A team of researchers has discovered a gene for Cornelia de Lange Syndrome, a disorder consisting of mental retardation, heart defects and a number of physical abnormalities.
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.
New Study Finds Babies Born to Mothers Who Drink Alcohol Heavily May Suffer Permanent Nerve Damage
Newborns whose mothers drank alcohol heavily during pregnancy had damage to the nerves in the arms and legs, according to a study by researchers at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, one of the National Institutes of Health.
NICHD Alerts Parents to Winter SIDS Risk
The cold winter months bring an increase in the number of infants who die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, according to the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, one of the National Institutes of Health.
NICHD Funds Major Effort to Determine Extent & Causes of Stillbirth
One of the National Institutes of Health has begun a concerted effort to determine the extent and causes of stillbirth- the death of a fetus at 20 or more weeks of pregnancy.
Teen Birth Rate Down, Exposure to Secondhand Smoke Drops Kids More Likely to be Overweight
The well-being of America's children has improved in many respects, with infant and childhood death rates continuing to drop, fewer adolescents smoking, fewer children exposed to secondhand smoke, fewer adolescent girls giving birth, and more adolescents taking honors courses.
Detroit Summit to Bring African American Women Together to Reduce SIDS Risk
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (AKA), and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) will sponsor a regional summit meeting May 30-31 in Detroit as part of a national campaign to reduce Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in African American communities.
Study Confirms Safety of Placing Infants to Sleep on Their Backs: Infants Who Sleep on Back Have Fewer Fevers & Ear Infections
A team of researchers reports that infants who are placed to sleep on their backs are not at increased risk for health problems, and they are less likely to develop fevers, get stuffy noses, or develop otitis media (ear infection).
Bed Sharing with Siblings, Soft Bedding, Increase SIDS Risk
Infants who share a bed with other children are at a higher risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) than are other infants, according to the most recent analysis of a study of predominantly African American SIDS deaths in Chicago.
NICHD Study to Test Surgical Technique to Repair Spinal Defect Before Birth
The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) will conduct a large study to determine whether a new surgery to correct spina bifida in the womb is safer and more effective than the traditional surgery to correct the disorder, which takes place a few days after birth.
Sites Chosen for NIH & Gates Foundation Global Network for Women's & Children's Health Research
The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) has selected the first eight research units for the Global Network for Women's and Children's Health Research, an international research network to improve the health of women and children throughout the world.
L.A. Summit Seeks to Reduce SIDS in Western U.S. African American Communities
The Women in the NAACP (WIN) and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development have joined forces with two national African American women's organizations to reduce Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in the African American community.
Higher SIDS Risk Found in Infants Placed in Unaccustomed Sleeping Position
Infants accustomed to sleeping on their backs who are then placed to sleep on their stomachs or sides are at an increased risk for SIDS-greater than the increased SIDS risk of infants always placed on their stomachs or sides.
Summits Seek to Reduce SIDS Risk in African American Community
In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) has joined forces with three national African American Women's organizations in a year-long program to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) among African American infants.
Study Finds Bed Sharing Among Parents & Infants on the Rise
Bed sharing-the practice of letting babies sleep in an adult bed with a parent or caregiver-is increasing in the United States, according to a study by researchers at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).
Study Identifies SIDS Risk Factors Among American Indian Infants
A study of Northern Plains Indians found that infants were less likely to die of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) if their mothers received visits from public health nurses before and after giving birth.
Most Definitive Study of Its Kind Shows That Sleeping on the Stomach Increases Infant SIDS Risk
Researchers have conducted the most definitive study of its kind to show that sleeping on the stomach increases the risk of U.S. infants for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Compounds Prevent Alcohol's Disruption of Important Developmental Process
Two experimental compounds prevent one of the cellular events that is a likely contributor to fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), according to a new study supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).
Multiples Born to Older Moms Fare Same as or Better than Those Born to Younger Moms
In contrast to the pattern seen with singleton births, twins born to older mothers do not appear to have a greater risk of birth complications than do twins born to younger mothers, according to a recent study by researchers at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the University of Kansas.
Pattern of Newborn Infections Changes
During the 1990's, the pattern of early infections among very low birth weight (VLBW) infants changed significantly, according to a Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)- funded study that appears in the current issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Infant Mortality Rate Drops, Children More Likely to Have A Working Parent, Be Read to, Report Says
Children in America are less likely to die during infancy than they were in previous years, less likely to smoke in 8th or 10th grade, and less likely to give birth during adolescence, according to the 6th annual report, America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2002.