A sharp drop in stress hormones after giving birth to a child may predispose some women to develop certain conditions in which the immune system attacks the body's own tissues, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health.
News
NICHD issues News Releases and Media Advisories to the news media. Spotlight and Research Feature articles explain NICHD research findings and public health issues to the general public. An Item of Interest is a short announcement of relevant information, such as a notable staff change.
Infant Sleep Position & Head Control
A study appearing in the October 2001 issue of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics reported that premature infants who sleep on their backs gain the ability to lift their heads at a slightly slower rate than do premature infants who sleep on their stomachs.
'Master' Stress Hormone Prevents Mother From Rejecting Embryo
The "master" hormone that commands the body's response to stress is also directly involved in the process that prevents a mother's immune system from destroying an embryo that has implanted in her uterus, according to the results of a study by researchers at the the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, and several other Institutions.
Shortened Cervix in Second Trimester Possible Warning Sign for Premature Birth
A short cervix early in the second trimester of pregnancy appears to be a warning sign of impending premature birth among women who have previously given birth prematurely, according to a study by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's (NICHD) Maternal Fetal Medicine Units (MFMU) Network.
Researchers Find New Insights Into the Genetic Foundations of Autism
In collaboration with their European colleagues, scientists funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have come one step closer to determining the genetic basis for autism.
Treatment for Common Sexually Transmitted Disease During Pregnancy Fails to Reduce the Likelihood of Premature Birth
Using the drug metronizadole to treat pregnant women who have the sexually transmitted disease trichomoniasis does not reduce the women's chances for giving birth prematurely, and may actually increase them, according to a study appearing in the August 16 New England Journal of Medicine.
Epidural Pain Relief During Labor Does Not Increase Chance of C-Section
Contrary to what had previously been reported, epidural analgesia, used to relieve women's pain during labor, does not appear to increase a woman's chances of having a Cesarean section, according to an analysis of hospital records by researchers at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and Tripler Army Medical Center, in Hawaii.
NICHD Funds New Sites to Follow Disease Progression in HIV-Infected Women
The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) will fund three sites to conduct research to increase understanding of how infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) affects adolescent and adult women.
NICHD Fertility Researcher Receives Award for Listening to Patients
Lawrence Nelson, MD, a fertility researcher at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, has received "The Art of Listening Award" from the Genetic Alliance for his ability to listen carefully to his patients when evaluating their conditions.
Child Poverty, Adolescent Birth Rate Continue Decline
The well-being of America's children has improved on several fronts, according to the Federal government's fifth annual report, America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2001.
National Study Examines Sites Where U.S. Children Drown
Infants are most likely to drown in bathtubs, toddlers in swimming pools, and older children in other freshwater sites such as rivers and lakes, according to a study funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).
Breastfeeding Has Minor Effect in Reducing Risk of Childhood Overweight
Breast feeding appears to be a minor factor in reducing the likelihood of childhood overweight, according to a study by the National Institute of Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and two other Federal agencies.
Study Raises Questions About Relationship Between SIDS & Events Detected by Home Monitors
Episodes of prolonged cessation of breathing or prolonged slowing of heart rate in infants-- believed to be potential signs of risk for SIDS--primarily occur before the developmental age when most SIDS deaths occur, according to a study funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).
First Typhoid Vaccine to Protect Children Proven Effective by NICHD Scientists
Scientists at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) have developed and tested the first vaccine capable of protecting children from ages 2 to 5 against typhoid fever.
Typhoid Fever in the United States
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 400 Americans each year acquire typhoid, most of them while traveling in developing countries.
Bullying Widespread in U.S. Schools, Survey Finds
Bullying is widespread in American schools, with more than 16 percent of U.S. school children saying they had been bullied by other students during the current term, according to a survey funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).
'Ear Tube' Placement Does Not Seem To Improve Children's Development by Age Three
Placing tubes into the eardrums of young children who have moderately persistent accumulation of fluid in the middle ear does not appear to have any effect on the children's speech, language, intellectual, psychological, or social development by age three, according to a study funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Old Drug May Offer New Hope to Victims of Childhood Neuro-Degenerative Disease
A drug long used to treat a rare genetic disease also has the potential to treat a form of Batten disease, a fatal group of hereditary disorders that gradually robs its victims of their eyesight and mental abilities before claiming their lives.
Researchers Seek Women with Premature Ovarian Failure for Testosterone Replacement Study
Researchers at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) are recruiting women who have premature ovarian failure--formerly known as premature menopause--to determine if restoring testosterone will help prevent osteoporosis.
Mouse with Iron Disorder Offers Clues to Parkinson's, Similar Diseases
Mice engineered to lack a gene involved in iron metabolism may provide important clues for deciphering the nature of a group of brain disorders-similar to Parkinson's Disease-affecting movement, according to a study by researchers at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).