The largest, most comprehensive analysis of its kind has found that pregnant women infected with HIV can reduce the risk of transmitting the virus to their infants by about 50 percent if they deliver by elective cesarean section--before they have gone into labor and before their membranes have ruptured, according to a study led by a researcher at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).
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.
NICHD Child Care Study Investigators to Report on Child Care Quality Higher Quality Care Related to Less Problem Behavior
Researchers affiliated with the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) study of early child care will report that, in general, day care in the United States is "fair," but not outstanding.
NICHD Network Identifies Most Effective of a Series of Infertility Treatments
Researchers in a large network funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) have determined the most effective of a series of common infertility treatments.
Incidence of SIDS Increases during Cold Weather: A Winter Alert to All Caregivers of Infants
The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), leader of the Back to Sleep campaign, today is issuing a winter alert, once again, urging parents and caretakers to place babies on their backs to sleep to reduce the incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Researchers Identify Risk Factors for Infants Most Likely to be Homicide Victims
An infant's chances of becoming a homicide victim during the first year of life are greatest if he or she is the second or later born child of a teenage mother, according to an analysis of birth and death certificates by researchers at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).
The Use of Secretin to Treat Autism
Secretin is a polypeptide neurotransmitter (chemical messenger), one of the hormones that controls digestion.
Four Million Dollars Awarded for New Researchers in Women’s Health
To help advance research in women's reproductive health, twelve centers have been awarded a total of $4 million to support early research careers in the field of obstetrics and gynecology.
Researchers Identify Risk Factors for Preeclampsia in Hypertensive Women
Having high blood pressure for at least four years before getting pregnant increases a woman's chances of developing the dangerous condition known as preeclampsia, according to a study published in the September 3 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.
New NICHD-Sponsored Pertussis Vaccine Approved
The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) of the National Institutes of Health today joined North American Vaccine in announcing that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given its approval to manufacture and market a new DTaP (diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis) vaccine for use in immunization against these diseases.
SIDS Rate Drops as More Babies are Placed to Sleep on their Backs or Sides
National efforts to reduce the incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) by placing healthy infants on their backs or sides to sleep appear to have been extremely successful, according to a study funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), reported in the July 22 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
Federal Interagency Forum on Child & Family Statistics
The federal government issued its second annual report today on the well-being of America's 70 million children, revealing some good news about their overall health and educational achievements.
C-Sections Before Labor & Rupture of Membranes Reduce the Risk of Maternal-Infant HIV Transmission by Half
The largest, most comprehensive analysis of its kind has found pregnant women infected with HIV can reduce the risk of transmitting the virus to their infants by about 50 percent if they deliver by elective cesarean section--before they have gone into labor and before their membranes have ruptured, according to a study led by a researcher at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).
Gene Therapy Technique May Allow Researchers to Suppress Abnormal Protein in Bone Disorder
Researchers at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) have taken the first preliminary steps for gene therapy of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), a diverse group of disorders caused by various defects in type I collagen, a major component of bone.
Study Questions Common Practice of Steroid Administration to Induce Lung Development in Premature Infants
A new study conducted by researchers in the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Neonatal Research Network suggests that the steroid dexamethasone, which is commonly prescribed to help premature infants get off mechanical ventilators, may have serious side effects.
First Trimester Screening for Down Syndrome Possible, NICHD-Funded Study Finds
The first large scale study of its kind shows that effective screening for Down syndrome is possible before the 14th week of pregnancy--earlier than previous screening regimens have permitted, according to a study appearing in the April 2 New England Journal of Medicine.
New Panel to Assess Readiness of Reading Research For Use In Nation's Classrooms
A new panel unveiled today will study the effectiveness of various approaches to teaching children how to read and to report on the best ways to apply these findings in classrooms and at home.
NICHD-Funded Researchers Map Physical Basis of Dyslexia
A Yale research team funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) has used sophisticated brain imaging technology to show that there is decreased functioning while performing reading tasks in certain brain regions of individuals with the most common form of dyslexia.
Researchers Discover How Melatonin Production is Switched Off
Researchers have long known that melatonin--a key hormone that regulates the body's circadian clock--rapidly disappears from the blood after exposure to bright light.
New Treatment for Lung Problems in Premature Infants Ineffective, NICHD Study Finds
A new study has demonstrated that a potential new therapy, thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), given in combination with the steroid hormone glucocorticoid to mothers who were threatening to deliver a very preterm infant, was no more effective in improving their newborn infants' outcome than glucocorticoid treatment alone.
Vaccination May Control Cholera Outbreaks in African Refugee Camps
Vaccinating against cholera in African refugee camps can save lives, prevent disease, and possibly save costs, according to an economic analysis conducted by a team of researchers at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and other institutions.