Eunice Kennedy Shriver, executive vice president of the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation and founder and honorary chairperson of Special Olympics, has been a leader in the worldwide struggle to improve and enhance the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities for most of her life. Her vision and unrelenting efforts helped to establish the NICHD in 1962. In recognition of her dedication, Congress passed Public Law 110-154 on December 21, 2007, renaming the Institute as the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
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.
NICHD Renamed for Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Advocate for Institute's Founding
Congress has renamed the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes of Health in honor of Eunice Kennedy Shriver for her essential contribution to the institute's founding.
NIH Scientists Offer Explanation for Winter Flu Season
NIH Scientists Offer Explanation for Winter Flu Season Stability of Virus' Membrane at Cold Temperatures May Ease Winter Spread.
Tobacco Use, Secondhand Smoke Exposure during Pregnancy, May Threaten Health of Women & Children in Developing Nations
Findings from a National Institutes of Health (NIH) study indicate that rates of tobacco use during pregnancy, as well as exposure of pregnant women and their young children to secondhand smoke, are significant threats to health in several low and middle-income countries.
Novel Approach Strips Staph of Virulence
An international team of researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has blocked staph infections in mice using a drug previously tested in clinical trials as a cholesterol-lowering agent. The novel approach, described in the February 14 online edition of "Science", could offer a new direction for therapies against a bacterium that's becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics.
NIH Scientists Detect Fatal Copper Disorder at Birth
A test developed by NIH scientists could greatly extend the survival of infants with Menkes disease, a rare, otherwise fatal disorder of copper metabolism. The test allows for early diagnosis of the condition, when the chance for successful treatment is greatest. Their work is described in the February 7 New England Journal of Medicine.
Extended Nevirapine Regimens Reduce HIV Transmission and Death in Breastfed Infants of HIV-infected Mothers
An extended course of the antiretroviral drug nevirapine (NVP) helps the breastfeeding babies of HIV-infected mothers remain HIV-negative and live longer, according to several new studies presented at the 15th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections held in Boston from February 3-6.
The Post-Exposure Prophylaxis of Infant (PEPI)-Malawi Study Sponsored by NICHD and CDC
Questions and Answers.
Thin Bones Seen in Boys with Autism & Autism Spectrum Disorder
Results of an early study suggest that dairy-free diets and unconventional food preferences could put boys with autism and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at higher than normal risk for thinner, less dense bones when compared to a group of boys the same age who do not have autism.
New NIH Research Plan on Down Syndrome
Research on lifelong disorders, such as Down syndrome, has been a fundamental part of the NICHD’s mission since the Institute was established 45 years ago. To build on this research foundation and coordinate Down syndrome research the NIH created its Working Group on Down Syndrome. Down syndrome is the most common genetic cause of intellectual and developmental disability and occurs in one out of 800 births in the United States.
NIH Develops Down Syndrome Research Plan
The National Institutes of Health has developed a research plan to advance understanding of Down syndrome and speed development of new treatments for the condition, the most frequent genetic cause of mild to moderate intellectual disability and associated medical problems. The plan sets research goals for the next 10 years that build upon earlier research advances fostered by the NIH.
NIH Announces Collaboration with National Council of Negro Women to Reduce Childhood Overweight
Officials from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced a collaboration today with the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) to help African American children maintain a healthy weight.
NICHD Perinatology Research Chief Elected to Institute of Medicine
Roberto Romero, M.D., Chief of the NICHD Perinatology Research Branch, has been elected as a member of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies.
SIDS Risk Reduction Continuing Education Program Emphasizes Important Role of Nurses in Health Care
The National Institutes of Health has created a continuing education program designed to help nurses communicate the risk factors for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) to parents and child caregivers. Nurses are a key information resource for new parents and often spend the most time with families in the hospital following the birth of a child.
The Importance of Nurses
A Continuing Education Program on SIDS Risk Reduction: Curriculum for Nurses, a new curriculum from the NICHD that was created in collaboration with the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), First Candle, and nearly a dozen national organizations, aims to capitalize on the important role that nurses play by teaching them how to communicate information on sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) with parents and families.
NIH Public Trust Initiative Launches the Partners in Research Program
The Public Trust Initiative (PTI), an initiative of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), announces the release of a new Request for Applications (RFA) for the Partners in Research program.
NIH Announces Addition of 22 New Study Centers in National Children's Study
The National Children's Study announced today that it awarded contracts in late September to 22 new study centers to manage participant recruitment and data collection in 26 additional communities across the United States. Funding for the new study centers and the study's initial phase is a result of a $69 million appropriation from Congress in fiscal year 2007.
Transcript of National Children's Study Media Briefing - October 4, 2007
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for standing by and welcome to the National Children's Study Conference Call. At this time all participants are in a listen-only mode. Later we will conduct a question and answer session. Instructions will be given at that time. As a reminder, this conference is being recorded.
Milk Matters Online Lesson Resources Available for Teachers
New online resources stressing the importance of calcium for bone health are now available for middle and high school teachers. The resources are available through the Milk Matters calcium education campaign, sponsored by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health.
Milk Matters Online Lesson Resources Available for Teachers
Calcium is important throughout life for strong bones and a healthy body, particularly during the ages of 11 to 15, the years of rapid bone growth. But with fewer than one in 10 girls and only one in four boys ages 9 to 13 at or above their adequate intake of calcium, many young people are not getting the calcium they need to build strong bones now and to prevent osteoporosis later in life.