NICHD News Releases

XLNT! The Text4baby Program Celebrates 3 Years
In only a few years, the text4baby program has grown to more than 500,000 subscribers. This evidenced-based text messaging service allows for new moms and new moms-to-be to get timely health information and encourages them to follow prenatal and postnatal care recommendations.

Scientific Vision: The Next Decade
The NICHD embarked upon a collaborative process in 2011 to create a scientific Vision, identifying the most promising scientific opportunities for the Institute and its partners to pursue over the next decade. The newly published Scientific Vision statement presents the results of that process and outlines scientific goals for the coming decade.

NICHD reorganizes extramural program
​Alan Guttmacher, M.D., Director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) announced a number of changes to streamline the institute’s organizational structure and accelerate the exchange of scientific ideas.

NICHD vision statement now available online
A document charting a research course for the many collaborators who share an interest in promoting the science concerning human development through the life span, child health, women's health, and rehabilitation research is now available online.

Research for a Lifetime: Commemorating the NICHD’s 50th Anniversary
On October 17, 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed into law the legislation establishing the NICHD to examine “the complex process of human development from conception to old age.” The Institute marks its golden anniversary with Research for a Lifetime, an all-day scientific colloquium to highlight the Institute’s mission, accomplishments, and future research directions.

October NICHD Director's podcast now online
​The October 2012 NICHD Research Perspectives, the NICHD’s monthly podcast, is now online. The podcast features discussions of research of a study on a treatment to reduce the risk of preterm birth and the new Safe to Sleep campaign.

NICHD and Its Collaborators Launch Expanded Infant Mortality Awareness Campaign
​​The NICHD and its collaborators launched the Safe to Sleep campaign to inform parents and caregivers about ways to reduce the risks of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and other sleep-related causes of infant death. Safe to Sleep builds on the successes of the Back to Sleep campaign, which began in 1994, and includes messages about safe sleep environment, breastfeeding, and infant health.

NIH Expands Safe Infant Sleep Outreach Effort
​The U.S. national campaign to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome has entered a new phase and will now encompass all sleep-related, sudden unexpected infant deaths, officials of the National Institutes of Health announced today.

Following the Footsteps of Our Nation's Future
The annual federal report card on the well-being of the nation's children and youth includes both good news and not-so-good news: the number of adolescent mothers and preterm births dropped while the number of children living in poverty increased. This year marks the 16th annual report in the America's Children series.

NIH Obesity Research Featured in HBO's The Weight of the Nation
Obesity is one of today's most pressing health issues facing this country. On May 14 and 15, 2012, HBO premieres The Weight of the Nation, a four-part documentary exploring the personal costs of and scientific advances related to obesity. The series reflects years of research supported by the NIH, including the NICHD, that has helped shape our understanding of obesity, as well as ways to prevent and treat it at every stage of life.

NIH releases Research Plan on Painful Vulvar Condition
Vulvodynia is a group of conditions that cause vulvar pain, sometimes debilitating pain. The NIH recently released its research plan for learning more about this disorder, its features, and its possible treatments.

Minority Health Month & NICHD Activities
On April 25, 2012, the NICHD and the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. will host a event at Virginia Union University in Richmond, Va.–the "Asthma Capital" of the United States–to raise awareness about asthma and other health issues that affect children from minority groups. During this National Minority Health Month, the NICHD also highlights some of its other efforts to understand and improve minority health, especially among women and children.

Distracted Driving Awareness Month & NICHD Research on Young Drivers
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and the message from the U.S. Department of Transportation and other organizations is crystal clear: stop using cell phones while driving. NICHD-funded research reveals that other factors, such as restricting driving at night and encouraging parents to set driving limits, also help reduce the number of crashes and fatal crashes among teen drivers.

NICHD Director's Lecture Series: "Biomechanical Basis of Concussion: Monitoring Head Impacts in Sports"
The 2012 NICHD Director's Lecture Series continues with a focus on traumatic brain injury resulting from head impacts during sports and other activities. Dr. Richard M. Greenwald, founder and president of Simbex, LLC, and adjunct associate professor at the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College, shares his expertise on this topic with NICHD staff and others.

Endometriosis Awareness Month & NICHD Research
The 2012 NICHD Director's Lecture Series continues with a focus on traumatic brain injury resulting from head impacts during sports and other activities. Dr. Richard M. Greenwald, founder and president of Simbex, LLC, and adjunct associate professor at the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College, shares his expertise on this topic with NICHD staff and others.

New Report on Iron & Malaria Available
​The Iron and Malaria Project, a partnership between the NICHD, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Health Organization, the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements and other organizations, began in 2007 to examine the factors that affect the safety and effectiveness of interventions to prevent and treat nutritional iron deficiency in the context of malaria and other infections. The Project released a technical report that provides a full assessment of current scientific knowledge and possible research directions related to iron supplementation for populations in malaria-prone regions.

NICHD HIV/AIDS Research & National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
​HIV/AIDS impacts millions of women and girls across the United States. On National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day--March 10--organizations aim to raise awareness about some of the unique features of HIV/AIDS in women and girls and to focus on effective prevention methods and treatment regimens. The NICHD highlights some of its research activities related to HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness in women and girls.

Release of the 2011 Division of Intramural Research (DIR) Annual Report
​The NICHD's DIR recently released its annual research report, highlighting research achievements of DIR scientists during the last year.

NIH Conference on Phenylketonuria (PKU) Research Advances
​The NICHD joins the NIH Offices of Rare Diseases Research and Dietary Supplements in co-sponsoring a conference on phenylketonuria (PKU), a genetic disorder of metabolism and one of the first conditions detected through newborn screening programs. At this public event, diverse participants will discuss research advances in PKU and will help shape the future of PKU research.

Research on Concussions: Keeping Your Head in the Game
​Concussions were once thought of as just a bump on the head, especially for those who played sports. But research shows that concussions are actually a mild form of traumatic brain injury (TBI) with both short- and long-term effects, some of them serious. The NICHD supports a broad range of research programs and projects to understand, identify, and treat concussions and other forms of TBI.