NICHD News Releases

Harnessing Research to Combat Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
STDs and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have affected health and human relationships throughout history. For STD Awareness Month this April, the NICHD highlights some of its research efforts related to STDs and STIs.

Drug safety for children and pregnant women topic of March NICHD Director’s Podcast
Once the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves a drug, physicians can use their best judgment to prescribe it to their patients—whether or not their patients are similar to those who took part in the clinical trials. Physicians can also prescribe drugs for diseases or conditions other than those for which they were originally tested.

Scientific Vision: The Next Decade
The NICHD embarked upon a collaborative process in 2011 to create a scientific Vision, identifying the most promising scientific opportunities for the Institute and its partners to pursue over the next decade. The newly published Scientific Vision statement presents the results of that process and outlines scientific goals for the coming decade.

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.

Research for a Lifetime: Commemorating the NICHD’s 50th Anniversary
On October 17, 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed into law the legislation establishing the NICHD to examine “the complex process of human development from conception to old age.” The Institute marks its golden anniversary with Research for a Lifetime, an all-day scientific colloquium to highlight the Institute’s mission, accomplishments, and future research directions.

World AIDS Day and NICHD HIV/AIDS Research
​According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 34 million people around the world are living with HIV, and about 10% of them are children. On World AIDS Day, the NICHD reflects on its progress and its continuing efforts to keep these children healthy, to preserve the health of HIV-positive mothers, and to prevent new cases of HIV among children and adults.

Extra Zs Spell Better Health
​Between work/school, errands, and social activities, sleep is often the first thing we cut back on to make room in a busy schedule. Yet sleep is critical to overall health and to restoring health after an illness or injury. The NICHD pursues research on the mechanisms of sleep, its effects on body functions, and the impact of its absence. Back to school time often requires some adjustments to schedules, including sleep schedules. As families get back into the school mode, the Institute highlights its research on the many aspects of sleep and health.

Research on Breastfeeding & Breast Milk at the NICHD
​​Breastfeeding offers benefits to both mothers and babies. Not only does human milk provide essential calories, vitamins, minerals, and other bioactive components for optimal growth, health, and development, but the process of breastfeeding also helps mother-infant bonding. To mark World Breastfeeding Week, the NICHD describes some of its current research and research findings on breastfeeding and breast milk.

Following the Footsteps of Our Nation's Future
The annual federal report card on the well-being of the nation's children and youth includes both good news and not-so-good news: the number of adolescent mothers and preterm births dropped while the number of children living in poverty increased. This year marks the 16th annual report in the America's Children series.

NICHD Research on Women's Health
The term "women's health" covers many topics ranging from disease prevention, to pregnancy and childbirth, to gynecological diseases, to illnesses that affect women uniquely. Following last week's celebration of National Women's Health Week, the NICHD highlights its diverse portfolio of research and collaborative efforts on the many aspects of women's health.

Distracted Driving Awareness Month & NICHD Research on Young Drivers
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and the message from the U.S. Department of Transportation and other organizations is crystal clear: stop using cell phones while driving. NICHD-funded research reveals that other factors, such as restricting driving at night and encouraging parents to set driving limits, also help reduce the number of crashes and fatal crashes among teen drivers.

World AIDS Day: NICHD Research on HIV/AIDS
​​World AIDS Day, commemorated on December 1, marks a day of global unification in the fight against HIV/AIDS. In a recent presentation at the NIH, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton shared a vision for turning the tide on HIV/AIDS, drawing on 30 years of U.S. leadership in the fight against the disease and recent scientific advances. The NICHD highlights some of its research activities in HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness.

Graduated Drivers Licensing Programs Reduce Fatal Teen Crashes
Programs that grant privileges to new drivers in phases--known as graduated licensing programs--dramatically reduce the rate of teen driver fatal crashes, according to three studies funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Violence During Pregnancy Linked to Reduced Birth Weight
Pregnant women who are assaulted by an intimate partner are at increased risk of giving birth to infants of reduced weight, according to a population-level analysis of domestic violence supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Research Advances in Pediatric, Adolescent, & Maternal HIV/AIDS
​​As the NICHD continues its efforts to improve prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS and related diseases in infants, children, adolescents, and pregnant women, several recent research findings help to advance the field.

NIH-Funded Study Proposes New Method to Predict Fertility Rates
Researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health have developed a new statistical technique to forecast changes in fertility rates. The new method mathematically compensates for uncertainty and is expected to allow governments to plan more reliably for the infrastructure and social services needed to accommodate large-scale population changes.

A Check-up for U.S. Children
​Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics releases findings from its annual snapshot of the health and well being of the nation’s children.

30 Years of Milestones
​As the NIH and the scientific community commemorate the 30th anniversary of the first reported cases of what is now known as AIDS, the NICHD highlights some of the key moments in pediatric, adolescent, and maternal AIDS research.

Health Care Visits to Check More Than Just Health?
​Recent findings from an NICHD-supported study show that health care providers can use well-baby and well-child visits to help at-risk families prepare their children for school.

Understanding Fragile Families
​In 1998, the NICHD launched a long-term study of parenting and relationships among unmarried couples. The latest findings from this study reveal a portrait of life in these families today.