Spring Blossoms
As Spring blossoms, the search for Study participants has begun at five additional Study Centers of the National Children’s Study. These five Centers are part of a group of seven Vanguard, or initial, Centers seeking to recruit pregnant (and soon-to-be pregnant) participants in what will be the nation’s largest, longest, and most comprehensive study of how genes and the environment interact to affect children’s health. Read NICHD’s press release about the launch of recruitment.
The Study launched participant recruitment at two of the seven Vanguard Centers in January 2009. At the end of April, 2009, the remaining five followed suit. They are:
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, serving
Montgomery County, PA
- South Dakota State University, serving Brookings County, SD and Lincoln, Pipestone, and Yellow Medicine Counties, MN
- University of California, Irvine, serving Orange County, CA
- University of Utah, serving Salt Lake County, UT
- University of Wisconsin, Madison and Medical College of Wisconsin, serving Waukesha County, WI
All seven Vanguard Centers will recruit participants and gather information during an 18-month pilot phase. During the Vanguard pilot phase, Study researchers will evaluate the recruitment and sampling methods, as well as all other methods of the Study. At the end of this phase, Study scientists will review the pilot experience—including scope and costs—and make any necessary adjustments to the Study before a decision is made on expanding recruitment to more locations.
In all, there will be 105 Study locations nationwide, in urban, suburban, and rural areas. Study Centers managing these locations will recruit a representative sample of participants from diverse ethnic, racial, economic, geographic, and social groups to meet the desired goal of 100,000 children to follow over the course of 21 years. Read the National Children's Study Q&A for more information on the Study, or view the Study’s video. By tracking children’s development over this period, the Study hopes to determine the root causes of many childhood and adult diseases, to the ultimate benefit of all future generations.