Autism Spectrum Disorder Risk Linked to Insufficient Placental Steroid

Autism spectrum disorder risk linked to insufficient placental steroid A study led by Children’s National Hospital and presented during Neuroscience 2019 finds that loss of allopregnanolone, a key hormone supplied by the placenta, leads to long-term structural alterations of the cerebellum – a brain region essential for smooth motor coordination, balance and social cognition – and increases the risk of developing autism.

$5M in federal funding to help patients with urea cycle disorders An international research consortium co-led by Andrea L. Gropman, M.D., at Children’s National Hospital has received $5 million in federal funding as part of an overall effort to better understand rare diseases and accelerate potential treatments to patients. Molecular gatekeepers that regulate calcium ions key to muscle function Controlled entry of calcium ions into the mitochondria, the cell’s energy powerhouses, makes the difference between whether muscles grow strong or easily tire and perish from injury, according to research published in Cell Reports. Children’s National to host 30th Annual Pediatric Neurology Update This year’s course will feature two critical areas in pediatric neuroscience: neuromuscular diseases with a special emphasis on the scientific, medical, ethical and financial implications of the new molecular genetic therapies for pediatric neuromuscular disease and advances in neurocritical care. Novel approach for detecting fetal growth restriction A new study shows that morphometric and textural analyses of magnetic resonance imaging can point out subtle architectural deviations associated with fetal growth restriction during the second half of pregnancy, a first-time finding that has the promise to lead to earlier intervention.

Upcoming Events 30th Annual Pediatric Neurology Update April 2, 2020 Bethesda, Maryland Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting April 29-May 6, 2020 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Copyright © 2020, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Children's National 111 Michigan Ave NW Washington, District of Columbia 20010