Human Development, . . . (NICHD)


One of the US National Institutes of Health, NICHD is in a sense the NIH for kids in that it is concerned with child health.

The mission of the NICHD is, in formal terms, to support and conduct “research on fertility, pregnancy, growth, development, and medical rehabilitation (that) strives to ensure that every child is born healthy and wanted and grows up free from disease and disability.”

“The NICHD administers a program …on reproductive biology and population issues; on prenatal development as well as maternal, child and family health; and on medical rehabilitation. Institute programs are based on the concepts that adult health and well-being are determined in large part by episodes early in life, that human development is continuous throughout life, and that the reproductive processes and the management of fertility are of major concern, not only to the individual, but to society.”

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development was founded in 1963. It is one of two institutes of the NIH based on life stages. The other is the National Institute on Aging.

Read Also:

  • Human embryonic stem cell

    Also known as a human pluripotent stem cell, one of the “cells that are self-replicating, are derived from human embryos or human fetal tissue, and are known to develop into cells and tissues of the three primary germ layers. Although human pluripotent stem cells may be derived from embryos or fetal tissue, such stem cells […]

  • Human gene therapy

    adenosine deaminase (ADA) deficiency. In late October of 1999 the U.S. moved to require the disclosure of the results of gene therapy. The move by the Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee came 6 weeks after the death of an 18-year-old Arizona man, Jesse Gelsinger, who was apparently the first person to die as a result of […]

  • Human Genome Organisation

    The international organization of scientists involved in the Human Genome Project, the global initiative to map and sequence the human genome. The Human Genome Organisation (HUGO) was established in 1989 by a group of the world’s leading genome scientists to promote international collaboration within the project. HUGO carries out a complex coordinating role within the […]

  • Human Genome Project

    Begun formally in 1990, the US Human Genome Project was an international effort coordinated by the US. Its goals included the identification and sequencing (ordering) of all the bases in the human genome. US participation in this monumental undertaking was supported by funds from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Energy […]

  • Human Genome Research Institute, National

    One of the newest of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), NHGRI’s mission in formal terms is to “support the NIH component of the Human Genome Project, a worldwide research effort designed to analyze the structure of human DNA and determine the location of the a estimated 100,000 human genes. The NHGRI Intramural Research Program […]


Disclaimer: Human Development, . . . (NICHD) definition / meaning should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. All content on this website is for informational purposes only.