In Utero News and Research

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Antibiotics in pregnancy and infancy do not raise autoimmune disease risk in children

A nationwide Korean cohort study found that antibiotic use during pregnancy or early infancy did not increase overall risk of childhood autoimmune diseases. Subgroup signals for Crohn’s disease and autoimmune thyroiditis warrant cautious follow-up.

25 Aug 2025

Urban heat and pollution linked to behavioral changes in children

Individuals living in urban cities are experiencing the combined effect of increasing temperatures and poor air quality, often referred to as the urban heat dome.

22 Aug 2025

New generation of CRISPR shows safer path to treating genetic diseases

A new generation of CRISPR technology developed at UNSW Sydney offers a safer path to treating genetic diseases like Sickle Cell, while also proving beyond doubt that chemical tags on DNA - often thought to be little more than genetic cobwebs - actively silence genes.

17 Aug 2025

Fetal procedure dramatically reduces mortality in high-risk Vein of Galen Malformation cases

Building upon the success of the first in utero brain surgery for Vein of Galen Malformation (VOGM) reported in 2023, new data published today in JAMA provides further evidence for the potential use of fetal embolization for this condition.

11 Aug 2025

Virtual memory T cells provide nonspecific immunity for infants early in life

Findings from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital demonstrate that virtual memory T cells, a specialized group of immune cells, provide nonspecific immunity for infants early in life.

31 Jul 2025

Forever chemicals cross placenta and breast milk affecting babies’ immunity

New research reveals that tiny amounts of PFAS-widely known as "forever chemicals"-cross the placenta and breast milk to alter infants' developing immune systems, potentially leaving lasting imprints on their ability to fight disease.

23 Jul 2025

Study uncovers how teeth hold key clues to childhood craniofacial disorders

Teeth may seem like static fixtures, but a new collaboration between engineers and clinicians is proving just how dynamic, informative and medically significant our teeth can be.

18 Jul 2025

In utero exposure to vape liquids can alter skull shape during fetal development

In utero exposure to two liquid ingredients in e-cigarettes – minus the nicotine that drives addiction – can alter skull shape during fetal development, a new study in mice has found.

16 Jul 2025

New method expands access to patient-specific amniotic stem cells

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have discovered that amniotic fluid stem cells can be safely collected from vaginal fluid after childbirth rather than relying on more invasive methods that can pose some risk to the mother and fetus.

16 Jul 2025

Understanding the early roots of sensory differences in autism

A researcher from the University of Kansas Life Span Institute is part of an international group that recently published a comprehensive review of differences in sensory processing for people with autism during the prenatal (in utero) and neonatal (birth to a few months old) phases of life.

15 Jul 2025

Early life exposure to PFHxA may impact male brain development

"Forever chemicals" or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been widely used in consumer and industrial products for the better part of a century, but do not break down in the natural environment.

4 Jul 2025

Prenatal exposure to air pollution and climatic factors associated with adverse birth outcomes in India

Prenatal exposure to ambient fine particulate matter and climatic factors, such as temperature and rainfall, are associated with adverse birth outcomes in India, according to a study published July 2nd, 2025, in the open-access journal PLOS Global Public Health by Mary Abed Al Ahad from the University of St Andrews, U.K.

3 Jul 2025

‘MAHA Report’ calls for fighting chronic disease, but Trump and Kennedy have yanked funding

‘MAHA report’ calls for fighting chronic disease, but Trump and Kennedy have yanked funding

2 Jul 2025

Prenatal exposure to nitrates associated with increased risk of preterm birth

Even low levels of nitrate-a common agricultural runoff and drinking water contaminant-are associated with increased risks of preterm birth and low birthweight babies, according to a new study published June 25 in PLOS Water by Jason Semprini of Des Moines University College of Health Sciences, US.

25 Jun 2025

Cord blood proteins help detect early sepsis in preterm infants

Scientists from Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and colleagues identified several proteins from the umbilical cord blood of preterm newborns that signal acute systemic inflammation as an immune response to infection, providing objective and noninvasive means to diagnose early onset sepsis.

20 Jun 2025

Disrupted biological rhythms in teens can produce unexpected brain effects

A new McGill University-led study suggests that disrupting the body's internal clock during adolescence can alter how the brain responds to an in-utero risk factor linked to certain brain disorders.

17 Jun 2025

Genetic factors influence obesity risk in children exposed to gestational diabetes

Children exposed to gestational diabetes in utero with a specific variation of a common gene are at a higher risk of becoming overweight or obese during childhood, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

30 May 2025