Medicine is the subject of scrutiny lately because of the health care debate. A new study from the National Health Institute is attempting to identify biological, environmental, social and other trends in human development.
The National Children’s Study is looking for over 100,000 pregnant women in their first trimesters. According to a recent New York Times article, the study, approved by Congress in 2000, is attempting to find any kind of trend in human development through environment and other sources.
Main participants are children and their family members. The study is tracking stages of human development.
But New York Times health columnist Pam Belluck calls this “chalking one up for the scientists.” The article seems to indicate that this is not a do-able scientific or medical study. Dr. Jennifer Siciliani from the University of Missouri-St. Louis’ Psychology department begs to differ.
“Longitudinal studies such as this one look for trends rather than trying to prove a null hypothesis,” Siciliani said. She explained the null hypothesis as two groups being equal. “This study has infinite possibilities for other advancements and understandings.”
“Data from these studies can be used to look at populations in a wide range of demographics,” Siciliani said. The study’s purpose, unlike many with an experimental group and control group, is to collect as much data as possible. This, according to Siciliani, can be expensive.
The New York Times reported the cost of the study around $6.7 billion, but the St. Louis branch says this is embellished. “We do not have exact numbers yet,” Amanda Herrod, project manager for the study’s St. Louis metropolitan area, said.
“Right now we are still in the planning phases in St. Louis,” Herrod said. She has been with the study since 2000 and is in charge of participant recruitment in St. Louis City, St. Louis County and Jefferson County. She explained that Saint Louis University received a government grant to aid in the study.
“It seems like the study is looking for epidemic trends and attempting to find patterns,” Julie Sebastian, Dean of the College of Nursing, said. “These long term studies are not new.”
In 1948 the National Heart Institute started the Framington Heart Study. The data collected in the longitudinal and multigenerational protocol has been used to better understand factors to heart disease.
This study through the National Health Institute is attempting to find similar demographic trends, such as ethnicity, geography and other factors leading to childhood development.
