Obesity During Pregnancy May Lead Directly to Fetal Overgrowth
Obesity during pregnancy—independent of its health consequences such as diabetes—may account for the higher risk of giving birth to an atypically large infant.
Opioid Treatment Drugs Have Similar Outcomes
A study comparing the effectiveness of two pharmacologically distinct medications used to treat opioid use disorder—a buprenorphine/naloxone combination and an extended release naltrexone formulation—shows similar outcomes once medication treatment is initiated.
Air Pollution Exposure in Early Pregnancy Linked To Miscarriage, Study Suggests
Exposure to common air pollutants, such as ozone and fine particles, may increase the risk of early pregnancy loss.
Early-Phase Trial Shows Shrinkage in Pediatric Neural Tumors
In an early phase clinical trial of a new oral drug, selumetinib, children with the common genetic disorder neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and plexiform neurofibromas, tumors of the peripheral nerves, tolerated selumetinib and, in most cases, responded to it with tumor shrinkage.
Hearing Loss Prevalence Declining in U.S. Adults Ages 20-69
Hearing loss among U.S. adults ages 20 to 69 has declined over the last decade, even as the number of older Americans continues to grow.These findings also confirm that hearing loss is strongly associated with age and other demographic factors such as sex, race/ethnicity and education.
Biomarker in Blood May Help Predict Recovery Time for Sports Concussions
Researchers at NIH have found that the blood protein tau could be an important new clinical biomarker to better identify athletes who need more recovery time before safely returning to play after a sports-related concussion.
Drug Combination Reduces Risk of HIV Infection Among Teen Males
An NIH network study has confirmed that a combination of two drugs taken daily to reduce the chances of HIV infection among high-risk adults also works well and appears safe in males ages 15 to 17 years.
Sequencing All 24 Human Chromosomes Uncovers Rare Disorders
Extending noninvasive prenatal screening to all 24 human chromosomes can detect genetic disorders that may explain miscarriage and abnormalities during pregnancy, according to a study by researchers at NIH and other institutions.
Zika Virus Selectively Infects, Kills Glioblastoma Cells in Mice
The Zika virus (ZIKV) may infect and kill a specific type of brain cancer cells while leaving normal adult brain tissue minimally affected, according to a new study supported by NIAID.
Robotic Exoskeleton Offers Approach to Alleviate Crouch Gait in Kids with Cerebral Palsy
Researchers from the Clinical Center’s rehabilitation medicine department have created the first robotic exoskeleton specifically designed to treat crouch (or flexed-knee) gait in children with cerebral palsy by providing powered knee extension assistance at key points during the walking cycle.