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.
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.
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).
National Reading Panel Launches Revamped Web Site
The National Reading Panel (NRP) today announced the launch of its redesigned Web site at http:// www.nationalreadingpanel.org .
NICHD Funded Researchers First to Genetically Modify Non Human Primate
Researchers funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the National Center for Research Resources of the National Institutes of Health have completed the first successful effort to introduce a new gene into the unfertilized eggs of rhesus monkeys, a member of the family of mammals that includes human beings.
Newborn Lung Treatment Poses Risk of Intestinal Perforation
A treatment commonly prescribed to reduce the risk of chronic lung disease in extremely premature infants does not reduce the risk of death or chronic lung disease in these infants and may increase the risk for perforation of the intestines, according to a study by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Neonatal Research Network.
Virginity Pledge Helps Teens Delay Sexual Activity
Teens who pledged to remain a virgin until marriage began sexual activity much later than their peers who did not take such a pledge, according to an analysis of data from a study funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and several other Federal agencies.
Tubal Sterilization Poses No Greater Risk of Menstrual Abnormalities, Study Finds
The largest, most comprehensive study of its kind to date has found that women who have undergone tubal sterilization are at no greater risk for menstrual abnormalities than are women who have not had the procedure, settling a debate within the medical community.
New MRI Technology Provides Detailed Views of Brain Development
Researchers will convene at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to discuss how to make the best uses of a new technology that allows researchers and physicians to make detailed, three-dimensional maps of the nerve pathways through which various parts of the brain communicate.
Chromosome Deletions in Autistic Patient Point to Possible Genetic Links to Autism
A 7-year-old patient with autism was found to have a chromosome with deleted segments of DNA.
Researchers Identify Gene Common to Many Autism Cases
Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have identified a gene that may predispose people to developing autism.
People with Common Masculinizing Disorder Also Lack Adrenaline, NICHD Study Finds
People with 21-hydroxylase deficiency-a common yet little known disorder causing early puberty and masculinizing features in both males and females-also lack sufficient quantities of the stress hormone adrenaline, according to a study by researchers at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).