BALTIMORE —

The National Institutes of Health awarded more than $8 million to the Kennedy Krieger Institute for researching rare disorders that negatively affect children.

The money will establish a "first-of-its-kind network" to "advance treatments for Batten diseases, a group of rare pediatric neurodegenerative disorders," according to a news release.

Batten diseases are rare, inherited conditions that worsen over time, affecting the nervous system and brain function. They typically begin in childhood and can cause vision loss, motor and cognitive declines, seizures, premature deaths and more.

"This grant is extraordinary news for the Batten community," Amy Fenton Parker, president and CEO of the Batten Disease Support, Research, and Advocacy Foundation, said in the news release. "T

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