A new study found no association between the use of an anti-HIV treatment that uses a combination of drugs during pregnancy and an increased risk of such birth complications as premature delivery, stillbirth, and low Apgar scores.
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.
Teen Friendships More Racially Segregated at Moderately Diverse Schools: Integrated Friendships More Likely at Highly Diverse Schools
Teens are more likely to choose friends from within their own racial group in moderately racially mixed schools, with this likelihood greatest in schools where diversity is moderately high, according to an analysis of information from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's (NICHD) Adolescent Health Study.
Oral Diabetes Drug Shows Promise in Preventing Miscarriage in Common Infertility Disorder
The anti-diabetes drug metformin appears to reduce the likelihood of early miscarriage in women with a common form of female infertility, according to a study funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).
Home Uterine Monitors Not Useful for Predicting Premature Birth
Portable monitors that detect contractions of the uterus do not appear to be useful for identifying women likely to have a preterm delivery, according to a study by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).
Study Confirms Secretin No More Effective Than Placebo in Treating Autism Symptoms
The latest in a series of studies on secretin has failed to show that giving the digestive hormone to children with autism alleviates symptoms of the disorder, according to a study funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
Autism Fact Sheets Now Available from NICHD
A series of fact sheets describing the latest research findings on autism is now available from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).
New Recommendations to Assess Male Fertility Question Previous Standards
New recommendations from an NICHD study question current standards for determining whether a semen sample is normal or abnormal.
Infant Sleep Position & Head Control
A study appearing in the October 2001 issue of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics reported that premature infants who sleep on their backs gain the ability to lift their heads at a slightly slower rate than do premature infants who sleep on their stomachs.
'Master' Stress Hormone Prevents Mother From Rejecting Embryo
The "master" hormone that commands the body's response to stress is also directly involved in the process that prevents a mother's immune system from destroying an embryo that has implanted in her uterus, according to the results of a study by researchers at the the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, and several other Institutions.
Shortened Cervix in Second Trimester Possible Warning Sign for Premature Birth
A short cervix early in the second trimester of pregnancy appears to be a warning sign of impending premature birth among women who have previously given birth prematurely, according to a study by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's (NICHD) Maternal Fetal Medicine Units (MFMU) Network.
Researchers Find New Insights Into the Genetic Foundations of Autism
In collaboration with their European colleagues, scientists funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have come one step closer to determining the genetic basis for autism.
NICHD Funds New Sites to Follow Disease Progression in HIV-Infected Women
The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) will fund three sites to conduct research to increase understanding of how infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) affects adolescent and adult women.
Study Raises Questions About Relationship Between SIDS & Events Detected by Home Monitors
Episodes of prolonged cessation of breathing or prolonged slowing of heart rate in infants-- believed to be potential signs of risk for SIDS--primarily occur before the developmental age when most SIDS deaths occur, according to a study funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).
'Ear Tube' Placement Does Not Seem To Improve Children's Development by Age Three
Placing tubes into the eardrums of young children who have moderately persistent accumulation of fluid in the middle ear does not appear to have any effect on the children's speech, language, intellectual, psychological, or social development by age three, according to a study funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
National Reading Panel Launches Revamped Web Site
The National Reading Panel (NRP) today announced the launch of its redesigned Web site at http:// www.nationalreadingpanel.org .
NICHD Funded Researchers First to Genetically Modify Non Human Primate
Researchers funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the National Center for Research Resources of the National Institutes of Health have completed the first successful effort to introduce a new gene into the unfertilized eggs of rhesus monkeys, a member of the family of mammals that includes human beings.
Newborn Lung Treatment Poses Risk of Intestinal Perforation
A treatment commonly prescribed to reduce the risk of chronic lung disease in extremely premature infants does not reduce the risk of death or chronic lung disease in these infants and may increase the risk for perforation of the intestines, according to a study by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Neonatal Research Network.
Virginity Pledge Helps Teens Delay Sexual Activity
Teens who pledged to remain a virgin until marriage began sexual activity much later than their peers who did not take such a pledge, according to an analysis of data from a study funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and several other Federal agencies.
Researchers Identify Gene Common to Many Autism Cases
Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have identified a gene that may predispose people to developing autism.
Campaign's Resource Kit Seeks to Reduce Incidence of SIDS in African American Communities
Commemorating SIDS Awareness Month, HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala and U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher today unveiled a resource kit for reducing the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in African American communities.