Tracking brain stressors from pregnancy to child development
Official title: Tracking Adverse prenatal Brain Stressors on offspring development (TABS)
Funded at Children's Research Institute · NIH-11413549 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant follows mothers and their children to see how pregnancy stress and worry affect a child's brain development and later behavior.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Children's Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Washington, United States) |
| Project start | September 4, 2025 |
| Project end | June 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $712,970 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD118702-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11413549 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Families with a mother who experienced elevated distress during pregnancy and their offspring, across early childhood.
✕Less likely to help
Families not exposed to significant prenatal distress or with unrelated brain development concerns may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers will study a group of mother–child pairs to map how stress during pregnancy relates to brain structure and function in children, using MRI scans. The study also tracks how kids grow developmentally and how parenting and attachment may be shaped by maternal distress. By comparing offspring exposed to prenatal maternal distress with those not exposed, the team hopes to identify brain and developmental trajectories over time. Findings could help families understand risks and guide early support for children at higher risk of developmental challenges.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could inform earlier identification of children at risk and guide interventions to support brain development and healthy parent–child relationships.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research links prenatal distress to child developmental outcomes, but this project adds detailed MRI trajectories and long-term parenting effects to refine understanding.
Where this research is happening
-
Children's Research Institute
Washington, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Andescavage, Nickie Niforatos — Children's Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Andescavage, Nickie Niforatos
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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.