NICHD's Nahida Chakhtoura, M.D., recently returned from Puerto Rico after visiting with NICHD-supported researchers who are studying Zika in pregnancy and fetal development. Read more about her trip, the research, and the women she met.
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.
Research Roundup: Here’s How NICHD Research Is Improving Patients’ Lives
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.
HIV therapy for breastfeeding mothers can virtually eliminate transmission to babies
For HIV-infected mothers whose immune system is in good health, taking a three-drug antiretroviral regimen during breastfeeding essentially eliminates HIV transmission by breast milk to their infants, according to results from a large clinical trial conducted in sub-Saharan Africa and India.
Adolescent birth rate drops across all racial groups, annual report shows
According to the 2016 edition of America’s Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, in 2014, the adolescent birth rate was 11 births per 1,000 girls ages 15 to 17 years, down from 12 per 1,000 in 2013. Racial and ethnic disparities in adolescent birth rates also have declined, although substantial differences persist.
NIH funds Zika virus study involving U.S. Olympic team
Researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health will monitor potential Zika virus exposure among a subset of athletes, coaches and other U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) staff attending the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Brazil.
Breastfeeding Challenges: How to Find Support for Common Problems
Breastfeeding can help optimize your newborn’s health. But challenging circumstances can often bring breastfeeding to a halt. Achieving the recommended 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding for baby often requires a broad network of support from your partner, family, providers, community, and workplace. Read more about common challenges and resources that can help you overcome them.
NIH Launches Large Study of Pregnant Women in Areas Affected by Zika Virus
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz (Fiocruz) begin a multi-country study to evaluate the magnitude of health risks that Zika virus infection poses to pregnant women and their developing fetuses and infants.
Proper maternal folate level may reduce child obesity risk
Proper maternal folate levels during pregnancy may protect children from a future risk of obesity, especially those born to obese mothers, according to a study funded by NICHD.
What if It Isn’t the “Happiest Time of Your Life”?
Countering the stigma and isolation often felt with depression and anxiety disorders around pregnancy is central to a new initiative launched in May, Moms’ Mental Health Matters.
NICHD Begins Study in Brazil of Zika Virus Infection during Pregnancy
NICHD has launched an observational study of pregnant women in Brazil to help improve understanding of the effects of Zika virus infection on reproductive health and the developing fetus. The study augments an existing project in Brazil on cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection during pregnancy, expanding the project’s scope to include Zika virus.
Ebola Outbreak Highlights Needs of Infants, Children, and Pregnant Women as Research Priority
While the imminent threat of a global Ebola epidemic has faded, the impact of the outbreak in West Africa was severe, and its effects will continue to be felt for years to come. The virus ravaged communities in Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone, leaving more than 11,000 people dead.
Infants exposed to multiple languages show enhanced interpersonal skills
Infants exposed to more than one language may be better able than their monolingual counterparts to see a situation from another point of view, according to a study funded in part by the National Institutes of Health.
NICHD Invites Researchers to Share Their Data through Online Resource
Researchers may now add data from NICHD-funded studies directly to the NICHD Data and Specimen Hub (DASH).
Advising moms not to bed share with infants does not discourage breastfeeding
Following advice to sleep in the same room with their infants —but not in the same bed—does not appear to discourage new mothers from breastfeeding, as some experts had feared, according to a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Prenatal steroids lower risk of respiratory illness in late preterm infants
Prenatal steroid therapy reduces the chance of respiratory complications among infants born at 34-36 weeks, so-called “late” preterm infants, according to a study by a National Institutes of Health research network.
Selected NICHD Research Advances of 2015
Over the past year, NICHD contributed to numerous scientific advances and key initiatives.
HIV Transmission from Mother to Child: From Epidemic to Near Elimination
Children are most likely to get HIV from their mothers in one of three ways: in the womb, during birth, or from breastfeeding or breast milk. NICHD research has helped establish safe and effective ways to prevent this type of HIV transmission. Check out our infographic to learn more.
Screening programs may miss many cases of life-threatening newborn infection
The drug-susceptible form of Staphylococcus aureus, a common bacterium that inhabits the body, may account for a greater number of infections among hospitalized newborns than the antibiotic-resistant form, according to researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Anti-HIV drug for adults is safe, effective in children exposed to nevirapine in the womb
HIV-infected children exposed in the womb to nevirapine, a drug used to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission, can safely and effectively transition to efavirenz, a similar drug recommended for older children and adults, according to a study funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), part of the National Institutes of Health.
Two doses of chickenpox vaccine confer long-term protection in children on anti-HIV therapy
Children infected with HIV since birth benefit from two doses of the chickenpox vaccine, particularly when the first dose is given at least three months after the initiation of anti-HIV treatment, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).