The National Institutes of Health has announced grant awards of $100 million over five years for the Autism Centers of Excellence (ACE) research program, which will feature projects investigating sex differences in autism spectrum disorders, or ASD, and investigating ASD and limited speech.
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.
Stresses of Poverty may Impair Learning Ability in Young Children
The stresses of poverty—such as crowded conditions, financial worry, and lack of adequate child care—lead to impaired learning ability in children from impoverished backgrounds, according to a theory by a researcher funded by the National Institutes of Health. The theory is based on several years of studies matching stress hormone levels to behavioral and school readiness test results in young children from impoverished backgrounds.
NIH seeks Proposals to Study Genomic Sequencing in Newborn Period
The National Institutes of Health is seeking proposals for research projects on the implications of information obtained from sequencing the genome to identify diseases in newborns. The intent of funding such projects is to further the understanding of disorders that appear during the newborn period and to improve treatments for these diseases.
Research on Breastfeeding & Breast Milk at the NICHD
The process of breastfeeding does more than provide important nutrition and other things to support infants' growth and development; it also benefits mothers' health and offers an important opportunity for the pair to bond.
NICHD's Ongoing Research on HIV/AIDS
The International AIDS Society has convened its important gathering of more than 20,000 scientists, public health experts, policy makers, individuals and members of communities affected by HIV/AIDS, and media representatives annually since 1985.
New Video Highlights NIH Investment in Zebrafish Research
As they strive to develop new treatments for birth defects, or to prevent them, scientists at the National Institutes of Health have found a big ally in a small fish. An NIH video shows how the zebrafish, Danio rerio, is a valuable resource for scientists trying to understand the intricate process by which a fertilized egg develops into a fully formed individual, and the numerous diseases and conditions that can result when even a tiny part of the process goes wrong.
Slide Show: NIH Zebrafish Facility
Slide Show: NIH zebrafish facility
Cognitive Changes may be only Sign of Fetal Alcohol Exposure
Most children exposed to high levels of alcohol in the womb do not develop the distinct facial features seen in fetal alcohol syndrome, but instead show signs of abnormal intellectual or behavioral development, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and researchers in Chile.
July NICHD Director's Podcast Now Online
The July 2012 NICHD Research Perspectives, the NICHD’s monthly podcast, is now online. This month’s podcast features research sponsored by the NICHD’s Pediatric, Adolescent and Maternal AIDS Branch.
Federal Report Shows Drops in Infant Mortality, Preterm Birth Rates
The infant mortality rate, the preterm birth rate, and the adolescent birth rate all continued to decline, average mathematics scores increased for 4th and 8th grade students, the violent crime victimization rate among youth fell, as did the percentage of young children living in a home where someone smoked, according to the federal government’s annual statistical report on the well-being of the nation’s children and youth.
Following the Footsteps of Our Nation's Future
It has been said that children are our most valuable resource and our best hope for the future. Protecting this valuable resource begins with an understanding of the health challenges America’s children and youth face today. Since 1997, the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics has collected data and issued an annual report on the state of our nation’s future with this goal in mind.
June NICHD Director's Podcast Now Online
The June 2012 NICHD Research Perspectives—NICHD' monthly podcast series—features discussions of a treatment that reduces the body temperatures of infants who experience oxygen deficiency at birth, the effectiveness of progesterone as a treatment for the infertility associated with polycystic ovary syndrome, and the influence that engaging the attention of young children with autism has on their language development.
Ability to Estimate Quantity Increases in First 30 Years of Life
One of the basic elements of cognition―the ability to estimate quantities―grows more precise across the first 30 years or more of a person’s life, according to researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health.
Alcohol & Drug-Related Birth Defects Research at the NICHD
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), birth defects occur in one of every 33 babies and are the leading cause of infant death. These problems, present at birth, are caused by genetics, the environment, and other known and unknown causes. Environmental causes of birth defects include chemical and other exposures that occur during pregnancy, including exposure to alcohol and drugs.
For Young Children with Autism, Directing Attention Boosts Language
An intervention in which adults actively engaged the attention of preschool children with autism by pointing to toys and using other gestures to focus their attention results in a long term increase in language skills, according to researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health.
Saving Lives in the Golden Minute
About 1 million newborn babies around the world die each year from birth asphyxia—a lack of oxygen to the brain—in the moments before, during, and right after birth, according to the World Health Organization. Often these deaths occur in areas where resources and access to technology is limited.
Adding Nevirapine to HIV Regimen Halves Newborn Transmission Rate
Adding the drug nevirapine to the regimen given to newborns of women diagnosed with HIV shortly before or during labor halves the newborns' risk of contracting the virus, according to findings by a National Institutes of Health research network.
Children Exposed to HIV in the Womb at Increased Risk for Hearing Loss
Children exposed to HIV in the womb may be more likely to experience hearing loss by age 16 than are their unexposed peers, according to scientists in a National Institutes of Health research network.
Extra Treatment During Prolapse Repair Reduces Incontinence Rate
Surgery to repair pelvic organ prolapse often carries a risk of incontinence. To avoid scheduling a second surgery, some women may opt to have a second procedure to reduce incontinence at the time of their prolapse repair surgery.
NIH Study Finds HIV-Positive Young Men at Risk of Low Bone Mass
Young men being treated for HIV are more likely to experience low bone mass than are other men their age, according to results from a research network supported by the National Institutes of Health. The findings indicate that physicians who care for these patients should monitor them regularly for signs of bone thinning, which could foretell a risk for fractures. The young men in the study did not have HIV at birth and had been diagnosed with HIV an average of two years earlier.