Issue Date: January 30, 2005
A survey that will grow on you
The National Children's Study will follow 100,000 kids from before birth to age 21.
Scientists hope to find out the effect of chemicals, diet, vaccinations and even television on our kids' development.
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Here's some medical news that anyone who cares about kids can get excited about: Next month, the federal government is launching an unprecedented study of how children's environment affects their health. The study, by the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Environmental Protection Agency, will help doctors better treat our children and our children's children.
According to NIH's Peter Scheidt, the study director: "The National Children's Study promises to answer questions on what effect environmental influences such as diet, chemicals, pesticides, vaccinations and even television have on the development of children in the United States."
The study will be conducted in 96 areas across the nation, covering every geographic, racial, ethnic, demographic and environmental scenario. Sites include Denver, Chicago and its suburbs, and Baker County, Fla., near Jacksonville. Eight of them, including Salt Lake County in Utah, Orange County in California and Queens in New York City, have been selected for the first stage of implementation. The goal is to follow 100,000 children from before birth through age 21.
Participants will meet face to face with researchers at least 15 times, and they'll intermittently supply data via telephone, computer or mail-in questionnaires. Samples of air, water, dust and soil from their environment also will be collected. The information obtained over the years will guide physicians, researchers and others involved in children's health for decades to come.
Our nation has long been a world leader in medical and scientific advances, thanks to the efforts of organizations like NIH and researchers like Scheidt. The National Children's Study promises to add tremendously to our understanding of children's health.
The folks working with the National Children's Study welcome questions, and you can learn more at their Web site, nationalchildrensstudy.gov.
Contributing Editor Tedd Mitchell, M.D., is the medical director of the Wellness Program at the Cooper Clinic in Dallas.
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