Providing several examples of current research efforts, this report describes the research on maternal and child health supported by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). The Institute conducts a coordinated program of research and research training to advance knowledge related to pregnancy and maternal health, fetal growth and maturation, and the well-being of the newborn. Research in the area of high-risk pregnancy includes: the impacts of medications; psychosocial dynamics of pregnancy; and the effects of diabetes, pregnancy-induced hypertension, malnutrition, infections, and hematological problems. In the area of premature labor and birth, research is concerned with the determinants of normal labor, the causes of premature labor, how to stop premature labor, and the causes of fetal growth retardation. Research to reduce disorders of the newborn focusses on neonatal infection, interventricular hemorrhage, respiratory distress syndrome, jaundice, and the care of the low birthweight infant. In the areas of mental retardation and behavioral development, research is directed toward prevention of retardation among the offspring of individuals successfully treated for phenylketonuria (PKU) and toward better understanding the effects of cigarette smoking, eating disorders, and accident proneness. (Author/CB)