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News & Updates

NICHD issues Releases and Media Advisories to the news media. Science Updates and Spotlights explain NICHD research findings and public health issues to the general public. An Item of Interest is a short announcement such as an initiative launch or a notable staff change. Director’s Corner posts are monthly updates from the NICHD director.

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Media Advisory: NIH to Host Community Engagement Forum on Improving Maternal Health

Pregnant woman talking to a group of pregnant women.

On April 8, 2019, join community organizations and healthcare professionals to discuss strategies for reducing the rising rate of maternal deaths in the United States.

Spotlight: Food for Health: Nutrition Research across the Lifespan

Man sharing healthy food with little girl.

Nutrition is vital to health, growth, and development through all stages of life. Poor nutrition causes health problems and can contribute to heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, cancer, and other diseases. NIH recently released a draft of its first-ever Strategic Plan for NIH Nutrition Research to focus efforts in advancing the scientific understanding of interactions between diet, nutritional status, biological processes, and the environment.

Spotlight: Flu during pregnancy: Nothing to sneeze at

A sign advertises flu vaccines, with the words 'Flu Shots HERE!'

Health experts recommend the seasonal flu shot for pregnant women.

Media Advisory: NICHD chronicles its major research advances of 2018

Infocard has the text "2018 Research Advances #NICHD2018" in a green box surrounded by various images

As 2018 winds down, a new slideshow highlights a selection of initiatives, therapies, and scientific advances supported by NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).

Spotlight: Selected NICHD Research Advances of 2018

In 2018, researchers funded by NICHD made significant progress in advancing the health and well-being of infants, children, teenagers, and adults across the United States and around the world.

Science Update: NIH study explores link between maternal obesity and fetal growth during pregnancy

A pregnant woman stands next to a healthcare provider filling out a form.

Maternal adipokines—molecules produced by fat cells—influence fetal growth and newborn length, birthweight, and proportion of body fat.

Item of Interest: NICHD seeks applications to study effects of maternal opioid use on newborns

A hand grasps the foot of a newborn, which has an unmarked hospital ID tag around it.

The initiative seeks to improve treatment and care of infants and children who were exposed to opioids in the womb.

Podcast: Infertility: Men’s Health

Dr. Enrique Schisterman, Chief of the Epidemiology Branch shares his personal struggle with infertility, which led him to dedicate a research career focusing on ways to help couples boost fertility.

Science Update: Diets low in certain minerals linked to problem with ovulation

Six small differently shaped dishes with fruit salad, bite-sized vegetables, and other foods

Insufficient sodium or manganese increases risk, NIH study suggests

Release: Elevated blood pressure before pregnancy may increase chance of pregnancy loss

Pregnant woman sitting and having her blood pressure taken by a health care provider

Elevated blood pressure before conception may increase the chances for pregnancy loss, according to an analysis by researchers at the National Institutes of Health. The authors conclude that lifestyle changes to keep blood pressure under control could potentially reduce the risk of loss. The study appears in Hypertension.

NIH-led workshop addresses opioid misuse during pregnancy

Experts convened for an NICHD workshop identified research gaps and opportunities to improve outcomes for women affected by opioid use disorder, their newborn infants and their families.

News Release: NIH launches PregSource, a crowdsourcing project to better understand pregnancy

PregSource is a research project led by NICHD that aims to improve knowledge of pregnancy by collecting information directly from pregnant women.

NICHD Director Recognized with March of Dimes Lifetime Achievement Award

Dr. Diana W. Bianchi is recognized with the March of Dimes Colonel Harland Sanders Lifetime Achievement Award for significant contributions toward the prevention or treatment of birth defects and other genetic disorders.

Cigarette smoking during pregnancy linked to changes in baby’s immune system

Infants whose mothers smoked cigarettes throughout pregnancy had higher levels of an inflammation marker called interleukin-8 at birth, according to an NICHD study.

Selected NICHD Research Advances of 2016

NICHD had a very productive year in 2016. Staff responded quickly to Zika virus and led the effort to develop the NIH Research Plan on Rehabilitation. The following snapshots are examples of the many advances made possible by NICHD this year.

Getting to Know the New NICHD Director

NICHD Director Dr. Diana Bianchi shares some thoughts about joining NICHD.

Federal agencies express support for updated safe infant sleep recommendations

Federal agencies concerned with infant health and welfare today announced their support of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) updated recommendations on safe infant sleep.

High fat, sugar diet during pregnancy may increase ADHD risk in offspring

A diet high in fat and sugar during pregnancy may interact with a gene that controls early brain development in the fetus, potentially increasing the risk for attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) in some individuals, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

NIH funds Zika virus study involving U.S. Olympic team

women's track and field at the start line

Researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health will monitor potential Zika virus exposure among a subset of athletes, coaches and other U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) staff attending the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Brazil.

NIH Launches Large Study of Pregnant Women in Areas Affected by Zika Virus

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz (Fiocruz) begin a multi-country study to evaluate the magnitude of health risks that Zika virus infection poses to pregnant women and their developing fetuses and infants.

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News & Updates