The goal of a new federally funded study of children's health will be massive: to prevent and treat some of the nation's most pressing health problems, such as autism, asthma, diabetes, heart disease and obesity.

And the scope is no small stuff: studying children from before birth to age 21.

By tracking kids throughout their childhood, researchers hope to address elusive health issues that are increasingly prevalent in the United States.

The Chicago area provides a key piece to that puzzle, with its large, diverse population that will help researchers assess the health of America's children.

It's all part of the National Children's Study, the largest and longest study of children's health ever conducted in the United States.

Looking for causes

By studying genetic factors as well as environmental influences, such as exposure to toxins, researchers hope to pinpoint the causes of serious health conditions that may have their beginnings in early childhood.

Locally, the study will follow 4,000 children in Cook County from before birth to age 21.

Dr. Jane Holl, leading the effort locally, is well aware of the enormity of the undertaking. She heads a team from Northwestern University 's Feinberg School of Medicine, which recently was awarded a seven-year, $32 million contract from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to be the Chicago study center.

"This is so important for understanding childhood diseases, but also, so many adult diseases have their antecedents in childhood," said Holl, associate professor of pediatrics, preventive medicine and health-care studies at the Feinberg School. She also is medical director for patient safety and an attending physician at Children's Memorial Hospital.

Full Story: http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/health/chi-1120_
health_study_halfnov20,1,7178209.story