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.

Director's Corner: Reflecting on our Science Advances in 2020

2020 was a year filled with many challenges. NICHD remained focused on our core mission, advancing key research in women’s health, reproductive science, rare childhood diseases and many more. Watch the video below and review our research highlights of 2020.

Director's Corner: Celebrating 30 Years of Medical Rehabilitation Research

Our National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research has advanced the field with significant achievements over the past 30 years that have improved the health, independence and quality of life of people with disabilities.

Item of Interest: NICHD Selects Six Infrastructure Centers to Promote Rehabilitation Research

The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development recently selected six centers for its Medical Rehabilitation Research Resource Network.

Item of Interest: James A. Griffin, Ph.D., named new Chief of NICHD’s Child Development and Behavior Branch

James A. Griffin, Ph.D., named new Chief of NICHD’s Child Development and Behavior Branch

Media Advisory: Gene mutation enhances cognitive flexibility in mice, NIH study suggests

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have discovered in mice what they believe is the first known genetic mutation to improve cognitive flexibility—the ability to adapt to changing situations.

Spotlight: A Decade of Human-Animal Interaction (HAI) Research

NICHD marks a 10-year partnership with WALTHAM® PetCare Science Institute, a division of Mars, to support research exploring the impact of interactions between animals and human companions.

Spotlight: Selected NICHD Research Advances of 2019

Read about NICHD’s notable research findings and activities from 2019.

Spotlight: NICHD Looks Back on 50 Years of Learning Disabilities Research

NICHD’s contributions to research on learning disabilities highlight decades of studies that informed the identification, recognition and treatment of these disorders.

Item of Interest: Focus on FMR1: NIH Invites Comments on its Research Plan on Fragile X and Associated Conditions

NIH invites scientists, advocacy and family groups, representatives from federal and local agencies, and others to provide comments and suggestions on its draft research plan on Fragile X syndrome and associated conditions.

Science Update: Supportive parenting may offset poverty’s effects on adolescent brain development, NIH-funded study suggests

Supportive parenting may help adolescents avoid brain development issues that have been linked to living in poverty, suggests a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. By age 25, children of supportive parents—those who reason with and encourage their children to consider the consequences of their behavior—had more neural connections in brain regions that regulate learning, memory, and emotional control, compared to peers with less supportive parents.

Release: Kids living near major roads at higher risk of developmental delays, NIH study suggests

Young children who live close to a major roadway are twice as likely to score lower on tests of communications skills, compared to those who live farther away from a major roadway, according to an analysis by researchers at the National Institutes of Health.

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: Atypical brain development observed in preschoolers with ADHD symptoms

NIH-funded study uses high-resolution brain scans to uncover structural changes.

Release: Graduates of early childhood program show greater educational gains as adults

Students who participated in an intensive childhood education program from preschool to third grade were more likely to achieve an academic degree beyond high school, compared to a similar group that received other intervention services as children, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Spotlight: Selected NICHD Research Advances of 2017

Over the past year, NICHD contributed to numerous scientific advances and key initiatives.

Science Update: Preschool program to boost executive function leads to success in primary grades

A program to teach preschoolers pre-reading, social, and thinking skills appears to have benefits through third grade, particularly in executive functioning—the mental skills that include planning, paying attention, organizing, and remembering details.

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).

Focus on Early Learning

Children start learning long before they start going to school. Find out how you can support your child's learning from birth.

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.
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