Understanding Stress in Preterm Infants and Their Mothers
Official title: PRemature Infants, Moms, and the Social determinants of health - an Epigenetic Investigation (PRIMS-EI)
Funded at Marquette University · NIH-11140364 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how stress in the NICU affects both preterm babies and their mothers, focusing on changes in their DNA.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Marquette University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Milwaukee, United States) |
| Project start | July 17, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $149,422 |
| NIH project number | 5K23NR021043-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11140364 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This project would be relevant for preterm infants and their mothers who have experienced the NICU environment.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not directly involved in the study, or those who have not experienced preterm birth and NICU stays, would not directly benefit from participation.
What this research studies
When preterm babies are in the NICU, they and their mothers often experience a lot of stress, which can be harmful if it goes on for too long. This harmful stress might change how their brains develop and how their bodies work, potentially altering their DNA. We want to understand how this stress impacts both the baby and the mother together, especially how their experiences might be linked. By studying these connections, we hope to learn more about how early life stress affects health.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help us develop better ways to support preterm infants and their mothers to reduce the long-term effects of stress.
How similar studies have gone: While the link between stress and DNA changes is known, this project uniquely explores the combined experience of both preterm infants and their mothers.
Where this research is happening
-
Marquette University
Milwaukee, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Malin, Kathryn Jeanne — Marquette University
- Study coordinator: Malin, Kathryn Jeanne
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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.