News & Updates

The first two of nine white papers outlining a scientific vision for the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) are now available online for public comment.

Recently, scientists in an NIH study reported that a surgical procedure to repair a common birth defect of the spine, if undertaken while a baby is still in the uterus, greatly reduces the need to divert, or shunt, fluid away from the brain, according to a study by the National Institutes of Health and four research institutions. The fetal surgical procedure also increases the chances that a child will be able to walk without crutches or other devices.

Among the smallest preterm infants, those born as triplets are at greater risk than single born infants or twins of dying or developing a disability before their second birthday, according a study by a research network of the National Institutes of Health.

In many ways, Blaine Grenon is a typical 15-year-old—he hangs out with his friends, likes pizza, and is planning for college. But in other ways, Blaine is far from ordinary.

Pregnant women who are unaware that they have HIV miss the chance for drug treatment that can benefit not only their own health, but could also prevent them from transmitting the virus to their infants. When HIV is not diagnosed until women go into labor, their infants are usually treated soon after birth with the anti HIV drug zidovudine (ZDV), to prevent the infants from becoming infected with the virus.

It is often said that good things come to those who wait. Research shows that this is especially true for infants—every week in the womb makes a big difference in a child's development and health. And members of the NICHD’s National Child and Maternal Health Education Program (NCMHEP) want all health care providers to know and understand this fact.

Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have identified a key step in the establishment of a pregnancy. Their discovery shows how the hormone progesterone suppresses the growth of the uterus's lining so that a fertilized egg can implant in the uterus.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17P), a drug that reduces the chances of preterm delivery in a group of high risk pregnant women.

Spina bifida is a serious birth defect that affects about three to four out of every 10,000 live births in the United States. Spina bifida occurs when the spinal column—including the bones of the spine, muscles, and skin—does not develop or close completely around the spinal cord while a baby is growing in the womb.

A surgical procedure to repair a common birth defect of the spine, if undertaken while a baby is still in the uterus, greatly reduces the need to divert, or shunt, fluid away from the brain, according to a study by the National Institutes of Health and four research institutions.

Myelomeningocele (MY-ell-oh-men-NING-guh-seal) is the most severe form of spina bifida, a birth defect in which the spine does not fully close around the spinal cord. With myelomeningocele the spine protrudes through the opening of the spinal column and may be enclosed in a fluid-filled sac. Spina bifida belongs to a class of birth defects called neural tube defects, which affect the brain and spine. The exposed spinal cord is susceptible to injury, which may result in weakness and

An early education program for children from low-income families is estimated to generate $4 to $11 of economic benefits over a child's lifetime for every dollar spent initially on the program, according to a cost-benefit analysis funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health and the University of Hong Kong have discovered that high levels of a particular protein in cancer cells are a reliable indicator that a cancer will spread.

An NIH researcher has captured video images of a previously unknown form of communication between brain cells that might hold clues to the way learning shapes the brain.

It seems it’s never too early to start thinking about getting your child ready for school. From picture books to educational toys and videos, there’s no shortage of items and programs geared toward helping children to prepare to succeed in school.

NICHD Director Alan E. Guttmacher, M.D., initiated the NICHD Director’s Lecture Series as a way to showcase cutting-edge science relevant to the Institute’s mission. The forum also enables staff and other attendees to interact with other nationally recognized scientists.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have discovered that a rare cancer of the digestive tract is linked to a shutdown in an enzyme that helps supply oxygen to cells.

Brain scans of dyslexic adolescents who were later able to compensate for their dyslexia showed a distinct pattern of brain activity when compared to scans of adolescents who were unable to compensate, reported researchers funded in part by the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

Families today look very different than they did a generation or two ago. According to recent data, for example, 40 percent of infants are born to unmarried mothers—more than double the number for 1980.

Young women with the menopause-like condition, primary ovarian insufficiency, are much more likely than other women to experience depression at some point during their lives, according to a study from the National Institutes of Health. The finding suggests that all women diagnosed with the condition should be evaluated for depression.