Stillbirths Drop Dramatically After Newborn-Care Training in Developing Countries Feb 19, 2010
"These findings suggest that a low-cost instructional regimen for birth attendants can be effective in reducing stillbirths in parts of the world where most births are not attended by a physician," said Alan E. Guttmacher, M.D., acting director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the NIH institute, that, along with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, funded the study ... The network is a partnership of the NICHD and the Bill and... (Science Daily)
NIH scientists identify maternal and fetal genes that increase preterm birth risk Feb 4, 2010
"A substantial body of scientific evidence indicates that inflammatory hormones may play a significant role in the labor process," said Alan E. Guttmacher, M.D., acting director of the NIH's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) ... The findings were presented today at the 30th Annual Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine meeting by Dr. Roberto Romero, M.D, chief of the perinatology research branch and program head for perinatal research and... (EurekAlert!)
SIDS Linked to Low Levels of Serotonin Feb 3, 2010
"We have known for many years that placing infants to sleep on their backs is the single most effective way to reduce the risk of SIDS," said Alan E. Guttmacher, M.D., acting director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the NIH institute that funded the research ... NICHD's Back to Sleep campaign urges parents and caregivers to place infants to sleep on their backs. (Science Daily)
New Gene Discovered for Recessive Form of Brittle Bone Disease Jan 21, 2010
"The discovery provides insight into a previously undescribed form of osteogenesis imperfecta," said Alan E. Guttmacher, M.D., acting director of NIH's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) ... The investigation involved a collaboration between researchers at the NICHD, led by Dr. Joan Marini, and the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City ... Researchers at the NICHD and other institutions had earlier learned that osteogenesis imperfecta... (Science Daily)
Docs Not Giving Clear Advice on Infant Sleep Positions Jan 10, 2010
"SIDS is extremely tragic, but the risk period is relatively short. Most occur between 0 and 6 months and the peak period is 2 to 4 months, although cases can occur during the first year," said Marian Willinger, special assistant for SIDS research at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Since the NICHD launched its Back to Sleep campaign in 1994, the number of babies placed on their backs to sleep jumped from 25 percent to about 70 percent... (MEDLINEplus)
