NIH-supported research calls for well-defined standards for infants between 6 months and 1 year
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.
Media Advisory: Risk of neural tube defects slightly higher for babies of women on HIV therapy containing dolutegravir
Children born to women on HIV therapy containing the drug dolutegravir since conception have a slightly higher risk of neural tube defects, compared to children born to women on regimens of other antiretroviral drugs.
Science Update: Low vitamin D early in life may increase risk of high blood pressure through adolescence, NICHD-funded study suggests
Low vitamin D levels at birth or in early childhood may increase the risk of high blood pressure in later childhood or adolescence, suggests a study funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Health Resources and Services Administration.
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.
Media Advisory: Extinct human species likely breast fed for up to a year after birth, NIH-funded study suggests
Infants of the extinct human species Australopithecus africanus likely breast fed for up to a year after birth, similar to modern humans but of shorter duration than modern day great apes, according to an analysis of fossil teeth funded in part by the National Institutes of Health. The findings provide insight into how breast feeding evolved among humans and may inform strategies to improve modern breast-feeding practices.
Release: Elevated blood pressure in first trimester increases risk for blood pressure disorder later in pregnancy
Elevated blood pressure in the first trimester of pregnancy, or an increase in blood pressure between the first and second trimesters, raises the chances of a high blood pressure disorder of pregnancy, 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.
Science Update: Preterm infants with growth failure have key differences in microbiome, metabolism, NIH-funded study suggests
Preterm infants with a lower-than-normal growth rate have key differences in the bacteria and other organisms that live in their digestive tracts, according to a study funded by the NICHD. Moreover, byproducts of metabolism in slow-growing preterm infants are like those found in malnourished children, despite receiving a diet appropriate for their age.
Science Update: Drug combination may lead to slight bone loss in young adolescent males, NIH-funded analysis suggests
Truvada, a drug combination that reduces the chances of HIV infection in high-risk people may result in small, yet persistent bone loss in younger adolescent males, suggests a study supported by the NICHD. The researchers added, however, that the protection against HIV offered by Truvada far outweighs any possible risks from bone loss.
Media Advisory: Change in Medicaid reimbursement may reduce rate of closely spaced births among teens
Long-acting contraception after childbirth could help teens avoid short-interval pregnancies, suggests NIH-funded study.
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.
Media Advisory: NIH-funded study links microbiome composition to preterm birth risk among African American women
A research project funded by the National Institutes of Health has identified differences in the vaginal bacteria that may raise the risk of preterm birth among pregnant African American women. The findings could be a first step toward the development of a screen for the early identification of preterm birth risk in this population.
Spotlight: NICHD Workshops Aim to Change Conversations About Maternal Health
Patient advocates, healthcare providers and researchers help map a future research agenda aimed at reducing maternal mortality and severe morbidity.
Science Update: Stress during pregnancy may increase child’s risk of depression in adolescence
Maternal stress during pregnancy may influence fetal brain development in ways that increase the risk of depression by early adolescence, suggests a small study funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Release: NIH scientists call attention to the impact of opioids on women and children
In an editorial, Diana W. Bianchi, M.D., NICHD Director and Matthew W. Gillman, M.D., S.M., emphasize that women and children bear a substantial burden of the U.S. opioid epidemic and that coordinated, long-term research is essential to filling knowledge gaps about how opioids affect women and children.
Spotlight: How artificial intelligence and other new technologies are advancing healthcare
Scientists and engineers are pioneering new tools and methods to advance healthcare in revolutionary ways. Learn about emerging technologies funded by NICHD.
Science Update: Adolescent drivers with ADHD have higher crash rate than their peers, NICHD-funded study suggests
Adolescent drivers with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have a higher crash rate than adolescents who do not have the disorder, according to a study funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
Spotlight: Maternal Health Research Advances
NICHD was established more than 50 years ago to help understand maternal health and improve pregnancy outcomes. These selected advances highlight NICHD’s contributions to advancing the health and well-being of pregnant women, mothers, and families everywhere.
Item of Interest: Interested in Medical Rehabilitation? NIH Wants to Hear from You
NIH invites comments on its Plan of Rehabilitation Research to help update the plan.
Science Update: The earlier in pregnancy a woman quits smoking, the lower the chance of preterm birth, NICHD-funded analysis suggests
The earlier in pregnancy a woman quits smoking, the less likely she is to give birth preterm, according to an analysis funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Similarly, the study found that the more a pregnant woman smoked, the higher her chances for preterm birth.