NICHDevelopments November

Adopting pediatric readiness standards in emergency departments could save more than 2,000 lives each year

Widespread adoption of standards designed to improve care for children in U.S. emergency departments could save an estimated 2,143 lives each year, suggests a study funded by NIH.

NIH announces winners of prize competition to improve postpartum maternal health and health equity

NIH announced the winners of the RADx® Tech for Maternal Health Challenge, an $8 million prize competition to encourage development of postpartum maternal health diagnostics for use in regions that have limited access to maternity care. The eight winning teams developed home-based and point-of-care diagnostics, wearables, and other accessible technologies.

NIH establishes $20 million program to study Down syndrome from birth to adulthood

NIH recently launched a long-term study to observe and track health data of people with Down syndrome from birth to adulthood. The Down Syndrome Cohort Development Program, which is led by NIH’s INCLUDE Project, aims to engage and enroll thousands of individuals, including those who have been historically underrepresented in Down syndrome research.

Childhood adversity associated with higher risk of premature death by suicide and substance use in adulthood

Compared to those who experienced a low level of adversity in childhood, people who experienced a high level of childhood adversity were more likely to die by suicide or substance use in middle adulthood, according to a study of nearly 50,000 people conducted by NICHD researchers.

Research Highlights from the Division of Intramural Research

Improving understanding of wound healing, evaluating the accuracy of birthweight estimates, and studying the effects of social exclusion in children’s eating behaviors are among recent advances from NICHD’s Division of Intramural Research.

Evaluating androgen levels in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) helps inform infertility treatments

PCOS, according to an NICHD-funded study. PCOS is a set of symptoms—including metabolic and reproductive—related to a hormonal imbalance. The authors concluded that evaluating androgen levels in PCOS patients could help physicians more effectively guide them and treat those with infertility.

Researchers upgrade wearable device for monitoring placental oxygen levels

NICHD researchers have refined a wearable device that monitors placental oxygen levels—pairing it with sensors that monitor a pregnant person’s breathing, heart rate, and uterine contractions, along with fetal movements. The investigators found that low placental oxygen levels measured by the device correlated with maternal conditions, placental complications, and newborn complications in 29 pregnancies. The wearable device, which relies on near-infrared light to detect blood oxygen levels, has the potential to identify at-risk pregnancies.

NIH announces prize winners in year-long challenge to develop fetal diagnostic and monitoring technologies

NIH announced winners of the RADx® Tech Fetal Monitoring Challenge, a $2 million prize competition to speed development of innovative medical technologies for fetal health diagnosis, detection, and monitoring. Among the top winners were a device to detect fetal stress, an AI model for early detection of congenital heart disease, and a wearable ultrasound patch to monitor fetal vascular health.

Selected Funding Opportunities

Requests for Applications, Program Announcements

Featured This Month: