DescriptionChildren’s health includes the study of possible environmental causes of children’s illnesses and disorders, as well as the prevention and treatment of environmentally mediated diseases in children and infants. Children are highly vulnerable to the negative health consequences associated with many environmental exposures. Children receive proportionately larger doses of environmental toxicants than adults, and the fact that their organs and tissues are rapidly developing makes them particularly susceptible to chemical insults. Research in children’s health looks at the effects of air pollution on respiratory diseases such as allergies and asthma, the impact of lead, mercury, and other environmental contaminants on cognitive development and behavior, and the influence of prenatal and early life exposures on growth and development. The NIEHS has launched the Fetal Basis of Adult Disease Program to support research on the role of prenatal exposures in altering a child’s susceptibility to disease later in life. Health Studies & Clinical Trials
What NIEHS is Doing for Children’s Health
General Information
For Educators
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