A protein essential for the survival of the bacterium that causes Legionnaires' disease works by stealing iron from the host cells it infects, according to a study by researchers from the National Institutes of Health and other institutions. Their findings may provide information useful for designing new drug treatments for Legionnaires’ disease.
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.
Release: NIH scientists call attention to the impact of opioids on women and children
In an editorial, Diana W. Bianchi, M.D., NICHD Director and Matthew W. Gillman, M.D., S.M., emphasize that women and children bear a substantial burden of the U.S. opioid epidemic and that coordinated, long-term research is essential to filling knowledge gaps about how opioids affect women and children.
Media Advisory: Physicians may overprescribe antibiotics to children during telemedicine visits, NIH-funded study suggests
Children are more likely to be overprescribed antibiotics for colds, sinus infections and sore throats during telemedicine visits than during in-person visits to primary care providers or urgent care facilities, suggests a study funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), part of the National Institutes of Health.
Release: Acyclovir labeling now includes details for treating premature infants infected with herpes virus
Newborns infected with herpes simplex virus (HSV) can be appropriately treated with acyclovir, a drug typically prescribed to adults for the treatment of HSV infections.
Media Advisory: NICHD chronicles its major research advances of 2018
As 2018 winds down, a new slideshow highlights a selection of initiatives, therapies, and scientific advances supported by NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).
Spotlight: Selected NICHD Research Advances of 2018
In 2018, researchers funded by NICHD made significant progress in advancing the health and well-being of infants, children, teenagers, and adults across the United States and around the world.
Item of Interest: NICHD seeks applications to study effects of maternal opioid use on newborns
The initiative seeks to improve treatment and care of infants and children who were exposed to opioids in the womb.
Science Update: NIH study uncovers protein responsible for post-nerve-injury pain and inflammation
The findings suggest new ways to treat long-term pain without opioids.
Release: Diuretic therapy for extremely preterm infants does not alleviate respiratory problems
Extremely premature infants who received diuretic therapy to help overcome respiratory problems were more likely to require respiratory support, according to an NIH analysis.
Release: Antiviral drug not beneficial for reducing mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B when added to existing preventatives, study shows
An antiviral drug commonly prescribed to treat hepatitis B infection does not significantly reduce mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B virus, according to a clinical trial funded by NIH.
News Release: NIH researchers report first 3D structure of DHHC enzymes
The first 3D structure of DHHC proteins—enzymes involved in many cellular processes, including cancer—explains how they function and may offer a blueprint for designing therapeutic drugs, according to an NICHD study.
News Release: Clinical research must include underrepresented groups, NIH experts say
To realize the promise of personalized medicine, new research studies must include segments of the population often overlooked in clinical research: children, older adults, pregnant women, and individuals with physical, intellectual, and developmental disabilities, according to an article by NICHD’s Director and Deputy Director.
Media Advisory: NIH study identifies new targets for anti-malaria drugs
The deadliest malaria parasite needs two proteins to infect red blood cells and exit the cells after it multiplies, a finding that may provide researchers with potential new targets for drug development.
NIH-led workshop addresses opioid misuse during pregnancy
Experts convened for an NICHD workshop identified research gaps and opportunities to improve outcomes for women affected by opioid use disorder, their newborn infants and their families.
NIH-led task force to address research needs of pregnant women and nursing mothers
A new task force created by the 21st Century Cures Act and led by NICHD will advise the Secretary of Health and Human Services on research needed to optimize therapies for pregnant women and nursing mothers. The first meeting will be held on August 21-22, 2017 at NIH.
Children’s high blood pressure underdiagnosed and undertreated in the United States
Hypertension and prehypertension may be undiagnosed and untreated among U.S. children and youth, despite repeated high blood pressure readings in doctor’s offices, according to an analysis of nearly 400,000 medical records.
Selected NICHD Research Advances of 2016
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.
Getting to Know the New NICHD Director
NICHD Director Dr. Diana Bianchi shares some thoughts about joining NICHD.
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.
New treatment regimen cuts severity of drug-resistant malaria in pregnancy
A two-drug preventive treatment greatly reduces the severity of malaria during pregnancy, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The treatment provides an alternative for many parts of Africa where the malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium falciparum has grown resistant to standard treatment.