News & Updates

The NIH Baby Toolbox, previously called the NIH Infant and Toddler Toolbox, is now available for researchers and clinicians as an iPad app.

The Division of Intramural Research provides fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems through basic, clinical, and population-based research.

Read about select research advances supported by NICHD in 2024, including work on women’s health, child and adolescent health, medical rehabilitation, health disparities, and more.

Adults who experienced adversity as children were more likely than those who didn’t to die by suicide or substance use by middle adulthood.

The Division of Intramural Research provides fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems through basic, clinical, and population-based research.

When playing together, children and their dogs have higher levels of oxytocin, a hormone involved in social bonding.

Skin-to-skin care, or placing an infant on a caregiver’s bare chest for feeding or bonding, appeared to boost very preterm infants' neurodevelopment. Newborns cared for with the method had better neurodevelopment test scores at 12 months.

A new study suggests that pet ownership may protect against symptoms of depression or anxiety.

The Division of Intramural Research provides fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems through basic, clinical, and population-based research.

NIH’s BRAIN Initiative is marking a milestone—10 years of advancing neuroscience and neurotechnology research by funding innovative projects. Dr. Bianchi shares her perspective on the impact BRAIN has made on NICHD’s mission.

For military members and veterans who have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), adding a service dog to their usual care could reduce the severity of PTSD symptoms, feelings of anxiety, and lower depression while enhancing their quality of life and psychosocial functioning, a new study suggests. The trial is the largest nationwide study comparing service dog partnerships to usual care alone.

Children with a history of adverse childhood experiences scored lower on tests of neurological and cognitive development than kids not exposed to early life adversity. Researchers called for the development of interventions to protect children from adversity’s potential neurological and cognitive effects.

NICHD scientists and colleagues identified genetic variants that disable the protein complex BORC as the cause of a severe neurodegenerative disorder that begins early in life. Subsequent work helped unravel the role of BORC in neurons and explain how defects in BORC function may contribute to neurodegeneration.

Irregular sleep and late bedtimes are linked to worse grades and more school-related behavioral problems among teens, a new study suggests. Interventions to promote regular sleep hours could potentially boost their academic performance.

The Division of Intramural Research provides fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems through basic, clinical, and population-based research.

Taking an omega-3 fatty acid supplement lowered children’s scores for schizotypal personality disorder, which features unusual thoughts, speech, and behaviors that hinder the ability to form relationships. The results suggest that regular supplementation in childhood could prevent more severe symptoms from developing in adolescence.

NICHD’s Tracey Rouault, M.D., has had many notable achievements during her nearly four-decade career in the intramural program at NIH. Learn about her upbringing, career path, and accomplishments.

Positive parenting practices, like praising, noticing, and encouraging children’s behavior, may help reduce the faster rate of biological aging seen in children under adverse conditions. Such positive parenting practices may counter the effects of children’s hardships, improving their long-term physical and psychological health.

Children with enlarged perivascular spaces—fluid-filled cavities surrounding the brain’s small blood vessels—had a higher risk for developing autism spectrum disorder and later sleep problems. Brain scans to detect the enlargement could be helpful for obtaining an earlier diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders.

As we ring in 2024, we’d like to take a brief look back on our accomplishments during 2023. These activities illustrate the institute’s continued commitment to research and training in its mission areas.