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Overview — Research
Researchers at the Children's Centers have published a number of significant research results. Here are some examples (for more, see the Results section of the website).
- USC Children’s Center researchers found that a diet high in antioxidants can reduce susceptibility to respiratory illness, while in areas with heavily polluted air, children who compete in several sports are nearly four times more likely than non-athletic children to be diagnosed with asthma.
- Johns Hopkins researchers found that genetic susceptibility may be an important risk
factor for asthma. - Researchers at Mt. Sinai observed an association between exposure to an organophosphate pesticide and small head circumference in some newborns, and have shown that integrated pest management (IPM) program may help prevent asthma.
- Research at the Columbia University Children’s Center has demonstrated that prenatal exposure to urban air pollutants may cause genetic alterations in children while they are still in the womb.
- University of Iowa researchers found that the prevalence and severity of asthma in rural children appears to be similar to that of children in urban areas.
- UC Berkeley researchers found that children whose mothers had high pesticide levels show reduced performance on developmental tests.
- Researchers at the University of Illinois have found that the combined effect of exposure to PCBs and mercury appears to affect motor function more than each separately, while Harvard researchers are studying the combined effects of exposure to chemical mixtures on children.
- Researchers at UMDNJ and at UC Davis are finding that genetic susceptibility and exposure to environmental factors may increase the risk and severity of autism and have developed new animal models to study such neurobehavioral disorders.
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