News & Updates

NICHD issues Releases and Media Advisories to the news media. Science Updates and Spotlights explain NICHD research findings and public health issues to the general public. An Item of Interest is a short announcement such as an initiative launch or a notable staff change. Director’s Corner posts are monthly updates from the NICHD director.

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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.

NICHD-Funded Researchers Find Possible Mechanism of Preeclampsia Disorder of Pregnancy Attributed to Placenta Irregularity

A team of investigators has discovered that preeclampsia--a life threatening complication of pregnancy--results from a failure of the placenta to invade the wall of the uterus and to appropriately mimic the tissue which lines blood vessels. The finding has important implications for the diagnosis and treatment of this sudden, mysterious, and potentially fatal disorder of pregnancy.

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News & Updates

Study Questions Common Practice of Steroid Administration to Induce Lung Development in Premature Infants

First Trimester Screening for Down Syndrome Possible, NICHD-Funded Study Finds

NICHD-Funded Researchers Find Possible Mechanism of Preeclampsia Disorder of Pregnancy Attributed to Placenta Irregularity