The NYU Children's Health and Environment Study

Area of Science:

• Environmental health
• Pediatric health
• Reproductive health

Background:

• Prenatal exposure to non-persistent chemicals poses potential risks to fetal and postnatal development.
• Understanding environmental influences on child health is crucial for early intervention and prevention strategies.
• The NYU Children's Health and Environment Study (CHES) was established to address these critical research gaps.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of prenatal non-persistent chemical exposures on fetal and postnatal growth.
• To collaborate with the National Institutes of Health Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program.
• To investigate the effects of the preconceptual, prenatal, and postnatal environment on childhood obesity, neurodevelopment, and other health outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Recruitment of pregnant women aged 18 years or older, less than 18 weeks pregnant, with low-risk pregnancies.
• Data collection through questionnaires and biological specimens during routine prenatal visits at <18, 18-25, and >25 weeks gestation.
• Continued data collection at birth and regular postpartum intervals, including biological specimen and questionnaire data.

Main Results:

• 2469 pregnant women were recruited between March 2016 and April 2019.
• 2000 live deliveries (2037 children) were included in the study.
• 1624 (80%) of the children's mothers consented to postnatal follow-up.

Conclusions:

• The NYU CHES study provides valuable data on the effects of environmental exposures during critical developmental periods.
• Collaboration with the ECHO Program enhances the scope and impact of the research findings.
• The study is well-positioned to contribute significant insights into the environmental determinants of child health.