researc,
evelopment
www.epa.gov/ord
Research to Improve Children's Health
Centers for Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research
Children are likely to be more vulnerable than adults to the effects of environmental contaminants. To better
understand the effects of children's exposures, and to explore ways to reduce children's risks from environmental
toxicants, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through the Science to Achieve Results (STAR) grants
program, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) are supporting a network of Centers for Children's Environmental Health and Disease
Prevention Research. A primary goal of the program is the accelerated application of basic research findings into
clinical intervention strategies with a view towards preventing adverse health outcomes.
The Centers
The first eight Centers were established in 1998 to study the
effects of environmental factors, such as pesticides and air
pollution, on childhood asthma and children's growth and
development. Four more Centers were established in 2001 to
study the basis of neurodevelopmental and behavioral disorders
such as autism. An additional Center was established in 2004 to
investigate how exposure to mixtures of chemicals affects
children's health. Each Center fosters community participation in
one or more studies.
Recent Research Results and Studies
Asthma
• Epidemiology - Increased levels of ozone and particulate
matter (PM) are associated with worsening pulmonary
function for asthmatic children in Detroit. * The
prevalence and severity of asthma in rural children
appears to be similar to that of children in many urban areas
the first year of life increases the risk of developing asthma.
1998 Centers
University of Southern California
University of California at Berkeley
University of Washington
University of Iowa (1998 - 2003)
University of Michigan (1998 - 2005)
Johns Hopkins University Schools of
Medicine and Public Health
Columbia University School of Public Health
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
2001 Centers
University of California at Davis
University of Cincinnati
University of Medicine and Dentistry
of New Jersey
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
2004 Center
Harvard School of Public Health
* Infection with RSV, a common virus, in
* Prenatal exposures to environmental
tobacco smoke (ETS) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are associated with respiratory
symptoms; high prenatal exposure to certain PHAs increased the risk of immunological response to pest
allergens by age two. * In utero exposure to maternal smoking and early exposure to
environmental tobacco smoke have a significant adverse effect on children's asthma
symptoms. * Genetic susceptibility may be an important risk factor for asthma.
Environmental Triggers and Prevention - Probable asthma triggers include ozone and
diesel PM from traffic, urban PM, environmental tobacco smoke, endotoxins and
pesticides, and smoking cessation and keeping children away from environmental
tobacco smoke should be a focus of asthma prevention. * A diet rich in antioxidants
enhances lung growth and reduces susceptibility to respiratory illness. * A
questionnaire developed by one of the Centers can identify children with asthma, then
provide appropriate recommendations on how to improve the environment of those
children.
Buikfing a scientific foundation for sound environmental decisions
-------
Exposure to Household and Agricultural Pesticides
• Exposure Research - Maternal pesticide exposure appears to be nearly universal and pesticides can
be readily transferred from mother to fetus. * An association has been observed between prenatal
exposure to chlorpyrifos, an organophosphate pesticide, and small head circumference in mothers
with lowered ability to detoxify these pesticides. * Higher exposure of mothers to organophosphate
pesticides was associated with earlier birth and with a greater number of abnormal reflexes during
pregnancy. * Adverse birth outcomes are associated with prenatal exposure to pesticides and other
environmental contaminants.
• Exposure Prevention - Teaching children to wash produce and their hands before eating can help
prevent pesticide exposure for children of agricultural workers. Washing work clothes separately
from the family's laundry also helps prevent children's exposure to pesticides in agricultural
families. * One of the Centers has developed an environmental health curriculum that is being
included as part of prenatal care for low-income women in California. * Integrated Pest
Management (IPM), which involves building repairs and the use of lower toxicity pesticides, has been
shown to be effective in reducing insect populations and cockroach allergen levels and may help
prevent asthma.
Neurodevelopmental and Behavioral Disorders
• Prenatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) appears to produce persistent decreases in
intelligence and alternations in behavior. * Researchers are testing children to see whether
consistently low blood lead levels will translate into higher IQ test scores.
• Researchers are also studying the effects of PCBs and methyl mercury on cognitive, sensory and
motor development in children. Studies are organized around a population of Hmong and Laotian
refugees who consume PCB- and mercury-contaminated fish. Preliminary results suggest that
combined exposure to PCBs and methyl mercury has a greater effect on motor function than either
chemical alone.
• Some PCBs may stimulate cellular responses to a greater degree in autistic children than in other
children. * Mice exposed to sodium valproate, a medication associated with increased autism risk,
exhibit many behavioral defects including retardation.
• Researchers are examining how genetic susceptibility and exposure to environmental toxicants could
increase the risk and severity of autism. They are using innovative methods to discover how
environmental factors could contribute to abnormal social behavior in children, and to find new
strategies for intervention and prevention of autism.
Children's Health continues to be a research priority for EPA's STAR grant program. Previous research
solicitations have encouraged proposals in children's valuation, exposure methods and assessments, longitudinal
studies, and the development and application of biomarkers of children's exposure, susceptibility, or effects
related to environmental threats. See the website for the National Center for Environmental Research at
http://www.epa.gov/ncer for more information.
For more information on the Children's Centers, see http://es.epa.gov/ncer/centers/cecehdpr/98 and
http://es.epa.gov/ncer/centers/cecehdpr/01
NIEHS offers additional information about the Children's Centers and their research at:
http: //www .niehs .nih. gov/translat/children/children .htm
The EPA's Office of Children's Health Protection provides information about environmental risks for children at:
http://www.epa.gov/children
February 2005
Building a scientific foundation for sound environmental decisions
------- |