CHILD

WHAT IS THE CHILD STUDY?
The Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) Study is a multicentre, multidisciplinary, longitudinal, population-based birth-cohort study of 5,000 children enrolled “pre-birth” and followed for five years.

Why is this research being done?
Over the past 30 years there has been an increasing concern about the effects of environment on health. In particular, since infants spend the majority of their time indoors, there is intense interest in the impact indoor pollution has on the health of our children. Our indoor environment has become a public health priority as growing evidence suggests that unseen environmental contaminants in our living spaces may have important effects on children’s health and development.
What is the purpose of the study?
The main purpose of this study is to determine what aspects of the environment interact with genetic factors to affect children’s health and development. An example of possible environmental health effects is the increase over the last 20 years of allergic diseases, such as environmental allergies, food and pet allergies, eczema, allergic rhinitis, and asthma. We want to collect information about Canadian children’s health and their surroundings to five years of age in order to identify causes that may be driving these conditions. This will help to make a healthy and safer environment for future families prone to these conditions and improve the quality of life for all children.
Why is this study important?
There is evidence suggesting that children’s development is influenced by factors the child is exposed to during pregnancy and the first few years of life. Very few studies have collected information prior to and immediately after birth. CHILD is one of a few studies in Canada that will study children before they are born to 5 years of age.