January 13, 2009

FLUSHING, NY – A major federally funded study of the long-term effects of environmental conditions on children's health and development will begin in Queens, announced Queens Borough President Helen Marshall today during her State of the Borough Address. The study, at a cost of $3 billion nationally, is the largest health study in the country's history.

Queens, along with Duplin NC, was selected by the National Institute of Child Health and Development as one of the "Vanguard" locations to launch the massive National Children's Study, which will investigate whether factors such as the air children breathe, the communities in which they live and the food they eat are contributing to a rise in health problems such as birth defects, asthma, obesity, diabetes and learning disabilities. The Queens Vanguard Center will oversee the Borough's Study activities, which commence immediately and will continue for over 21 years. Eventually, the National Children's Study will expand to include 100,000 children from over 100 local communities nationwide.

"As the most diverse county in the United States, it's fitting that Queens is one of the first communities to participate in this landmark Study," said Queens Borough President Marshall. "We're proud to be part of such an important research undertaking, and I'm confident that our residents and community organizations will overwhelmingly support and embrace it."

A number of factors distinguish the National Children's Study from previous health research projects. The Study is jointly supported by federal and local organizations and is unmatched in longevity and scope. Its unique observational methodology will enable researchers to gain invaluable insights into how environmental factors affect health conditions from birth to age 21. In addition, pre-pregnancy observations will help the medical community understand potential connections between gestational health and childhood development.

Findings from the Study will provide researchers, healthcare providers and public officials with information needed to develop new prevention strategies, health guidelines and disease treatments.

"With the rising incidence of many childhood diseases and health conditions, the National Children's Study has the potential to answer vital questions that doctors, researchers and parents have been asking for decades," said Phillip Landrigan, M.D., Chair of the Department of Community and Preventive Medicine of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and Principal Investigator for the National Children's Study in New York and Northern New Jersey. "It's one of the most important research initiatives in our generation."

Benefits to Participants

In addition to helping researchers learn ways to improve the health of future generations, participants in the National Children's Study will receive numerous personal benefits, including:

• $25 to $100 per completed Study visit

• Child growth report cards with basic growth, health and developmental information

• Newsletters containing Study updates and findings as soon as they become publicly available

• Access to a community resource network on environmental issues affecting children's health

• Assistance for participating mothers who wish to obtain health insurance for their children

• Medical referrals if problems are detected during Study visits

Participant Eligibility

Over the next several months, field teams will reach out to residents who live in select Queens neighborhoods and invite them to participate in the National Children's Study, with the goal of recruiting 5,000 women between the ages of 18 and 49 who live in Queens. Eligibility is not affected by previous health conditions or immigration status.

Observations and data will be collected in participants' homes, Study clinics and schools. Participants may opt out of any or all parts of the Study. Fully compliant with all HIPAA regulations, the Study assures that personally-identifiable information will never be disclosed to anyone other than the participant.

There are many ways to participate or help with the National Children's Study. For more information, please call 1-877-782-6965 or visit http://www.nationalchildrensstudy.gov/.

About the Queens Vanguard Center and the National Children's Study

The Queens Vanguard Center is one of seven initial locations in the United States chosen for the National Children's Study. The Queens Vanguard Center, led by the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, is comprised of medical, academic, and government institutions and community partners throughout New York and New Jersey, bringing together the best expertise on children's environmental health. Partners include the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health and Department of OB/GYN, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Office of the Queens Borough President, Helen M. Marshall, Queens Health Coalition, Queens Perinatal Forum, Clergy United for Community Empowerment, Inc., Joseph P. Addabbo Family Health Center, Inc., and the Eastern Queens Alliance. Guided by a Community Advisory Board, the Queens Vanguard Center will conduct the National Children's Study in Queens.

The main field office for the Queens Vanguard Center is located in Long Island City. In the coming months, satellite offices will be set up in other areas of the Borough to facilitate completion of Study visits by participating families.

CooperKatz