Pregnant mothers’ exposure to the flu was associated with a nearly fourfold increased risk that their child would develop bipolar disorder in adulthood, in a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The findings add to mounting evidence of possible shared underlying causes and illness processes with schizophrenia, which some studies have also linked to prenatal exposure to influenza.
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.
Progress on Pelvic Floor Disorders (PFDs)
As National Women’s Health Week (May 12 to 18) gets underway this year, the NICHD takes stock of 15 years of research on diagnosing, preventing, and treating PFDs—a groups of conditions that particularly affect women.
Just in Time for Mother’s Day: Let the Baby Set the Delivery Date!
NICHD's National Child and Maternal Health Education Program (NCMHEP) is working with its Coordinating Committee member organizations to promote a set of three patient-focused videos.
Women’s, Men’s brains respond differently to hungry infant’s cries
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have uncovered firm evidence for what many mothers have long suspected: women’s brains appear to be hard-wired to respond to the cries of a hungry infant.
'Preventing shaken baby syndrome' topic of NICHD April podcast
In the April NICHD Research Perspectives, NICHD director Dr. Alan E. Guttmacher talks with researchers about recognizing the forerunners of shaken baby syndrome and other forms of infant abuse, and how episodes of such abuse can be prevented.
Division of Epidemiology, Statistics, and Prevention Research 2012 Annual Report
The Division’s 2012 Annual Report highlights the extensive and comprehensive work of DESPR investigators and researchers.
Membrane remodeling: Where yoga meets cell biology
Cells ingest proteins and engulf bacteria by a gymnastic, shape-shifting process called endocytosis. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health revealed how a key protein, dynamin, drives the action.
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month
Child abuse and neglect affect about 6 million children in the United States each year, according to the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). In more than 80% of cases, the abuse is from a parent.
Anti-HIV therapy appears to protect children’s hearts, NIH network study shows
For children who have had HIV-1 infection since birth, the combination drug therapies now used to treat HIV appear to protect against the heart damage seen before combination therapies were available, according to researchers in a National Institutes of Health network study.
Harnessing Research to Combat Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
Millions of people around the world are affected by STDs and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Although some of these infections have few or minor symptoms, others can cause infertility and cancer, or—in the case of untreated HIV infection—death.
Global Consortium Identifies Best Management of Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a disease in which tissue similar to the endometrium, which normally grows inside the uterus, grows outside the uterus instead. Although the exact number of women affected by endometriosis is not known, current estimates suggest that 176 million women worldwide may be affected by the condition.
New genetic link found between normal fetal growth and cancer
Two researchers at the National Institutes of Health discovered a new genetic link between the rapid growth of healthy fetuses and the uncontrolled cell division in cancer. The findings shed light on normal development and on the genetic underpinnings of common cancers.
Drug safety for children and pregnant women topic of March NICHD Director’s Podcast
Once the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves a drug, physicians can use their best judgment to prescribe it to their patients—whether or not their patients are similar to those who took part in the clinical trials. Physicians can also prescribe drugs for diseases or conditions other than those for which they were originally tested.
Stressful life events may increase stillbirth risk, NIH network study finds
Pregnant women who experienced financial, emotional or other personal stress in the year before their delivery had an increased chance of having a stillbirth, say researchers who conducted a National Institutes of Health network study.
XLNT! The Text4baby Program Celebrates 3 Years
text4baby External Web Site Policy is a free service that delivers important health information about the stages of pregnancy and baby’s first year to the cell phones and mobile devices of moms-to-be and new moms. Since its launch in February 2010, the program has sent more than 62 million messages. With more than 500,000 subscribers, text4baby is the largest “app” of its kind.
Delay in shifting gaze linked to early brain development in autism
At 7 months of age, children who are later diagnosed with autism take a split second longer to shift their gaze during a task measuring eye movements and visual attention than do typically developing infants of the same age, according to researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health.
Wireless, implanted sensor broadens range of brain research
A compact, self-contained sensor recorded and transmitted brain activity data wirelessly for more than a year in early stage animal tests, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Backwards signals appear to sensitize brain cells, rat study shows
When the mind is at rest, the electrical signals by which brain cells communicate appear to travel in reverse, wiping out unimportant information in the process, but sensitizing the cells for future sensory learning, according to a study of rats conducted by researchers at the National Institutes of Health.
March Is Trisomy Awareness Month
During Trisomy Awareness Month in March, the NICHD joins other agencies and organizations in raising awareness about trisomy conditions and the challenges they may pose to individuals and families.
Panel supports maintaining the current diagnostic approach for gestational diabetes mellitus
An independent panel convened this week by the National Institutes of Health has concluded that despite potential advantages of adopting a new diagnostic approach for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), more evidence is needed to ensure that the benefits outweigh the harms. The panel recommended following the current diagnostic approach until further studies are conducted.