An arthritis drug reduced the severity of Zika virus-related birth defects and improved survival among baby mice, according to a study funded in part by the National Institutes of Health.
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.
Media Advisory: NICHD chronicles its major research advances of 2018
As 2018 winds down, a new slideshow highlights a selection of initiatives, therapies, and scientific advances supported by NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).
Spotlight: Selected NICHD Research Advances of 2018
In 2018, researchers funded by NICHD made significant progress in advancing the health and well-being of infants, children, teenagers, and adults across the United States and around the world.
Podcast: Rethinking Disability: The Egans and Down Syndrome
Dr. Kathleen Egan and her son David Egan, pioneers of inclusion for people with Down syndrome, share their experiences. Listen.
Spotlight: Highlighting Research on Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
NICHD’s mission includes understanding child development and behavior. Check out these scientific advances related to Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.
Release: NIH launches INCLUDE Project
New trans-NIH INCLUDE Project will focus on improving the health and well-being of people with Down syndrome, while also studying risk and resilience factors for common diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and cancer.
Release: Atypical brain development observed in preschoolers with ADHD symptoms
NIH-funded study uses high-resolution brain scans to uncover structural changes.
Spotlight: Selected NICHD Research Advances of 2017
Over the past year, NICHD contributed to numerous scientific advances and key initiatives.
NIH awards nearly $100 million for Autism Centers of Excellence program
The National Institutes of Health has awarded nine research grants totaling nearly $100 million over the next five years for the Autism Centers of Excellence (ACE), a program that supports large research projects aimed at understanding and developing interventions for autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Children’s visual engagement is heritable and altered in autism
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.
The NIH NeuroBioBank: Addressing the Urgent Need for Brain Donation
NICHD Director Dr. Diana Bianchi and colleagues from other NIH Institutes discuss this valuable research resource.
Socioeconomic disadvantage linked to immune activity during pregnancy
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.
NICHD-funded study explores the toll of pediatric trauma
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.
Researchers seek to improve understanding of the relationships between child brain development, nutrition, and inflammation
International experts have identified research needed to better understand relationships between child brain development, nutrition, and inflammation, particularly for children living in poverty.
NICHD scientists identify proteins involved in cells’ energy production
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.
NICHD scientists identify in mice a potential mechanism of lysosomal storage disorders
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.
Early brain changes may help predict autism among high-risk infants
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.
Home-visit program in child maltreatment cases strengthens parent-child interaction
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.
Experimental therapy for Prader-Willi syndrome shows promise in mice
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.
Getting to Know the New NICHD Director
NICHD Director Dr. Diana Bianchi shares some thoughts about joining NICHD.