Neonatal stress in very preterm babies and its links to epigenetics and development
Official title: Neonatal Stress in Very Preterm Infants: Longitudinal Effects on Epigenetics and Neurodevelopment
Funded at University of Iowa · NIH-11396506 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study following very preterm infants and their caregivers to understand how early stress and caregiver distress influence childhood development through epigenetic changes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Iowa NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Iowa City, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $249,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R00HD110605-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11396506 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Very preterm infants (born with gestational age <32 weeks) and their caregivers.
✕Less likely to help
Infants or caregivers not experiencing high stress or lacking follow-up data may have limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project tracks infants born very early and monitors their physiological stress and epigenetic markers over time, along with caregiver stress levels. Researchers will create new ways to measure neonatal stress and examine how these stress signals relate to later neurodevelopment. They will also explore whether caregiver distress changes the impact of neonatal stress on the child’s outcomes. The goal is to identify when and how stress affects development so future interventions can help these families.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to better strategies to reduce developmental problems in very preterm children by targeting neonatal stress and supporting caregivers.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work has linked neonatal stress and caregiver distress to developmental outcomes, but this study aims to uncover mechanisms and novel stress indices.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Iowa
Iowa City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Momany, Allison Marie — University of Iowa
- Study coordinator: Momany, Allison Marie
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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.