COLUMBUS, Ohio, Oct. 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Battelle has partnered with multiple University primes and been selected as a subcontractor to participate and expand its role in the National Institutes of Health's comprehensive study on the interaction of genes and the environment on children's health.
At a briefing Friday NIH officials announced the addition of new study locations under the direction of 27 Study Centers. Battelle is a team member on 13 of these Centers, supporting the study in 23 of the new locations.
When it is fully operational, the study is expected to include from 36 to 50 study centers in the planned 105 study locations throughout the United States.
The National Children's Study will follow a representative national sample of 100,000 children from before birth to age 21. Study volunteers will be recruited throughout the United States, from rural, urban, and suburban areas, from all income and educational levels, and from all racial groups. The study will investigate factors influencing the development of such conditions as autism, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, birth defects, diabetes, asthma, and obesity.
'Battelle has been involved in this important study since its inception and is happy to continue working on this vital issue,' said Barbara Kunz, President of Battelle's Health and Life Sciences Global Business. 'We're committed to advancing the research on children's health and bringing our comprehensive set of R&D services to bear.'
Authorized by Congress in the Children's Health Act of 2000, the National Children's Study is being conducted by a consortium of federal agencies. This includes two NIH institutes, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
At the briefing, NIH officials stated that the study would yield health information throughout its 25 year span. Within just a few years, the study would provide information on disorders of pregnancy and birth. Since women would be recruited before they give birth, and in some instances even before they become pregnant, the study would provide insight into the causes and contributors of preterm birth.
Additional information about the National Children's Study is available from http://www.nationalchildrensstudy.gov.
Battelle is the world's largest non-profit independent research and development organization, providing innovative solutions to the world's most pressing needs through its four global businesses: Laboratory Management, National Security, Energy Technology, and Health and Life Sciences. It advances scientific discovery and application by conducting $4 billion in global R&D annually through contract research, laboratory management and technology commercialization. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Battelle oversees 20,400 employees in more than 120 locations worldwide, including seven national laboratories which Battelle manages or co-manages for the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Battelle also is one of the nation's leading charitable trusts focusing on societal and economic impact and actively supporting and promoting science and math education.
For more information visit www.battelle.org or contact Katy Delaney at (410) 306-8638 or at delaneyk@battelle.org, or contact T.R. Massey at (614) 424-5544 or at masseytr@battelle.org.
SOURCE Battelle
