Within NIH, NICHD leads research focused on women’s health “below the belt.” This includes addressing a spectrum of gynecological and reproductive health issues, from endometriosis to pelvic floor disorders.
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: Exposure to tobacco smoke from fetal development through adolescence may increase high blood pressure, diabetes risk in midlife, NIH-funded study suggests
Individuals born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy and when they were children may be at an increased risk for high blood pressure and diabetes.
Item of Interest: NIH Distinguished Investigator Gisela Storz Elected AAAS Fellow
Gisela Storz, Ph.D., an NIH Distinguished Investigator at NICHD has been elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Dr. Storz was honored for her distinguished contributions to the field of microbiology.
Science Update: Steroid treatment in late pregnancy does not appear to affect children’s neurodevelopment, NICHD-funded study suggests
Children born to mother who received a steroid injection in late pregnancy do not appear to be at risk for adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. The findings help to allay concerns that the treatment—given to help fetal lungs mature in case of preterm birth—could affect neurodevelopment.
Spotlight: Genetic Research Offers Hope for Targeted Therapies for Lymphatic Malformations
Anomalies of the vascular system include lymphatic malformations that can cause lymphedema, or swelling in parts of the body. These anomalies arise from gene mutations that can be hereditary or occur spontaneously after conception. Research led by the Sheppard Lab at NICHD is seeking to understand the genetic causes of vascular anomalies, examine how they change over a lifetime, and identify drugs to treat them.
Media Advisory: AI model has potential to detect risk of childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder
An AI program has the potential to identify signs of childbirth related post-traumatic stress disorder by evaluating short narratives of patients who have given birth. With further refinements, the program could potentially identify a large proportion of those at risk.
Item of Interest: NIH-funded report recommends strategies to advance inclusion of pregnant and lactating women in clinical research
A report issued by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine makes recommendations to improve the safe and ethical inclusion of pregnant and lactating women in clinical research while reducing the risk of liability. Enhancing inclusion of pregnant and lactating people in clinical research promises to help people and their health care providers make informed decisions.
Director's Corner: Addressing Infertility
Infertility affects millions of lives. NICHD supports research to better understand its causes and contributing factors and to improve treatments for both male and female inferility.
Science Update: Preterm infant hernia surgery safer after initial hospital discharge, NIH-funded study suggests
Infants who underwent surgery for inguinal hernia—when intestinal tissue protrudes through an abnormal opening in the abdominal muscles—after discharge had fewer adverse events than those who had surgery while still in the hospital, a study suggests. The findings offer guidance on the best timing to perform this delicate surgery on fragile infants.
Media Advisory: Irregular sleep and late bedtimes associated with worse grades for high school students
Irregular sleep and late bedtimes are linked to worse grades and more school-related behavioral problems among teens, a new study suggests. Interventions to promote regular sleep hours could potentially boost their academic performance.
Science Update: Stress, microRNA linked to uterine fibroids, preliminary NIH-funded study suggests
Patients with uterine fibroids who scored high on stress questionnaires also had high levels of certain microRNAs—which regulate genes--in their uterine muscle tissue. The findings add to previous studies linking stress to the development and severity of fibroids.
Spotlight: Scientific Advances from the Division of Intramural Research
The Division of Intramural Research provides fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living
systems through basic, clinical, and population-based research.
Science Update: Relatives of men with infertility may be at higher risk for certain cancers, NIH-funded study suggests
Relatives of men with no or a very low sperm count may be at higher risk for cancers. The findings may lead to new ways for identifying people at risk.
Science Update: Stress from peer exclusion may contribute to weight gain among children, NIH study suggests
Children testing higher social anxiety may be at greater risk for overeating and weight gain after being socially excluded by their peers. The findings suggest that efforts to reduce obesity in children may need to consider social stresses, such as ostracism.
Media Advisory: Repurposed drug shows promise against endometriosis-related pain in animal model
An NIH-funded study suggests that fenoprofen may be a potential therapeutic for endometriosis, a disease that affects approximately 1 in 10 U.S. women. The researchers used a computer algorithm to evaluate nearly 1,300 existing drugs and tested their top candidate, fenoprofen, in a rodent model of the disease.
Item of Interest: NIH-funded research leads to fluconazole labeling updates for use in infants
Health care providers often use the antifungal drug fluconazole “off-label” to prevent and treat fungal infections in infants. Thanks to NICHD-funded research, fluconazole labels now include information about the drug’s recommended usage and dosage in infants, including those born prematurely.
Director's Corner: Elucidating the Effects of Digital Media on Children
NICHD has a longstanding commitment to research on the effects of exposure to and use of technology and digital media from infancy through adolescence. Since 2020, the Institute has expanded its research in this area to advance toward the goal of discovering how such exposure and use affect developmental trajectories, health outcomes, and parent-child interactions in early childhood.
Spotlight: NIH Panel Explores Endometriosis Advances, Emphasizes Awareness
Around 200 million people worldwide live with endometriosis, a common gynecological disease with symptoms that include pelvic pain, fatigue, and infertility. NICHD recently hosted a discussion about advances and new directions in endometriosis research, and the imperative of raising awareness and education about the disease.
Release: Children Surpass a Year of HIV Remission after Treatment Pause
Four children enrolled in an NIH-funded study have remained free of detectable HIV for more than one year after their antiretroviral therapy was paused to see if they could achieve HIV remission, researchers report. The findings suggest that very early HIV treatment enables unique features of the neonatal immune system to limit HIV reservoir development, increasing the prospect of HIV remission.
Item of Interest: NIH awards interim prizes in fetal diagnostic and monitoring technology competition
NIH has announced finalists in its competition to accelerate the development of diagnostic and monitoring
technologies to improve fetal health outcomes.