The NaTioNal 

ChildreN’s sTudy 

aNd your 

CommuNiTy: 

Partners in Our Children’s Health 

To learn more about the National Children’s Study, 

please contact: 

National Children’s Study 

Mail: 6100 Executive Boulevard, Room 5C01, 

Rockville, MD 20892-7510 

E-mail: NCS@mail.nih.gov 

Internet: http://www.nationalchildrensstudy.gov 

NIH Publication No. 05-5764 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH 

AND HUMAN SERVICES 

National Institutes of Health 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AgENCy 

Most children born today 

are growing up healthy 

and living longer than 

ever before. But the rates of asthma, 

diabetes, autism, and other health 

problems in children are on the rise. 

We still have many questions about 

how children’s environments— 

the air they breathe, the water they 

drink, and the communities they 

live in—affect their health and well 

being into adulthood. 

With the help of communities across 

the country, the National Children’s 

Study hopes to find the answers 

to these questions, and to use the 

answers to improve the health of 

children for years to come. 

How does 

pollution in the 

environment affect

our children’s 

health? 

Can asthma 

in children be

prevented? 

What is the 

long-term 

impact of playing

video games 

on a child’s 

development? 
What is the National Children’s Study? 

The National Children’s Study is the largest research 

study of the environment’s effects on children’s health 

and development ever conducted in the United States. 

In this Study, “environment” includes not only air, water, 

and dust, but also factors like what children eat, how they 

are cared for, the safety of their neighborhoods, and how 

often they see a health care provider. 

The Study will examine the most important child health 

issues of our time, including: 

n Birth defects and other pregnancy-related problems 

n Injuries 

n Asthma 

n Obesity and diabetes 

n Behavior, learning, and mental health 

How will the Study be conducted? 

Local Study teams will work with doctors, nurses, community 

leaders, and public health officials across America to 

observe 100,000 children from before birth to age 21. 

Working with each community, these teams will visit the 

homes, schools, and neighborhoods of the children and 

families who participate in the National Children’s Study. 

They will collect samples from children’s environments, 

such as indoor and outdoor air, tap water, dust, and soil. 

Study teams will observe the communities and note 

whether there are medical, public, and social services 

available in the area. 

Local Study teams will also invite participants to periodically 

visit a nearby Study Center. At these visits, the teams 

may collect samples of things like blood and urine, and 

will hand out questionnaires to get information about the 

health and activities of children and their families. 

Who will participate in the Study? 

In 2008, the National Children’s Study will begin 

recruiting in some communities. Women who are 

pregnant or are likely to have a child in the near future 

are eligible for recruitment. Their immediate families 

will also be encouraged to participate. 

Families who join the Study will come from many 

different racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups in 

more than 100 communities across the country. 

Why was our community chosen 

for the Study? 

Your community was chosen for the National Children’s 

Study based on factors such as location, diversity, 

and the number of children born there each year. 

The participation of your community helps the Study 

to fairly represent all of America’s children. 

This is an observational study. Participants will not 

be asked to take medicines or get any treatments. 

All information collected 

for the Study will be 

kept private. 

The Study will examine 

important child health 

issues like pregnancyrelated problems; injury; 

asthma; obesity and 

diabetes; and behavior, 

learning, and mental health. 

Environmental 

factors in homes, 

schools, and 

neighborhoods 

will be measured. 

Local research 

teams will observe 

children from 

before birth to 

age 21. 

100,000 children 

from more than 

100 diverse 

communities 

nationwide will 

participate. 

How will our community benefit 

from the Study? 

Findings from the National Children’s Study will help 

doctors and other health care providers treat and prevent 

environmentally related health problems. Study findings 

will help national, state, and local leaders make better 

environmental and health policies, avoiding potential 

community and family health problems. The Study may 

even lead to new treatments and cures for diseases. 

Families and children who participate in the National 

Children’s Study will contribute to the health and well 

being of future generations of children, in their own 

communities and throughout the country. 

How can we support the Study 

in our community? 

The success of the National Children’s Study depends on 

community involvement and family participation. You 

can encourage friends, neighbors, and families who live in 

Study areas to participate beginning in 2008. Community 

organizations can help support the local Study Centers by 

spreading the word about the Study. 

With the support of communities like yours, 

the National Children’s Study can help to improve 

the growth and development of all children 

across the country, now and in the future. 

Findings will 

suggest prevention 

strategies, inform 

policy, and improve 

the lives of future 

generations.