The National Children's Study (NCS) is the largest, long term study of environmental influences on children's health and development ever to be conducted in the United States. It will provide researchers, health care providers, and public health officials with important new data to improve preventive and therapeutic interventions and ultimately improve the health of children for generations to come.
On September 28, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, offered by Supervisor Don Knabe, will proclaim the week of Sept. 27 - Oct. 1, 2010 as National Children's Study Week in the County of Los Angeles and encourage all residents to support the successful implementation of this historic project.
In a separate event, Los Angeles Councilwoman Jan Perry will present Dr. Neal Halfon, principal investigator for the Los Angeles-Ventura Study Center based at UCLA, with a proclamation from the City of Los Angeles on Oct. 8.
Organizers will also host ongoing activities to raise awareness about the NCS including events at churches, schools and neighborhood organizations throughout L.A. County.
Beginning in mid-November, the study will officially launch and begin recruiting women ages 18 to 49 in the following initial set of 14 neighborhoods: Alhambra, Brentwood, Compton, Crenshaw, Downey, Downtown, Highland Park, Lancaster, Lennox, Lynwood/Southgate, North Hills, San Pedro, Sun Valley, and West Covina.
Ultimately, the NCS will follow 100,000 children from approximately 105 counties across the country from pre-conception/pre-birth to age 21. The Los Angeles-Ventura Study Center grant was awarded to the UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families and Communities in partnership with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. The goal of the NCS in L.A. County is to follow 4,000 children in 56 randomly selected neighborhoods.
To find out more about the study, please call (toll free) 877-834-7064 or click here to visit the website.
