Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Robert A. Aldrich

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) is a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) within the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Established by President Lyndon B. Johnson on October 17, 1962, the institute has played a pivotal role in advancing research on child health and human development. The institute is named in honor of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, a key advocate for children's health and disability issues and a sister of President John F. Kennedy.

Mission and Goals

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 from disease or disability. To fulfill this mission, the NICHD conducts and supports laboratory research, clinical trials, and epidemiological studies that explore health processes; examines the impact of disability and disease on individuals, families, and communities; and studies the complex interactions among environment, biology, and behavior.

Research Areas

The NICHD's research agenda encompasses a wide range of topics within the fields of pediatrics, obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology. Key research areas include, but are not limited to:

• Developmental Biology and Structural Variation
• Population Dynamics
• Reproductive Health
• Pediatrics and Perinatology
• Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Programs and Initiatives

The institute supports a variety of programs and initiatives aimed at improving child health and development. These include the Safe to Sleep® campaign, aimed at reducing the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS); the NICHD Neonatal Research Network, which focuses on improving the care of critically ill newborns; and the Global Network for Women's and Children's Health Research, which seeks to improve maternal and child health outcomes in low-resource settings.

Facilities and Resources

The NICHD is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, on the NIH campus. It provides funding and support to researchers across the United States and around the world. The institute also offers a range of resources for scientists, including databases, biobanks, and technology transfer services.

Impact and Achievements

Over the years, the NICHD has been instrumental in advancing our understanding of health and human development. Its research has led to significant improvements in maternal and child health, including the development of surfactant therapy to treat respiratory distress syndrome in newborns, the establishment of the Back to Sleep campaign (now known as Safe to Sleep®) to prevent SIDS, and the creation of the Pediatric Growth Charts used by pediatricians across the country.

See Also

• National Institutes of Health
• Child Health
• Human Development
• Eunice Kennedy Shriver