NICHD research aims to promote healthy pregnancies.
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.
NIH-funded project leads to FDA-approved newborn screening device
A newborn screening device, developed with funding from NICHD's Small Business Innovation Research program, received de novo clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the detection of lysosomal storage disorders, which injure the brain and nervous system.
Selected NICHD Research Advances of 2016
NICHD had a very productive year in 2016. Staff responded quickly to Zika virus and led the effort to develop the NIH Research Plan on Rehabilitation. The following snapshots are examples of the many advances made possible by NICHD this year.
Getting to Know the New NICHD Director
NICHD Director Dr. Diana Bianchi shares some thoughts about joining NICHD.
Rates of survival increasing for extremely preterm infants, NIH network finds
Extremely preterm infants, those born before the 28th week of pregnancy, are surviving in greater numbers and escaping serious illness, according to a comprehensive review of births in a National Institutes of Health research network.
NIH Scientists Combine Efforts to Advance Birth Defects Research
Nearly 120,000 babies are born with a birth defect* each year in the United States—one baby every 4.5 minutes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It’s in the DNA: Animal Models Offer Clues to Human Development
At first glance, it’s hard to see many similarities among people, mice, and zebrafish. But much of what we know about the earliest stages of human development and birth defects come from studying the development of these animals.
Test reliably detects inherited immune deficiency in newborns
A newborn screening test for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) reliably identifies infants with this life-threatening inherited condition, leading to prompt treatment and high survival rates, according to a study supported by the National Institutes of Health.
Healthy Pregnancies, Healthy Newborns: Research to Improve Outcomes
Ensuring the health and wellbeing of pregnant women and newborns is central to the NICHD mission. Scientists supported by our Pregnancy and Perinatology Branch (PPB) conduct research related to improving care for pregnant women and newborns, preventing preterm labor and birth and other birth complications, and treating diseases in newborns.
Teaming Up Against Birth Defects
When the NICHD was founded in 1962, one of its first charges was to improve our understanding of birth defects. Now, more than 50 years later, birth defects research continues to be a core focus of the Institute.
Picture This: NICHD Support for Neuroscience Research
At the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience , held in San Diego, California, from November 9–13, more than 30,000 neuroscientists from around the world will share their latest research results and learn about new advances and opportunities in the field.
NICHD September podcast describes genomic sequencing for newborn screening
The September NICHD Research Perspectives featured a discussion on NIH grants for projects investigating genomic sequencing as a diagnostic tool to screen newborns for health disorders. On September 4, the NICHD and the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) awarded $5 million to fund studies on the potential for the new technology. The September podcast is an excerpt from the news conference in which officials at the NICHD and NHGRI described this new project.
September Is Newborn Screening Awareness Month
The NICHD has played a key role in the newborn screening activities and accomplishments of the last 5 decades and continues to lead and fund research activities related to newborn screening. As we mark the 50th anniversary of the dawn of the newborn screening era, the NICHD highlights some of its newborn screening research and accomplishments.
NIH program explores the use of genomic sequencing in newborn healthcare
Can sequencing of newborns’ genomes provide useful medical information beyond what current newborn screening already provides? Pilot projects to examine this important question are being funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), both parts of the National Institutes of Health.
Breathing Life into Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) Research
Research is improving our understanding of CDH and the molecular and genetic factors that play a role in the condition. The activities are also opening possibilities for screening, prevention, and treatment of CDH.
Birth Defects Prevention Month and NICHD Research Advances
Birth defects affect 1 in 33 babies born in the United States each year and are factors in the cause of 1 in 5 infant deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Both Birth Defects Prevention Month, held in January, and Folic Acid Awareness Week, January 6–12, aim to raise awareness about ways to reduce the risk of birth defects.
Scientific Vision: The Next Decade
On December 5, 2012, the NICHD released the Scientific Vision: The Next Decade, the culmination of a collaborative process that began in 2011 to identify the most promising scientific opportunities for the Institute and the research community to pursue over the next decade. The Vision statement was made available during the NICHD’s 50th anniversary colloquium.
NICHD reorganizes extramural program
Alan Guttmacher, M.D., Director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) announced a number of changes to streamline the institute’s organizational structure and accelerate the exchange of scientific ideas.
NICHD vision statement now available online
A document charting a research course for the many collaborators who share an interest in promoting the science concerning human development through the life span, child health, women's health, and rehabilitation research is now available online.
Research for a Lifetime: Commemorating the NICHD’s 50th Anniversary
As the Institute marks its golden anniversary, we look back on the NICHD's early years, its scientific accomplishments, and its future.