In Utero News and Research

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Prenatal THC and CBD exposure impairs offspring's ability to respond to fluoxetine

Scientists at Indiana University have found that significant amounts of the two main components of cannabis, THC and CBD, enter the embryonic brain of mice in utero and impair the mice's ability as adults to respond to fluoxetine, a drug commonly used to treat anxiety and depression and known by the brand name Prozac.

1 Jul 2021

Organic food intake linked with better fluid intelligence and working memory in children

A study analyzing the association between a wide variety of prenatal and childhood exposures and neuropsychological development in school-age children has found that organic food intake is associated with better scores on tests of fluid intelligence (ability to solve novel reasoning problems) and working memory (ability of the brain to retain new information while it is needed in the short term).

30 Jun 2021

In utero exposure to high levels of manganese, selenium may protect children from high blood pressure

Children who were exposed to higher levels of trace minerals manganese and selenium during their mothers' pregnancy had a lower risk of high blood pressure in childhood, according to a study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

23 Jun 2021

$Researchers report a new genetic cause for infantile fractures$

Researchers report a new genetic cause for infantile fractures

An intrauterine fracture is a rare finding during routine prenatal imaging. This condition can be due to maternal trauma, genetic disorders of the skeleton, as well as other predisposing maternal metabolic and vascular disorders.

18 Jun 2021

Researchers explore potential exposure to microbial agents in-utero

The human fetal immune system begins to develop early during gestation, however, factors responsible for fetal immune-priming remain elusive.

16 Jun 2021

Prenatal exposure to air pollutants may increase infants' obesity risk

Women exposed to higher levels of air pollution during pregnancy have babies who grow unusually fast in the first months after birth, putting on excess fat that puts them at risk of obesity and related diseases later in life, new CU Boulder research shows.

15 Jun 2021

UCSF launches new initiative to propel the development of living therapeutics

UC San Francisco is launching a new initiative to propel the development of living therapeutics - a category of treatments broadly defined as human and microbial living cells that are selected, modified, or engineered to treat or cure disease - and bring them quickly to patients.

14 Jun 2021

Childhood stress associated with early emergence of permanent molars

Early in her career neuroscientist Allyson Mackey began thinking about molars. As a researcher who studies brain development, she wanted to know whether when these teeth arrived might indicate early maturation in children.

9 Jun 2021

Restoring gut microbes can improve antibiotic-induced dysbiosis and prevent colitis in mice

A new study at the University of Chicago has determined that restoring a single microbial species -- Bacteroides sp. CL1-UC (Bc) -- to the gut microbiome at a key developmental timepoint can prevent antibiotic-induced colitis in a mouse model of the condition.

7 Jun 2021

Impact of maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection on neonatal immunology

Although extensive studies have been carried out on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and evidence exists that pregnant women are at elevated risk of severe COVID-19, the impact of maternal infection on the fetus is not clear. The majority of pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV-2 are asymptomatic or experience mild symptoms.

7 Jun 2021

Maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection imprints immune response in the newborn

A new bioRxiv* preprint reports the immunological footprint in the newborn left by maternal infection with SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy.

4 Jun 2021

Researchers develop proof-of-concept treatment for blood disorders

Researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have developed a proof-of-concept treatment for blood disorders like sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia that could raise hemoglobin levels by activating production of both fetal and adult hemoglobin.

1 Jun 2021

Researchers identify new way to improve the diagnosis of fetal heart defects

UC San Francisco researchers have found a way to double doctors' accuracy in detecting the vast majority of complex fetal heart defects in utero - when interventions could either correct them or greatly improve a child's chance of survival - by combining routine ultrasound imaging with machine-learning computer tools.

27 May 2021

Prenatal exposure to air pollution can cause asthma in children

Women who were highly exposed to ultra-fine particles in air pollution during their pregnancy were more likely to have children who developed asthma, according to a study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine in May.

21 May 2021