The National Children’s Study (NCS) Greater Chicago Study Center welcomed the birth of the first baby to take part in the largest and longest study of women and children’s health ever conducted in the United States. The baby and mother will join thousands of other mothers and babies who will help researchers learn more about what affects children’s health.

By following up to 4,000 children and their families in greater Chicago from before birth until age 21, researchers from the Greater Chicago Study Center hope to learn more about how factors like family history and a child’s environment – the air they breathe, the food they eat, and where they live, learn and play – influence health. The baby and mother’s names are not being disclosed in accordance with the study’s strict confidentiality policy.
The Greater Chicago Study Center is currently reaching out to women between the ages of 18 and 49 in about 50,000 households across 15 Cook County neighborhoods to encourage them to take part in the study. To find out if you’re eligible to participate, please call 1-866-315-7124, e-mail ncs-gcsc@northwestern.edu, or text “ncsmom” to 57682. More information about the National Children’s Study Greater Chicago Study Center can be found at: http://centers.nationalchildrensstudy.gov/greaterchicago.