Change to the National Children's Study Impacts The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Site

Seven Vanguard sites to be overseen by research firm

PHILADELPHIA, May 10, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Under recently announced changes in the federal contract for The National Children's Study (NCS), The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and six other sites across the U.S. will no longer be affiliated with the NCS as of September 2012. The NCS, launched locally in Montgomery County, Pa., in 2009, is part of the first and largest long-term study of children's health ever conducted in the U.S. The Study's goal is to track the health and development of children from before birth through age 21.

Children's Hospital has spent the last seven years preparing for and implementing the NCS in Montgomery County, one of the original seven Vanguard sites of the NCS.

Many childhood diseases and unhealthy conditions have been on the rise over the past two decades and contribute to pediatric illnesses. The National Children's Study was created by Congress in the Children's Health Act of 2000 to address these concerns.

"Community participation has made the project tremendously successful. To date, almost 300 Montgomery County women have agreed to participate in the NCS and almost 200 children have been born," said Jennifer Culhane, Ph.D., M.P.H., from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and principal investigator of the Montgomery County site. "We extend our deepest appreciation and thanks to all our partners: the Montgomery County Health Department, more than 30 hospitals in 7 counties delivering babies in the NCS, maternal-child health physicians and nurses, healthcare professionals, community leaders and organizations, and especially the Study participants and children."

In late February, all seven original Vanguard Centers were notified by the National Institutes of Health that contracts would not be renewed.  This was not the result of lack of performance by the Vanguard Centers but rather a change in the method of participant recruitment.  Unlike the door-to-door recruitment conducted by the original Vanguard Centers, recruitment of women through obstetrical providers that participate in large health plans is being considered by the NIH.   Effective September 3, 2012, Research Triangle Institute, a national research consulting firm, will be responsible for following the current Montgomery County participants.

While this change currently affects only the original seven Vanguard Centers, it is likely  that the 30 other Vanguard sites will undergo the same change in the future, which would include the Children's Hospital study site in Schuylkill County, Pa.

The fate of the NCS remains unclear as the number of sites participating in the study could decrease dramatically from the original 105 counties.  It is also uncertain if CHOP will have the opportunity to follow Montgomery County participants in the future.

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals and pioneering major research initiatives, Children's Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country, ranking third in National Institutes of Health funding. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought the 516-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit http://www.chop.edu.

Contact: Joey McCool Ryan
(267) 426-6070
[email protected]

SOURCE The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia