

Pregnant woman holding a bathroom-style scale in one hand while cupping her other hand over her stomach.

Excessive weight gain during pregnancy could permanently slow metabolism and lead to weight gain in later life, according to the results of a mouse study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Science Update: NICHD-supported study explores inherited and environmental influences on gene activity

Chromosomes are colored blue, with the chromosome in the center of the image colored in shades of yellow, pink, purple, and blue.

Findings from a study on twins may help explain factors that activate or silence genes.

News Release: Obesity during pregnancy may lead directly to fetal overgrowth, NIH study suggests

Stock image of woman’s feet on a bathroom scale

Obesity during pregnancy—independent of its health consequences such as diabetes—may account for the higher risk of giving birth to an atypically large infant.

Pregnancy diet high in refined grains could increase child obesity risk by age 7, NIH study suggests

Children born to women with gestational diabetes whose diet included high proportions of refined grains may have a higher risk of obesity by age 7, compared to children born to women with gestational diabetes who ate low proportions of refined grains, according to results from a National Institutes of Health study.

Drinking diet beverages during pregnancy linked to child obesity, NIH study suggests

Children born to women who had gestational diabetes and drank at least one artificially sweetened beverage per day during pregnancy were more likely to be overweight or obese at age 7, compared to children born to women who had gestational diabetes and drank water instead of artificially sweetened beverages, according to a study led by researchers at the National Institutes of Health.

Aspirin may help increase pregnancy chances in women with high inflammation, NIH study finds

pregnant woman reviewing ultrasound scans

A daily low dose of aspirin may help a subgroup of women who have previously lost a pregnancy to successfully conceive and carry a pregnancy to term, according to an analysis by researchers at the National Institutes of Health.

Couples with obesity may take longer to achieve pregnancy, NIH study suggests

Couples in which both partners are obese may take from 55 to 59 percent longer to achieve pregnancy, compared to their non-obese counterparts, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health.

Parental obesity linked to delays in child development, NIH study suggests

Children of obese parents may be at risk for developmental delays, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health.

Experimental therapy for Prader-Willi syndrome shows promise in mice

Drugs capable of activating silenced genes improve survival and growth outcomes in a mouse model of Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), a rare and incurable childhood disease that can lead to life-threatening obesity.

Kids diagnosed, treated for depression should be monitored for weight gain, NIH-funded researchers suggest

Children and youth diagnosed with depression, and those taking antidepressants, should be monitored and potentially treated to prevent excess weight gain. This is the conclusion of researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health, who observed progressive weight gain among children and older teens diagnosed with depression and those taking antidepressants.

Getting to Know the New NICHD Director

NICHD Director Dr. Diana Bianchi shares some thoughts about joining NICHD.

Adolescent birth rate drops across all racial groups, annual report shows

According to the 2016 edition of America’s Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, in 2014, the adolescent birth rate was 11 births per 1,000 girls ages 15 to 17 years, down from 12 per 1,000 in 2013. Racial and ethnic disparities in adolescent birth rates also have declined, although substantial differences persist.

Proper maternal folate level may reduce child obesity risk

Mother and child with healthcare provider.

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.

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.

Healthy diet may reduce high blood pressure risk after gestational diabetes, NIH study suggests

Sticking to a healthy diet in the years after pregnancy may reduce the risk of high blood pressure among women who had pregnancy-related (gestational) diabetes, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other institutions.

High blood sugar in pregnancy may increase kids’ obesity risk by age 7

Children of women with high blood sugar levels during pregnancy may more likely be obese by age 7, compared to children born to women with lower blood sugar levels during pregnancy, according to a study led by investigators from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Spotlight: NICHD Needs Your Input for the All of Us Research Program

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NICHD needs your input for NIH’s All of Us program.

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News & Updates