Discover
the NICHD

What is the NICHD?
The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) is a health
research agency within the federal government. Created in 1962, the Institute is part of the National Institutes
of Health in the U.S Department of Health and Human Services.
Currently, the Institute supports and conducts research
related to the health of children, adults, families, and
communities, including:
 Reducing infant deaths
 Promoting healthy pregnancy and childbirth
 Investigating growth and development
 Examining problems of birth defects and intellectual
and developmental disabilities
 Understanding reproductive health
 Improving the health and well-being of children,

women, and men

 Enhancing function and involvement across the
lifespan through rehabilitation research
What is the NICHD Mission?
The mission of the NICHD is to ensure that
every person is born healthy and wanted,
that women suffer no harmful effects from
reproductive processes, and that all children
have the chance to achieve their full potential
for healthy and productive lives, free of
disease or disability, and to ensure the health,
productivity, independence, and well-being of
all people through optimal rehabilitation.



































What does the NICHD do?
NICHD research is guided by the following ideas:
 Events that happen before and during pregnancy
and during childhood have a great impact on the
health and well-being of children and adults.
 Developing and improving medical rehabilitation
can improve the health and well-being of people
with disabilities.
 Human growth and development is a lifelong
process that has many phases and functions.
 Learning about the reproductive health of
women and men and educating people about
reproductive practices is important to individuals,
communities, and societies.
The NICHD conducts and supports laboratory research, data analyses, clinical trials, and other studies to
explore health processes. Institute researchers examine growth and development throughout the lifespan,
biologic and reproductive functions, behavior patterns, and population dynamics to protect and maintain the
health of all people. The Institute also studies the impact of disabilities, diseases, and injuries on people’s lives.
Using research-based information, the Institute aims to help restore, increase, and maximize the capabilities of
people affected by such conditions. To ensure that this important research can continue, the NICHD also trains
and educates scientists, researchers, health care providers, and educators.
How has NICHD research improved health?
During the last 50 years, NICHD research has helped to enrich the lives of children, adults, and families in many
ways. For example, Institute research findings have played an important role in these health improvements:
 Overall infant death rates in the United States
have dropped more than 70 percent.
 Survival rates for respiratory distress syndrome in
infants have gone from 5 percent in the 1960s to
95 percent today.
 The rate of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
has dropped more than 50 percent.
 Mother-to-child transmission of HIV has dropped
to less than 1 percent in the United States.
 Sonograms are used routinely and safely during
prenatal care.
 Premature birth can be prevented or its likelihood
greatly reduced among certain groups of women.
 Many causes of intellectual and developmental
disability have been identified and either greatly
reduced or eliminated as factors in growth and
development, including phenylketonuria, Hib
meningitis, spina bifida and other neural tube
defects, congenital hypothyroidism, and Severe
Combined Immunodeficiency.
 Women and their health care providers have
effective, evidence-based options for the
treatment of gynecological conditions, such as
pelvic floor disorders and uterine fibroids.
 Men can determine if they are fertile and women
can find out if they are pregnant in the privacy of
their homes.
 Couples dealing with infertility have multiple
options for having healthy pregnancies and
babies of their own.
 Men, women, and their health care providers
can make decisions about contraception that are
based on decades of scientific evidence.
 Early treatment and rehabilitation methods help
to improve overall health and function of people
with physical, intellectual, and developmental
disabilities.


























How does the NICHD do its research?
The NICHD uses two main methods to conduct its research: NICHD scientists do the research at the NIH or
another location—called intramural research—or the Institute funds scientists at universities and research
organizations to do the research at their own locations—called extramural research.
Each of these components address topics that fall within the NICHD’s research mission of health and human
development throughout the lifespan.
 The Division of Intramural Population Health Research conducts research and research training on the
earliest stages of human development through adulthood. This Division studies: pregnancy and fetal
growth, fertility and infertility, women’s reproductive health, child growth and development, health and
risk behaviors (including teen driving), birth defects, management of chronic diseases, and biostatistical
studies. For more information, visit http://www.nichd.nih.gov/about/org/diphr.
 The Division of Extramural Research coordinates and supports research and research training on the health of
infants, children, women, men, families, and populations within many contexts. Its 12 branches support research
and training on: birth control/contraception, pregnancy, drug safety, HIV/AIDS and infectious diseases, child
development and behavior, pediatric trauma and critical illness, intellectual and developmental disabilities,
women’s health (including gynecological health), men’s health, fertility and infertility, growth and development,
obesity, and population science. For more information, visit http://www.nichd.nih.gov/about/org/der.
 The Division of Intramural Research conducts research and research training on aspects of normal and
abnormal human growth. Through its 11 research programs and the Office of the Scientific Director, the
Division studies: hormones and disorders related to hormones, development and disorders of the immune
system and nervous system, high-risk pregnancy, infertility, genetics, rare disorders, growth and obesity,
biology of development and metabolism, and pediatric imaging. For more information,
visit http://www.nichd.nih.gov/about/org/dir.
 The National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research coordinates and supports research and research
training to improve the health, productivity, independence, and quality of life of people with disabilities
from diseases, injuries, or disorders. The Center coordinates and supports research on rehabilitation
methods, technologies, and optimal care for those affected by stroke, musculoskeletal disorders, spinal cord
injury, and traumatic brain injury, as well as on new orthotics, prosthetics, and other assistive technologies
and devices. For more information, visit http://www.nichd.nih.gov/about/org/ncmrr.






















































Did you know that the NICHD also supports health education
and outreach?
The NICHD supports several education and outreach efforts that aim to put research findings into action to
improve health.
The Safe to Sleep® campaign (formerly
the Back to Sleep campaign) educates
parents, caregivers, and health care
providers about ways to reduce the
risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
(SIDS) and other sleep-related causes
of infant death, such as suffocation.
The campaign offers educational
materials for various audiences,
in English and Spanish, and
accredited continuing education
modules for health care providers.
For more information, call
1-800-505-CRIB (2742), or visit
http://safetosleep.nichd.nih.gov.
Media-Smart Youth: Eat, Think, and
Be Active!® is an interactive after-school
program that teaches young people
ages 11 to 13 how media influence
their health, nutrition, and physical
activity. The program combines media
literacy and youth development with
up-to-date research findings and federal
recommendations about nutrition and
physical activity. Part of the NIH We Can!
(Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity
and Nutrition) Program, these research-
based materials are available to adults
interested in leading the program. For
more information, call 1-800-370-2943,
or visit http://www.nichd.nih.gov/msy.
The National Child and Maternal Health
Education Program (NCMHEP) relies
on a coalition of health care provider
associations, federal agencies, maternal
and child health organizations, and other
partners to review, translate, and spread
evidence-based messages related to
maternal and child health. A current
focus area of the Program encourages
women to wait until at least 39 weeks
of pregnancy to deliver unless there is
a medical reason to deliver earlier. Visit
http://www.nichd.nih.gov/ncmhep/
isitworthit to learn more. For more
information on NCMHEP, visit
http://www.nichd.nih.gov/ncmhep.
How can I get information from the NICHD?
Health Information
The NICHD website provides detailed information about a variety of health conditions and topics.

Visit http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/Pages/index.aspx for an alphabetical listing of more than 75 health

topics related to the NICHD mission. You can also view, download, and order NICHD publications from the website.

The NICHD Information Resource Center provides information to the public on health issues within the Institute’s research
portfolio. Trained information specialists will take your call and direct you to health information, related resources, and
materials ordering (Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. EST).
Phone: 1-800-370-2943 (TTY: 1-888-320-6942)
Fax: 1-866-760-5947

Email: NICHDInformationResourceCenter@mail.nih.gov
Mail: P.O. Box 3006, Rockville, MD 20847

Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1ayv5RL
Twitter: @NICHD_NIH
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/nichdvideos

Other Information
 Clinical trials: To learn more about the Institute’s clinical research or to view a listing of NICHD clinical trials,

visit http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/clinicalresearch/Pages/index.aspx.

 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA): The NICHD handles FOIA requests in accordance with all federal laws and

requirements. For more information, including how to submit a FOIA request,

visit http://www.nichd.nih.gov/about/Pages/foia.aspx.

 Media inquiries: Members of the media can contact the Institute’s Public Communications Branch at (301) 496-5133 for
information about NICHD news releases or to schedule interviews with NICHD scientists. Institute news releases and
other news items are available at http://www.nichd.nih.gov/news/Pages/index.aspx.
NIH Publication No. 13-7976
December 2013