Welcome to the Cache County Study location for the National Children’s Study. The Cache County Study location — led by the Early Intervention Research Institute at Utah State University and the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Utah — includes a team of researchers, data collectors, and support staff. This Web site provides information about our efforts to conduct the National Children’s Study in Cache County, Utah.
A team of researchers from Utah State University and the University of Utah are working together to plan and implement the Study in our community. This team is made up of social scientists, obstetricians, pediatricians, public health researchers, and data collection experts who have an interest in improving the health of families and their children.
Study scientists will examine family genetics, neighborhoods and schools, chemical exposures, food and water, as well as children’s social and behavioral environments to pinpoint the root causes of many of today’s major childhood diseases and disorders. What we learn in the Study will help determine not only which aspects of the environment are harmful, but also which are harmless or helpful to children’s health and development.
Children’s immature bodies often make them more vulnerable than adults to environmental exposures. Young children interact with the environment differently. They spend more time on the ground, close to dust, soil, and other elements of the environment. Scientists understand too little about these factors, and whether they are harmful, harmless, or helpful to children’s health and development. For example, research findings on the effects of lead on child development, or findings on the impact of maternal alcohol use on the fetus have emphasized the need for studies that examine the impact of environmental factors on children’s health.
Our vision is a Study location that inspires research on health issues relevant to children in Cache County and throughout Utah.