Vegetarian diets during pregnancy are associated with small infant birth weight, but not a higher risk preterm birth or other medical complications, suggests a National Institutes of Health study.
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.
Science Update: Women with asthma may be at higher risk for weight gain during pregnancy, NIH study suggests
Women with asthma are more likely than normal to gain weight during pregnancy and to retain weight 3 months after giving birth, suggests a National Institutes of Health study. On average, women with asthma gained 3.1 kg (just under 7 lbs) more after a full-term pregnancy than women without asthma. Among women with asthma, weight gain was greater with obesity. Weight gain was also greater with more severe asthma and with asthma triggered by exercise. The study authors suggest that their findings underscore the importance of pre-pregnancy counseling for women with asthma on the need to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.
Release: Postpartum depression may persist three years after giving birth
National Institutes of Health study suggests women with mood disorders, gestatational diabetes may have a higher risk.
Media Advisory: Negative pressure wound therapy does not cut infection risk in obese women after cesarean delivery
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.
Media Advisory: NIH-supported study to track prevalence and impact of SARS-CoV-2 among pregnant women in low- and middle-income countries
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.
Media Advisory: New tool compares rates of severe pregnancy complications across U.S. hospitals
Scoring system developed by NIH-funded researchers standardizes patient data to aid research, surveillance and improvement initiatives.
Spotlight: Boosting women’s health by supporting menstruation research
NICHD has supported gynecologic and reproductive health research for decades. Learn more about its leading role in menstruation research.
Media Advisory: Placenta lacks major molecules used by SARS-CoV-2 virus to cause infection
The placental membranes that contain the fetus and amniotic fluid lack the messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule required to manufacture the ACE2 receptor, the main cell surface receptor used by the SARS-CoV-2 virus to cause infection, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health.
Science Update: Drug-containing nanoparticles reduce size of fibroid tumors in mice
In a study of mice, NIH-funded researchers have developed a prototype technique for shrinking uterine fibroids—sometimes painful, noncancerous tumors that form in the uterus. The method involves encasing a tumor-killing drug in nano-sized spheres called liposomes and delivering them directly to the fibroids through the bloodstream. The findings set the stage for studies to determine if the method is safe and effective for treating fibroids in people.
Media Advisory: Genetic analysis suggests distinct subtypes of polycystic ovary syndrome
Polycystic ovary syndrome, an infertility disorder affecting at least 15% of reproductive-age women, may have at least two different subtypes, suggests a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The findings could provide important information on the possible causes of PCOS and for developing more effective ways to treat the condition.
Science Update: Pregnancy, birth complications higher among deaf and hard of hearing women, suggests NIH-funded study
Compared to other women, deaf and hard of hearing women have a higher risk for pregnancy and birth complications such as gestational diabetes and blood pressure disorders, according to a study funded by NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Moreover, infants of deaf and hard of hearing women were more likely to be born preterm, have low birth weight, and receive a low Apgar score—a screening test used to determine the baby’s need for additional medical services.
Release: NIH to test one-dose antibiotic for the prevention of maternal and infant sepsis
Researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will assess whether a single oral dose of the antibiotic azithromycin during labor reduces the risk of maternal and infant bacterial infection and death in seven low- and middle-income countries.
Media Advisory: NIH-funded study to investigate pregnancy outcomes resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic
Researchers to evaluate medical records of 21,000 pregnant women
Media Availability: NIH maternal mortality workshop to address conditions that increase the risk of life-threatening pregnancy complications
Program will include lessons learned from caring for pregnant women with COVID-19.
Director’s Corner: Endometriosis Research to Develop Non-Invasive Treatment and Diagnosis
Research on the causes of and effective treatments for endometriosis is a high priority for NICHD. Our grantees share their findings and ongoing research.
Science Update: Mouse study links exercise during pregnancy to lower risk of obesity in offspring
Exercise during pregnancy stimulates fetal production of brown fat, which boosts metabolism and burns calories, even after birth, suggests a mouse study funded by the National Institutes of Health. When fed a high-fat diet, mice born to mothers who exercised had less weight gain than mice whose mothers did not exercise.
Director’s Corner: Advancing Women’s Health: Research to Reduce Maternal Mortality and Morbidity
NICHD is working with the Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health to enhance coordinated activities addressing the problem of maternal morbidity and mortality.
Media Advisory: Maternal obesity linked to ADHD and behavioral problems in children, NIH study suggests
Maternal obesity may increase a child’s risk for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to an analysis by NICHD researchers.
Item of Interest: Stanley Cohen, Nobel Winner and Longtime NICHD Grantee, Dies
NICHD funded Cohen’s award-winning work on growth factors for most of his career.
Media Advisory: Breastfeeding may reduce type 2 diabetes risk among women with gestational diabetes, NIH study suggests
The longer a woman with gestational, or pregnancy-related, diabetes breastfeeds her infant, the lower her risk for developing type 2 diabetes later in life, suggests an analysis by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other institutions.