News

NIH-supported program reduces maternal deaths, complications in rural Guatemalan communities.

An antibody treatment in early pregnancy for women infected with cytomegalovirus does not appear to reduce the risk of infection or death among their newborns, an NIH-funded study suggests. The findings contradict several smaller studies on the treatment, known as hyperimmune globulin, that suggested the treatment was effective.

Drinking alcohol and smoking tobacco cigarettes throughout the first trimester of pregnancy is associated with nearly three times the risk of late stillbirth (at 28 or more weeks), compared to women who neither drink nor smoke during pregnancy or quit both before the end of the first trimester, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Racial and ethnic disparities in maternal mortality in the United States may be larger than previously reported, suggests an NICHD-funded study.

A panel of experts convened by NICHD has recommended standardized criteria to define infection of the placenta with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Their recommendations aim to help streamline research on SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy and ultimately optimize clinical care.

Preemptive treatment for a nonviable pregnancy of unknown location resolves the condition more rapidly than treating symptoms as they arise, suggests an NICHD-supported study. However, both treatment approaches convey similar risks of adverse events.

The National Institutes of Health will award up to $400,000 to individuals or groups who design an effective method for analyzing a large data set of first-time pregnancies and identifying risk factors for adverse outcomes, such as hypertensive disorders, diabetes and infection. A total of $50,000 will be awarded to each of seven winners designing the most effective means to analyze the data. An additional $10,000 will be awarded to the top five winners whose methods identify risk factors in disadvantaged populations.

Dr. Bianchi reflects on the life and contributions of Eunice Kennedy Shriver ahead of Mrs. Shriver’s 100th birthday and how improving equity, diversity, and inclusion at NICHD continues Mrs. Shriver’s work.

An analysis funded by the National Institutes of Health confirmed the safety of daily low-dose aspirin to prevent preterm birth in first-time mothers with a singleton pregnancy in low- and middle-income countries. Compared to the placebo group, those in the aspirin group were no more likely to require an unexpected emergency medical visit or to experience any side effects, other than a mild skin rash.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have developed a prototype device that could potentially diagnose pregnancy complications by monitoring the oxygen level of the placenta.

Women in the first trimester of pregnancy when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 were more likely to deliver preterm compared to women who gave birth before the assassination, according to an analysis by NIH-funded researchers. The findings suggest that experiencing a sudden stress early in pregnancy may increase the risk of adverse birth outcomes.

A healthy diet around the time of conception through the second trimester may reduce the risk of several common pregnancy complications, suggests a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health.

Women assigned to 1,000 mg of an omega-3 fatty acid, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), daily in the last half of pregnancy had a lower rate of early preterm birth (<34 weeks gestation) than women who took the standard dose of 200 mg, found in many prenatal supplements, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. Women who entered the study with low baseline DHA levels had the greatest reduction in early preterm birth.

Pregnant women made only modest dietary changes after being diagnosed with gestational diabetes, according to a study by NICHD researchers.

NICHD Director Dr. Diana Bianchi is joined by NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health Director Dr. Janine Clayton in assessing the growing maternal health crisis in the United States and describing NIH’s efforts to address it.

Trophoblasts—the outermost fetal cells of the placenta—may be able to contain SARS-CoV-2 and prevent it from spreading to the fetus even though these cells appear to be susceptible to infection by the virus, a study by NIH-funded researchers suggests. Further research into how trophoblasts might contain the virus could lead to ways to prevent COVID-19 in children and adults. The findings may also lead to insights on why fetuses are only rarely infected with SARS-CoV-2.

A team of researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health has developed a new ultrasound technique to monitor the placenta for impaired fetal blood flow early in pregnancy. The technique, which uses conventional ultrasound equipment, relies on subtle differences in the pulsation of fetal blood through the arteries at the fetal and placental ends of the umbilical cord, potentially enabling physicians to identify placental abnormalities that impair fetal blood flow and, if necessary, deliver the fetus early.

Results bolster previous studies finding no growth, development differences with IVF.

Looking back and looking ahead. NICHD Director Dr. Diana W. Bianchi joins other leaders across NIH in reflecting on the work of the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) program and discussing plans for the future.

Current vaccines to prevent COVID-19 are highly effective in producing antibodies in pregnant people, resulting in more antibodies than what is generated from a natural SARS-CoV-2 virus infection, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. Moreover, antibodies produced after vaccination are present in breastmilk and travel across the placenta, indicating that vaccination during pregnancy will also confer immunity to newborns.