NIH-funded study finds primary risk of obesity among children who enter kindergarten overweight.
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.
Two surgeries for pelvic prolapse found similarly effective, safe
Two surgical treatments for a form of pelvic hernia affecting women have similar rates of success and safety, scientists in a National Institutes of Health research network have found. A guided exercise therapy to strengthen pelvic muscles did not add to the benefits of either surgery.
Podcast: Good home environment protects youth against stress
NIH funded study finds protection from stress reduces health problems.
Public Comment: DRAFT NIH Research Plan on Down Syndrome 2014
The NIH Down Syndrome Working Group, formed in 2006 and led by the NICHD, aims to coordinate ongoing and new research related to Down syndrome across the NIH.
Podcast: Stress response varies by race, ethnicity
Young parents in poverty are disproportionately affected by stress.
Youth born with HIV may have higher heart disease risk, NIH network study shows
Nearly half of adolescents who have had HIV since birth may be at increased risk for cardiovascular disease — including heart attack and stroke — later in life, according to a National Institutes of Health network study.
NIH research network finds many youth have high levels of HIV
More than 30 percent of young males who had sex with other males and who were subsequently enrolled in a government treatment and research network were found to have high levels of HIV, reported researchers from the National Institutes of Health and other institutions.
NICHD podcast features research on youth violence
The December 2013 NICHD Research Perspectives features research on youth violence. Guests discuss types of violence, environmental and biological risk factors, characteristics of effective interventions, and tips for parents and caregivers to help prevent or stop youth violence.
Revised autism screening tool offers more precise assessment
An updated screening tool that physicians administer to parents to help determine if a very young child has autism has been shown to be much more accurate than earlier versions at identifying children who could benefit from further evaluation, according to researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health.
Tobacco, drug use in pregnancy can double risk of stillbirth
Smoking tobacco or marijuana, taking prescription painkillers, or using illegal drugs during pregnancy is associated with double or even triple the risk of stillbirth, according to research funded by the National Institutes of Health.
NeuroBioBank gives researchers one-stop access to post-mortem brains
To expedite research on brain disorders, the National Institutes of Health is shifting from a limited funding role to coordinating a Web-based resource for sharing post-mortem brain tissue. Under a NIH NeuroBioBank initiative, five brain banks will begin collaborating in a tissue sharing network for the neuroscience community.
NICHD October/November podcast promotes safe sleep environment for infants
The October/November NICHD Research Perspectives focuses on the importance of a safe sleep environment to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and other sleep-related causes of infant death.
Research Funding News: Interim Guidance on Resumption of NIH Extramural Activities Following the Recent Lapse in Appropriations
A new policy has been posted on the NIH Web site that provides information for the extramural community on how NIH is resuming operations after the government shutdown.
Researchers discuss increase in percentage of infants who share bed with adult or child
In this Research Conversation, Drs. Marian Willinger and Eve Colson explain the findings reported in the NIH news release, Roughly 14 percent of infants share bed with adult or child. Sharing a bed, with an adult or another child, increases an infant’s risk of death from sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS or other sleep-related causes.
Roughly 14 percent of infants share bed with adult or child
The percentage of nighttime caregivers who reported that an infant usually shares a bed with a parent, another adult, or a child more than doubled between 1993 and 2010, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other institutions.
Media Availability: Federal agencies ask for help communicating infant death risks
In recognition of National Infant Mortality Awareness Month, the federal agencies focused on infant health and safety, ask all organizations who reach families and health care providers through media, print, and education to show infants sleeping alone, on their backs, and in a clutter-free crib, bassinet, or play yard.
NICHD September podcast describes genomic sequencing for newborn screening
The September NICHD Research Perspectives featured a discussion on NIH grants for projects investigating genomic sequencing as a diagnostic tool to screen newborns for health disorders. On September 4, the NICHD and the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) awarded $5 million to fund studies on the potential for the new technology. The September podcast is an excerpt from the news conference in which officials at the NICHD and NHGRI described this new project.
NIH launches first national Down syndrome registry
The National Institutes of Health has launched DS-Connect, a Web-based health registry that will serve as a national health resource for people with Down syndrome and their families, researchers, and health care providers.
Increased risk of neurological, cognitive deficits in youth with HIV
More than 65 percent of HIV-infected youth had mild to moderate impairments in fine-motor skills, memory, and other cognitive skills, although not enough to affect day-to-day functioning for most, according to a National Institutes of Health network study.
NICHD grantees discover how placenta protects itself from virus infection
In this Research Conversation, NICHD’s Dr. John Ilekis interviewed NICHD grantees Yoel Sadovsky and Dr. Carolyn coin about their discovery that cells of the placenta secrete tiny, balloon like structures called vesicles.