NICHD joins other NIH Institutes in supporting a study that will collect brain imaging and other data to better understand teen behavior.
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.
Federal agencies express support for updated safe infant sleep recommendations
Federal agencies concerned with infant health and welfare today announced their support of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) updated recommendations on safe infant sleep.
Recruitment begins for landmark study of adolescent brain development
Recruitment for the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD (link is external)) study, the largest long-term study of brain development and child health in the United States, began today.
NIH to host scientific workshop on Zika virus and child development
NICHD will host a workshop on September 22-23, 2016 to identify the best approaches for treating and caring for children exposed to Zika virus in the womb. Participants from the United States, Brazil and Puerto Rico, who are experts in obstetrics, maternal and pediatric infectious diseases, child development, rehabilitation and vaccine research, will deliver lectures and lead panel discussions.
Zika from the Front Lines
NICHD's Nahida Chakhtoura, M.D., recently returned from Puerto Rico after visiting with NICHD-supported researchers who are studying Zika in pregnancy and fetal development. Read more about her trip, the research, and the women she met.
Research Roundup: Here’s How NICHD Research Is Improving Patients’ Lives
Read a selection of past Spotlights featuring the stories of kids and adults whose lives have been enhanced by NICHD-supported research through new treatments, improved patient engagement, and new prevention and intervention campaigns.
NIH funds Zika virus study involving U.S. Olympic team
Researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health will monitor potential Zika virus exposure among a subset of athletes, coaches and other U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) staff attending the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Brazil.
NIH Launches Large Study of Pregnant Women in Areas Affected by Zika Virus
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz (Fiocruz) begin a multi-country study to evaluate the magnitude of health risks that Zika virus infection poses to pregnant women and their developing fetuses and infants.
Zika virus damages placenta, kills fetal mice
Zika virus infects and crosses the placentas of pregnant mice and causes severe damage or death in fetal mice, report scientists funded by the National Institutes of Health.
NICHD Begins Study in Brazil of Zika Virus Infection during Pregnancy
NICHD has launched an observational study of pregnant women in Brazil to help improve understanding of the effects of Zika virus infection on reproductive health and the developing fetus. The study augments an existing project in Brazil on cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection during pregnancy, expanding the project’s scope to include Zika virus.
Infants exposed to multiple languages show enhanced interpersonal skills
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.
NICHD researchers identify cause of rare disease, Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome
Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome, a rare genetic disease that disrupts the nervous system and can lead to microcephaly and other brain defects, appears to result from a buildup of a cholesterol precursor, according to a new study by NICHD researchers.
NIH researchers uncover how neurons die in Niemann-Pick disease type C1
The loss of neurons that is a hallmark of Niemann-Pick disease type C1 (NPC1) appears to result from a cell death process called necroptosis, according to a new study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Prenatal exposure to marijuana may disrupt fetal brain development, mouse study suggests
Fetal mice exposed in the uterus to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), marijuana’s primary psychoactive ingredient, lose a key subset of neurons, according to a new study by NICHD researchers.
Research Round-up: Youth Violence Prevention
Violence is a leading cause of death for people 10 to 24 years old in the United States. In addition, nearly a million young people are treated for injuries each year as a result of physical violence, sexual assault, bullying, or self-harm. Youth violence also can cause long-term emotional and psychological harm.
Advising moms not to bed share with infants does not discourage breastfeeding
Following advice to sleep in the same room with their infants —but not in the same bed—does not appear to discourage new mothers from breastfeeding, as some experts had feared, according to a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Spotlight: NICHD Needs Your Input for the All of Us Research Program
NICHD needs your input for NIH’s All of Us program.
Poverty may slightly increase childhood risk of neurological impairment, NIH study suggests
Children from low income environments appear to have a higher risk of neurological impairment than those from more economically secure circumstances, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other institutions.
Researchers identify mechanism behind treatment for rare brain disorder
Riboflavin (vitamin B2) helps children overcome the devastating effects of a hereditary brain disorder by helping one protein fill in for a disabled protein, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other institutions.
NIH funds development of robots to improve health, quality of life
As part of the National Robotics Initiative (NRI), the National Institutes of Health announced that it will fund the development of three innovative co-robots—robots that work cooperatively with people.