News

Having the flu usually means several days of discomfort in the form of coughing, sneezing, stuffy or runny nose, and sore throat. Some people also experience fever, aches and pains, and even vomiting from the flu. But for pregnant women, having the flu can also mean risks to her health, some of them serious, and to the health of her fetus.

An updated screening tool that physicians administer to parents to help determine if a very young child has autism has been shown to be much more accurate than earlier versions at identifying children who could benefit from further evaluation, according to researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health.

An international team of scientists led by National Institutes of Health researchers has traced the likely origin of the enzyme needed to manufacture the hormone melatonin to roughly 500 million years ago.

The National Institutes of Health has selected eight projects to receive support to answer some of the most fundamental problems on traumatic brain injury, including understanding long-term effects of repeated head injuries and improving diagnosis of concussions.

Approximately 17% of Americans ages 2 to 19 are overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Childhood obesity and overweight increase the likelihood of many health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, as well as some serious health conditions that may not appear until later in life, such as stroke and certain cancers.

Smoking tobacco or marijuana, taking prescription painkillers, or using illegal drugs during pregnancy is associated with double or even triple the risk of stillbirth, according to research funded by the National Institutes of Health.

If your health care provider wanted to give you a medication, but you knew that it hadn’t been tested on people within your age group, would you still take it? That’s the dilemma many parents face when trying to care for their children—the majority of drugs given to infants and children have not been tested in these age groups for safety, effectiveness, or dosage.

To expedite research on brain disorders, the National Institutes of Health is shifting from a limited funding role to coordinating a Web-based resource for sharing post-mortem brain tissue. Under a NIH NeuroBioBank initiative, five brain banks will begin collaborating in a tissue sharing network for the neuroscience community.

Dr. Randy Schekman sat down with NICHD to describe his research, talk about the role of NIH in supporting his discoveries, and discuss his plans for the future.

Many cases of a rare disorder of the adrenal glands appear to result from two copies of a mutant gene, according to a research team made up of scientists in France and at the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

This year's World AIDS Day activities focus on efforts to eliminate new HIV/AIDS infections in adolescents and young adults, to treat those who are infected, and to make future generations AIDS free. This focus is part of the "Getting to Zero" theme (Zero New HIV Infections, Zero Discrimination, and Zero AIDS Deaths) that currently guides global efforts.

The October/November NICHD Research Perspectives focuses on the importance of a safe sleep environment to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and other sleep-related causes of infant death.

November marks the 37th annual National Native American Heritage Month to honor AI/AN culture, heritage, and communities. This year’s theme is “Guiding Our Destiny with Heritage and Traditions.”

At the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience , held in San Diego, California, from November 9–13, more than 30,000 neuroscientists from around the world will share their latest research results and learn about new advances and opportunities in the field.

NICHD and Spelman College have signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on projects to promote the health of Spelman students, faculty, and staff. These health projects will include nutrition, fitness education, and physical activity promotion.

SIDS is defined as the sudden, unexplained death of an infant younger than 1 year old that doesn’t have a known cause even after a complete investigation, including an autopsy, a review of the death scene, and complete family and medical histories. It is currently the leading cause of death in babies between 1 month and 1 year of age.

The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) announced that they are recommending the use of the label "term" in pregnancy be replaced by new gestational age designations.

A new policy has been posted on the NIH Web site that provides information for the extramural community on how NIH is resuming operations after the government shutdown.

In 1994, the NICHD, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other collaborators launched the Back to Sleep campaign to inform parents and caregivers about ways to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), defined as the sudden, unexplained death of an infant younger than 1 year of age.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have identified a potential new drug that could help in the treatment of a form of Batten disease, a fatal childhood disorder. The researchers tested the drug in mice with the disease and found that it slowed the loss of coordination seen in the disorder, and extended the animals’ life span.