Response
to
Public
Comment
ORD­
2005­
0010­
0004
This
comment
raises
two
potential
issues
regarding
the
proposed
Population­
Based
Pilot
Study
of
Children's
Environmental
Health
in
Support
of
the
National
Children's
Study.
The
first
issue
is
whether
the
data
are
already
available;
and
the
second
seeks
assurance
that
the
study
will
be
designed
and
implemented
by
people
with
appropriate
training
and
skills.

The
Pilot
Study
is
designed
to
support
the
National
Children's
Study,
a
large
prospective
cohort
study
of
the
influence
of
the
environment
on
child
health
and
development.
Early
in
the
planning
phase,
a
review
of
existing
studies
and
data
available
from
other
federal
surveys
was
conducted
and
the
President's
Task
Force
on
Environmental
Health
Risks
and
Safety
Risks
to
Children
determined
that
a
new
effort
was
needed
to
comprehensively
address
children's
environmental
health.
Since
that
time,
the
need
to
carry
out
this
research
has
been
raised
by
numerous
non­
Federal
scientists
and
child
health
advocates.
1,
2,
3,
4
The
proposed
Pilot
Study
is
designed
specifically
to
support
the
implementation
of
the
National
Children's
Study.
Pilot
testing
is
a
critical
aspect
of
any
large
study.
The
need
for
testing
related
to
the
population­
based
sampling
strategy
was
specifically
noted
by
a
non­
Federal
blue­
ribbon
panel
convened
to
discuss
issues
related
to
the
NCS
study
design
(
report
of
that
workshop
can
be
found
at
http://
nationalchildrensstudy.
gov/
events/
workshops/
samplingdesign032004.
cfm).

The
National
Children's
Study
is
a
collaborative
effort
between
EPA,
several
agencies
within
the
Department
of
Health
and
Human
Services,
and
other
Federal
organizations.
In
addition,
hundreds
of
non­
Federal
scientists,
environmental
and
public
health
professionals,
and
child
health
advocates
have
contributed
their
expertise
to
planning
the
study.
The
Pilot
Study
involves
a
similar
consortium
of
individuals.
The
Study's
planning
committee
comprises
epidemiologists,
physicians,
environmental
scientists,
and
community
specialists.
All
members
of
the
planning
committee
have
had
extensive
prior
involvement
in
studies
related
to
the
health
and
wellbeing
of
children.
Once
sites
for
the
Pilot
Study
are
selected,
we
anticipate
involving
the
local
communities
to
join
the
planning
efforts
as
well.

We
appreciate
the
time
and
effort
involved
in
providing
public
comment.
EPA's
mission
is
to
protect
human
health
and
the
environment.
In
collaboration
with
our
colleagues
at
DHHS,
we
are
working
towards
the
common
goal
of
improving
children's
environmental
health.

Pauline
Mendola,
PhD,
US
Environmental
Protection
Agency
Kenneth
Schoendorf,
MD,
MPH,
Centers
for
Disease
Control
and
Prevention
1.
Trasande
L,
Landrigan
PJ.
The
National
Children's
Study:
A
critical
national
investment.
Environmental
Health
Perspectives
2004;
112:
A789­
90.
2.
Eaton
WW.
The
logic
for
a
conception­
to­
death
cohort
study.
Annals
of
Epidemiology
2002;
12:
445­
51.
3.
Krisberg
K.
National
study
on
children's
health
to
provide
wealth
of
information.
The
Nation's
Health,
May,
2005,
vol
XXXV,
no
4,
pp
25­
6.
4.
Brink
S.
Why
do
kids
get
sick?
US
News
and
World
Report,
Feb
21,
2005.
