News & Updates

Infants born to mothers in poverty had a greater chance of developing neurological problems within the first year of life, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Harvard University.

A conversation with Dr. Sheri Crow, a pediatrician specializing in critical care at the Mayo Clinic, about her NICHD-funded research. Dr. Crow has explored the long-term health outcomes of children who experience traumatic injury or a life-threatening illness in early childhood.

International experts have identified research needed to better understand relationships between child brain development, nutrition, and inflammation, particularly for children living in poverty.

Parents previously investigated for child abuse, showed more positive responses to their baby’s social and emotional needs after completing a home-visit program, according to a study supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

NICHD had a very productive year in 2016. Staff responded quickly to Zika virus and led the effort to develop the NIH Research Plan on Rehabilitation. The following snapshots are examples of the many advances made possible by NICHD this year.

NICHD Director Dr. Diana Bianchi shares some thoughts about joining NICHD.

Rare tumors called pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas may cause the same symptoms as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, leading to inappropriate treatment that could worsen their symptoms and potentially endanger their health. That’s the conclusion of a new study by National Institutes of Health researchers who evaluated a group of pediatric patients diagnosed with the tumors.

For people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), early detection and early intervention can help a great deal in improving outcomes. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that health care providers screen for ASD at the 18-month and 24-month visits. Meanwhile, researchers are working to develop screening tools that can detect the disorder even earlier.

As part of an NICHD-supported study, researchers found that the outcomes of orphaned and abandoned children in low- and middle-income countries are similar whether they live in group homes or family-based settings.

Infants exposed to more than one language may be better able than their monolingual counterparts to see a situation from another point of view, according to a study funded in part by the National Institutes of Health.

A program that helps lower-income parents interact more effectively with their infants and toddlers through reading and play improves children’s attention and decreases rates of problem behaviors by age 3 years, according to a study funded in part by the National Institutes of Health.

Over the past year, NICHD contributed to numerous scientific advances and key initiatives.

If someone offends you and you’re not sure whether they intended to, it’s best not to retaliate and to assume they meant no harm. That’s the takeaway message from an international study of how children react to a provocation.

An instructional program for parents helps young children retain the literacy skills and positive learning behaviors acquired in Head Start through to the end of the kindergarten year, according to researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health.