How maternal inflammation during pregnancy affects children's development and aging
Official title: Maternal inflammation in relation to offspring epigenetic aging and neurodevelopment
Funded at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences · NIH-11109496 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how inflammation in pregnant moms might affect their children's brain development and overall health as they grow up, and it’s for families who want to understand how a mom's health during pregnancy can influence her child's future.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | June 1, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $623,100 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD111550-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11109496 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research include pregnant women and their children, particularly those who may be exposed to maternal inflammation.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not pregnant or whose children are older than four years may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the impact of maternal inflammation during pregnancy on the neurodevelopment and biological aging of children. By measuring levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in mothers, the study aims to understand how these factors influence the health of their offspring. Using a pediatric-specific epigenetic clock, researchers will collect non-invasive buccal swabs from children to track their epigenetic age over time. The goal is to identify biomarkers that can predict health risks in children based on maternal health during pregnancy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to early identification of children at risk for developmental issues, allowing for timely interventions.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results in understanding the link between maternal health and child development, but this specific approach using a pediatric epigenetic clock is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
Newark, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shiau, Stephanie — Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Shiau, Stephanie
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Aging Well with HIV: Alcohol, Risk Reduction, and Education Center (AWAR3E)
A center at Yale is exploring how aging with HIV interacts with alcohol use to create inflammation and frailty, with the goal of finding biomarkers and potential treatments.
-
Cognitive SuperAging: Exploring why some octogenarians stay sharp in memory
This NIH grant studies why a small group of people aged 80+ keep memory skills as good as much younger people, hoping to understand how to protect memory as we age.
-
Biological aging across the lifespan through a national high school-to-adult study
This grant uses a long-running national study of students and adults to collect saliva biomarkers of aging, alongside surveys, to understand how aging markers relate to health and life experiences.
-
Understanding how aging and Alzheimer’s affect how people make tough choices
This NIH grant studies how aging and Alzheimer’s risk change how people decide between immediate and delayed rewards and risky options, with the goal of helping older adults stay financially and healthwise safer.
-
Understanding how brain resilience and multiple brain pathologies influence aging and Alzheimer's disease
A long-term study follows older adults to learn how resilience to brain changes helps reduce dementia risk and what biological factors are linked to better cognitive aging.
-
National Neighborhood Data Archive helps researchers study aging health in U.S. neighborhoods
A nationwide data resource will help researchers understand how where people live affects health and aging, with a focus on respiratory illnesses in older adults.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.