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The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
at the National Institutes of Health supports and conducts research related to
the health and development of infants, children, families, women, and people
with disabilities. Since its creation 40 years ago, NICHD has made tremendous
progress in addressing its research mission. Some of the Institute's major
recent pediatric research activities and accomplishments are listed below.
Monumental Advances in Children's Health
Reducing infant mortality. Based on NICHD-supported research,
the Institute launched the Back to Sleep campaign to reduce Sudden Infant Death
Syndrome (SIDS). Since the campaign began in 1994, the rate of SIDS has dropped
more than 50 percent.
Identifying Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. In 1973, NICHD grantees first diagnosed
patterns of abnormalities in children whose mothers drank alcohol during
pregnancy. Research in the ensuring decades elucidated the degree of risk posed
by drinking alcohol during pregnancy and led to the adoption of public health
warnings now seen on all alcoholic beverages.
Preventing neural tube defects. NICHD-supported research found that consuming
the right amount of folic acid, starting before conception and throughout
pregnancy, could successfully prevent most neural tube defects, primarily spina
bifida.
Plummeting reduction in maternal transmission of HIV. NICHD collaborative
research efforts on interventions, such as drug therapy, to prevent
mother-to-child transmission of HIV have reduced maternal transmission of HIV
from 27% to 1.2%.
Developing and Expanding Newborn Screening.
Newborn screening
and dietary therapies developed with NICHD support have eliminated
phenylketonuira (PKU), a genetic disorder that caused mental retardation in many
individuals, as a factor in cognitive development. Screening techniques also now
detect congenital hypothyroidism, a condition once responsible for many cases of
mental retardation.
Improving knowledge about learning disabilities.
NICHD research
has illuminated biological and genetic causes of learning disorders,
particularly dyslexia. For example, investigators have identified a link between
dyslexia and genetic abnormalities on chromosome 6 and found two other
chromosomes linked to reading disabilities.
Understanding Adolescent Health Behaviors. NICHD launched the
National Longitudinal Study of Adolescents, a survey involving over 20,000
adolescents, which provided the first evidence-based foundation for designing
interventions to promote healthy behavior and protect young people from risky
behavior, such as drug use and violence.
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Ongoing Research
With the support of Congress, NICHD is:
Reducing High Risk Pregnancies. NICHD's Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit Network,
working at 14 sites across the U.S., will help reduce the risks of cerebral
palsy, caesarean deliveries, and gestational diabetes. Last year, this Network
identified for the first time a treatment for recurrent pre-term birth in
high-risk women.
Advancing Reading Research. Building on its portfolio of
research into how children learn to read, the Institute is supporting work on
the physical reasons some children have difficulty reading. The Institute plans
to extend these studies to other subject areas, such as mathematics, and is
working to translate these findings into teacher preparation curriculum.
Improving normative databases for child development.
Investigators are using new medical technologies, such as
functional magnetic resonance imaging technology and bone density, to
characterize child development trends and distinguish normal and abnormal child
development markers.
Reducing the Prevalence of Premature Births. NICHD is helping
our nation understand how adverse conditions and health disparities increase the
risks of premature birth in high-risk racial groups.
Helping ensure safety of drugs for children. As authorized by
the Better Pharmaceuticals for Children Act, NICHD is testing on-patent drugs to
confirm their safety and efficacy for pediatric patients.
Effects of Environment on Children's Health. The National
Children's Study (NCS), in which NICHD is participating, will examine the
actions and outcomes of the many environmental and genetic factors that
influence children's health and development.
More Work to Be Done
The NICHD has a long history of making critical advancements in
children's health research, yet it has been under funded. With a 5% increase
over FY06 levels, the Institute could work to reduce the rates of infant
mortality in the United States, expand newborn screening studies, understand and
prevent premature births, improve adolescent health, address learning and
developmental disabilities, and enhance the quality of life for children and
their families.
The Friends of NICHD is a coalition of over 100 organizations
that support the important role of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and
NICHD in particular. Our organizations represent scientists, physicians, health
care providers, patients, and parents concerned with the health and welfare of
women, children, families, and people with disabilities. For more information,
please contact Mary Ann McCabe at 202/336-5951 or mmccabe@srcd.org, or Krysta
Jones at 202/314-2322 at kjones@acog.org.
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