Prenatal microbiome; standing by stereotypes; Common Rule delay and more

One argument for a microbiome in the womb holds that the human body has almost no sterile sites. Some microbiologists counter that the existence of bacteria-free lab mice means that a womb free of bacteria is not an impossibility. Those following U.S. politics won’t be surprised that one researcher called it “a shame” that “people are stuck on the idea that the placental microbiome is ‘fake news.’”

Calling it “just another instance of equating autism with kookiness,” D’Angelo says that even though Fanning’s character identifies with Spock, she’s more like Captain Kirk: someone whose behavior is pretty typical but whose speaking style is unusual. “It’s hard to be persuasive when your protagonist comes across as a collection of quirky tics rather than a credible human being,” D’Angelo grouses in his 23 January review.

The revised policy includes more stringent informed-consent requirements, such as adding study summaries to consent forms, and a requirement to gain permission for the use of stored specimens. But it’s not all added red tape. Some changes absolve multi-institutional studies from gaining ethics approval from boards at each participating site.

In perhaps the biggest change, pregnant women are no longer listed as a “vulnerable population” under the revised rules. The effects of many drugs in this population are practically unknown because of historical exclusion from studies.