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: Antioxidant supplements do not improve male fertility, NIH study suggests

Antioxidant supplements do not improve semen quality among men with infertility, according to a new NICHD-supported study.

Release: Zinc, folic acid supplement does not improve male fertility, NIH study suggests

Dietary supplements containing zinc and folic acid—marketed as a treatment for male infertility—do not appear to improve pregnancy rates, sperm counts or sperm function, according to a study conducted by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), part of the National Institutes of Health.

Spotlight: Selected NICHD Research Advances of 2019

Read about NICHD’s notable research findings and activities from 2019.

Science Update: Mouse X chromosome genes linked to male infertility, NIH-funded study suggests

The mouse X chromosome contains two amplicons—regions in which a single gene is copied multiple times—that appear to control male fertility and offspring sex ratios, an NIH-funded study suggests. The findings could provide insight into male infertility among humans.

Media Advisory: Cryopreservation of immature testicular tissue leads to successful birth in monkeys

Researchers have successfully frozen testicular tissue from monkeys too young to produce sperm and used this tissue to produce a pregnancy resulting in live, healthy offspring. The finding is an early step in the development of a method to store testicular tissue for children before they undergo fertility-destroying treatment for cancer or other disorders. The research team was led by Kyle E. Orwig, Ph.D., of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and was funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), part of the National Institutes of Health.

Media Advisory: Proximity to muscle cells may promote spread of prostate cancer cells, NIH study suggests

Proximity to nearby muscle cells may make prostate cancer cells more likely to invade nearby tissues and spread to other organs, according to an early study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health. The presence of muscle cells appears to make cancer cells more likely to fuse two or more cancer cells into a single cell, thereby increasing their invasiveness and ability to spread.

Media Advisory: NICHD chronicles its major research advances of 2018

As 2018 winds down, a new slideshow highlights a selection of initiatives, therapies, and scientific advances supported by NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).

Spotlight: Selected NICHD Research Advances of 2018

In 2018, researchers funded by NICHD made significant progress in advancing the health and well-being of infants, children, teenagers, and adults across the United States and around the world.

Release: NIH to evaluate effectiveness of male contraceptive skin gel

A clinical trial funded by the National Institutes of Health will evaluate a male contraceptive gel for its ability to prevent pregnancy.

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.​

Getting to Know the New NICHD Director

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

High levels of urinary paracetamol may impair male fertility, NIH study suggests

Couples in which the male partner had high levels of paracetamol in his urine took longer to achieve pregnancy than couples in which the male had lower levels of the compound, according to a preliminary study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health.

Couples’ pre-pregnancy caffeine consumption linked to miscarriage risk

A woman is more likely to miscarry if she and her partner drink more than two caffeinated beverages a day during the weeks leading up to conception, according to a new study from researchers at the National Institutes of Health and Ohio State University, Columbus.

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.

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.

Exploring Population Dynamics

NICHD’s Population Dynamics Branch supports research on a range of topics, including the factors that make populations rise and fall, such as fertility and mortality. We checked in with branch chief Rebecca Clark to learn more about the branch’s work.

Annual Report Highlights Population Health Research Findings

The NICHD’s Division of Intramural Population Health Research (DIPHR) provides research updates in its newly released annual report for 2014.

In Search of Answers for Those Struggling With Infertility

During National Infertility Awareness Week 2015, Dr. Alan Guttmacher explores the latest research in an article in the Huffington Po

Physical labor, hypertension and multiple meds may reduce male fertility

Working in a physically demanding job, having high blood pressure, and taking multiple medications are among health risks that may undermine a man’s fertility, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and Stanford University, Stanford, California.
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