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Children's Health Research
Region 4 maintains an active role in cutting edge research on the effects of environmental factors on children's health. Some of the ongoing research projects include:
National Children’s Study
Enacted by congress in 2000, the National Children's Study plans to follow 100,000 children from before birth to age 21 gathering data about how environmental factors, alone or interacting with genetic factors, affect childhood health. Examining a variety of environmental factors – from air, water and dust to what children eat and how often they see a doctor—will help scientists develop prevention strategies and cures for a wide range of childhood diseases. Study centers were selected upon their geographic and demographic diversity and other criteria, such as the number of births and number of babies born at low birth weight. While the study will eventually be conducted in a total of 105 locations, 26 locations have already been funded. The study centers and locations in Region 4 that have been selected include:
- Emory University with Morehouse School of Medicine and Battelle Memorial Institute for DeKalb County, Georgia and Fayette County, Georgia.
- University of Mississippi with Tougaloo College, Jackson State University, Mississippi Department of Health, and Community Outreach for Health Awareness for Hinds County, Mississippi.
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with Duke University, Battelle Memorial Institute, and McMillan and Moss Research for Rockingham County, North Carolina.
The Study Protocol for the National Children’s Study has been developed. The study centers will begin making preparations for recruitment, determining community needs and setting up community advisory boards.
Duke Research Center
In May 2007, the EPA Administrator awarded Duke University nearly $8 million to support a 5-year study intended to examine the impact of environmental stresses on fetal development and adverse birth outcomes among distinct subpopulations in North Carolina. This new Center, "The Southern Center on Environmental-Driven Disparities in Birth Outcomes" will work to determine how a blend of social, environmental and genetic factors can affect the height, weight and size of newborns. The project goals include 1) conducting research to increase understanding on how environmental and social aspects of vulnerabilities contribute to health disparities in the Southeast; 2) promoting research interactions among biomedical, environmental health and social sciences programs; 3) developing new methodologies to incorporate statistical analysis into children's environmental health research and policy; 4) serving as a technical and educational resource in children's health and health disparities; and 5 ) translating the results into direct interventions in clinical care and practice. Since 1998, EPA has funded 20 research centers dedicated to improving children’s health. The Duke Center is the first Research Center that EPA has funded in the Southeast.
For information about the contents of this page please contact Andrea Lippitt