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Intervention during the first five weeks of life prevents autism symptoms from ever developing in mice

Timing is key when treating developmental disorders. Blocking an overactive signaling pathway during the first five weeks of life prevents autism symptoms from ever developing in mice, according to new research published in JNeurosci.

21 Feb 2022

COVID-19 related placental tissue destruction and insufficiency may cause stillbirth and neonatal death from hypoxic-ischemic injury

Researchers evaluate the role of the placenta in causing stillbirth and neonatal death post-maternal COVID-19 and confirmed placental positivity for SARS-CoV-2.

16 Feb 2022

Study identifies a link between mortality of newborns on ECMO and red blood cell transfusion volume

Newborns in respiratory failure who require the life-sustaining support of ECMO also require transfusion of red blood cells. But a new study indicates that the higher volume of these oxygen-carrying blood cells the babies receive, the higher their mortality rate.

14 Feb 2022

Pharmacological manipulation could restore microglia function after exposure to industrial toxin in utero

New research shows that exposure to the industrial byproduct TCDD in utero could cause the brain's immune system to go array later in life, damaging important brain circuits, and potentially giving rise to neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism and ADHD.

11 Feb 2022

Stress created by police violence may affect Black women’s perinatal and cardiovascular health

It is well known that Black women experience disproportionately high rates of preterm delivery and cardiovascular disease.

10 Feb 2022

Prenatal ultrasound to identify fetal anomalies may help detect ASD

A routine prenatal ultrasound in the second trimester can identify early signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a new study by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Soroka Medical Center has found.

9 Feb 2022

Study shows a small increased risk of congenital abnormalities in infants exposed to opioids in utero

A new study in CMAJ shows a small increased risk of congenital abnormalities in infants exposed to opioid medications in the first trimester of pregnancy.

7 Feb 2022

Discovery of new protein could lead to effective treatments for developmental, neurological disorders

Understanding how the brain develops is crucial to formulating treatments and management protocols for a variety of developmental disorders, as well as degenerative neurological diseases. Right from the embryonic stage, brain development is facilitated by the differentiation of neurons (brain cells).

12 Jan 2022

Neural connections of newborns with brain injuries impact childhood functional outcomes

A new UCSF study that mapped the neural connections of newborns with two different kinds of brain injuries found the maps looked very different-;and were linked to significantly different developmental outcomes years later.

6 Jan 2022

Birth during the pandemic associated with slightly lower scores in infants' motor and social skills

Columbia researchers found that babies born during the pandemic's first year scored lower on a developmental screening test of social and motor skills at 6 months-;regardless of whether their mothers had COVID during pregnancy-;compared to babies born just before the pandemic.

4 Jan 2022

SARS-CoV-2 infection and immunity in pregnancy and fetal development

A review conducted by a team of researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the University of Colorado, and Active Motif, Incorporated compiles information on SARS-CoV-2 virology, in utero transmission from infected pregnant mothers to fetuses, new findings on possible methods of SARS-CoV-2 cellular trafficking through exosomes, and the transcriptomic effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection, in order to inform future studies aimed at a better understanding of COVID-19 and the development of therapeutic solutions against SARS-CoV-2.

30 Dec 2021

Hormone levels in the womb before birth linked to the risk of developing migraine in adulthood

Hormone levels in the womb before birth have been potentially linked to the risk of developing migraine in adulthood, reveals a new study of genetic and environmental information from the world's largest database of twins.

16 Dec 2021

Infantile cataracts are more common and problematic than thought

Three days after Canyon Brown was born, the attending pediatrician discovered a problem.

8 Dec 2021

Cannabis vapor exposure generationally affects sperm counts and motility in mice

An intense but short-term exposure to cannabis vapor lowered sperm counts and slowed sperm movement, or motility, not only in the directly exposed male mice but also in their sons.

2 Dec 2021

Study uncovers major disparities in preferred HIV medication uptake in low- and middle-income countries

A new study uncovered large and persistent disparities by sex and age in the uptake of a preferred HIV medication in low- and middle-income countries, potentially subjecting some women to worse HIV treatment outcomes if the situation is not corrected quickly.

30 Nov 2021

U of U Health scientists lead new studies investigating the long-term effects of COVID-19

University of Utah Health scientists are on the leading edge of a pair of large studies investigating the long-term effects of COVID-19.

30 Oct 2021

Breastfeeding and later introduction to gluten may have a protective effect against type 1 diabetes

Research on the role of diet in the development of type 1 diabetes is generally of low evidence, but there are some high-quality studies indicating that longer breastfeeding and later introduction to gluten may reduce the risk of disease.

18 Oct 2021

Mothers pass on the legacy of stress exposure to future generations

A mother's response to stress can even influence her grandchildren. Biologists at the University of Iowa found that roundworm mothers subjected to heat stress passed, under certain conditions and through modifications to their genes, the legacy of that stress exposure not only to their offspring but even to their offspring's children.

13 Oct 2021

An investigation of SARS-CoV-2 infection in diabetic pregnancies

Researchers discuss the basic and clinical science of the potential inter-relationships between diabetes mellitus and COVID-19 in pregnancies.

11 Oct 2021

More severe SARS-CoV-2 infection associated with greater risk of preterm birth

Researchers at the Wayne State University School of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health's Perinatology Research Branch in Detroit have discovered that the more severely infected with COVID-19 a mother is, the more likely she is to experience preterm birth.

8 Oct 2021