News & Updates

How children visually engage with others in social situations is a heritable behavior that is altered in children with autism, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

NICHD Director Dr. Diana Bianchi and colleagues from other NIH Institutes discuss this valuable research resource.

Infants born to mothers in poverty had a greater chance of developing neurological problems within the first year of life, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Harvard University.

A conversation with Dr. Sheri Crow, a pediatrician specializing in critical care at the Mayo Clinic, about her NICHD-funded research. Dr. Crow has explored the long-term health outcomes of children who experience traumatic injury or a life-threatening illness in early childhood.

International experts have identified research needed to better understand relationships between child brain development, nutrition, and inflammation, particularly for children living in poverty.

Energy production in mitochondria—structures within cells that produce energy from oxygen and nutrients—relies on a group of proteins previously not linked to this process, according to a study by NICHD researchers.

The misdelivery of proteins to lysosomes, the structures within cells that break down unneeded or worn-out proteins, fats, carbohydrates and cell parts, appears to underlie a family of rare neurodegenerative diseases.

Brain changes at age 6 or 12 months may help predict the development of autism spectrum disorder by age 2 years among infants with a high family risk, according to a study funded by NICHD.

Parents previously investigated for child abuse, showed more positive responses to their baby’s social and emotional needs after completing a home-visit program, according to a study supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Drugs capable of activating silenced genes improve survival and growth outcomes in a mouse model of Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), a rare and incurable childhood disease that can lead to life-threatening obesity.

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

Read a selection of past Spotlights featuring the stories of kids and adults whose lives have been enhanced by NICHD-supported research through new treatments, improved patient engagement, and new prevention and intervention campaigns.

For people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), early detection and early intervention can help a great deal in improving outcomes. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that health care providers screen for ASD at the 18-month and 24-month visits. Meanwhile, researchers are working to develop screening tools that can detect the disorder even earlier.

Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome, a rare genetic disease that disrupts the nervous system and can lead to microcephaly and other brain defects, appears to result from a buildup of a cholesterol precursor, according to a new study by NICHD researchers.

The loss of neurons that is a hallmark of Niemann-Pick disease type C1 (NPC1) appears to result from a cell death process called necroptosis, according to a new study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Rett syndrome is a developmental disorder that affects girls almost exclusively. Like Alyssa, most girls with Rett syndrome seem to develop typically for the first 6 months to 18 months, but then lose skills such as speaking, crawling or walking, and using their hands. Eventually, most need help with every activity of daily life. Estimates suggest that Rett syndrome occurs in one out of every 10,000 to 15,000 girls born in the United States.

The National Institutes of Health has launched a new initiative to identify biomarkers and track the progression of Alzheimer’s in people with Down syndrome.

As a person with Down syndrome, David Egan has made it his mission to fulfill his own potential and to help other people with Down syndrome fulfill theirs. Here he discusses his work, his belief in the power of research, and his hopes for the future.

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month, an opportunity to spread awareness and enhance understanding of Down syndrome, a congenital disorder in people who have an extra 21st chromosome.

Dr. Cathy Spong became NICHD’s acting director on October 1, 2015. Here she shares her plans for the year and her thoughts on what makes NICHD so unique.