News

A life-threatening inflammatory condition affecting children that occurs after infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, may result from an immune system attack on one of the body’s own proteins—triggered by the immune systems recognition of a protein hidden inside SARS-CoV-2.

Children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C)—a rare condition linked with the virus that causes COVID-19—have biochemical indicators of cell injury and cell death that are distinct from other children with COVID-19, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Serious complications from a rare childhood condition linked to COVID-19 infection appear to have decreased as SARS-CoV-2 evolved from 2020 to 2022, suggests a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The condition, called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), inflames different body parts, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs. The authors noted, however, that while the proportion of those with severe complications has dropped, 37% of children hospitalized with MIS-C needed intensive care.

The National Institutes of Health has awarded eight research grants to refine new technologies for early diagnosis of severe illnesses resulting from SARS-CoV-2 infection in children. The new awards follow grants issued in 2020 to foster methods for diagnosing children at high risk for Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), a rare, severe and sometimes fatal after-effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection or exposure in children.

Read about NICHD’s research findings and activities from 2022.

Psychological distress before COVID-19 infection—feeling stressed, depressed, anxious, worried, or lonely—may raise the risk for long COVID, suggests a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Under appropriate conditions, protective face coverings can successfully be used during intelligence testing without interfering with the ability to understand the test administrator’s instruction, suggests a small study funded by the National Institutes of Health. Groups of young children scored comparably on a test measuring nonverbal intelligence whether they or the test administrators wore masks. The findings help to allay concerns that face masks may interfere with testing by hiding administrators’ facial expressions.

Vaccination against COVID-19 appears to be safe for children who have had multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and does not appear to increase the risk for inflammation of the heart or other organs, suggests a small study funded by the National Institutes of Health. MIS-C, a serious inflammation of the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, gastrointestinal organs or other body parts, occurs in children about 4 to 6 weeks after COVID-19.

NIH-funded study compared more than 1.1 million students across nine states.

The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified mental and emotional health challenges for all of us. Dr. Bianchi highlights research to understand and address factors affecting the mental health of children and their parents.

Vaccinating women against SARS-CoV-2 in mid to late pregnancy could provide their infants at least some protection against COVID-19 through six months of age, suggests a small study funded by the National Institutes of Health. Compared to infants born to mothers who had COVID-19 during pregnancy, infants born to vaccinated mothers were much more likely to have antibodies against the virus.

Read about NICHD’s research findings and activities from 2021.

Dr. Bianchi discusses NICHD-led research on long COVID in children.

NIH commentary highlights community engagement in research design and implementation.

The National Institutes of Health will support a four-year follow-up study on the potential long-term effects of COVID-19 on women infected with SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy. The study will also follow their offspring for any potential long-term effects.

NIH-funded study explains how intravenous immune globulin helps children with rare COVID condition.

Drs. Diana W. Bianchi and Bill Riley co-write a blog for Children’s Health Day on October 4, 2021.

Findings from NICHD-supported study may aid special education classes across the country.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, American children may have adopted a range of behaviors that increase their risk for obesity, an NIH-funded study suggests. Compared to before the pandemic, children 7- to 12-years old increased their sedentary behavior, screen time, and food intake, while reducing their level of physical activity and adopting a later sleep schedule—all behaviors that increase obesity risk.

The National Institutes of Health is funding five additional projects to identify ways of safely returning students and staff to in-person school in areas with vulnerable and underserved populations. The awards are the second installment of the Safe Return to School Diagnostic Testing Initiative, launched earlier this year as part of the NIH Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics Underserved Populations (RADx-UP) program. The new awards will provide up to $15 million over two years for five projects in California, Arizona, Hawaii, Nebraska and Florida. The 8 initial awards, totaling $33 million over two years, were made in April 2021.