Madisonian: Maureen Durkin

Posted August 24, 2009
Interview by KEN SINGLETARY
ksingletary@madison.com
608-252-6120
Wisconsin State Journal

Maureen Durkin is an epidemiologist, professor of population health sciences and pediatrics and Waisman Center investigator at UW-Madison. She’s also a principal investigator for the National Children’s Study in Waukesha County, one of seven pilot sites for the study, which will follow the health of children before they are born to age 21.

Q: What is the National Children’s Study?

A: It will investigate the interaction of environmental and genetic factors beginning in the prenatal period and examine how those factors affect children’s health and development over the long term. The study will follow a nationally representative sample of 100,000 births and follow the children to adulthood.

Q: Why is the study important?

A: There is so much we don’t know about the causes of common pediatric disorders, such as preterm birth, developmental disabilities, allergies, asthma, behavioral disorders and obesity. Some disorders appear to be increasing in the population, and we don’t know why.

Q: What’s the most fascinating part of this to you?

A: The study is still in its infancy and we’ve just begun data collection in Waukesha County. The first birth is expected in October. We don’t know yet what we’ll find, but the study has the potential to transform our understanding of children’s health and our ability to prevent and manage childhood disorders. For example, there is great hope that the National Children’s Study will lead to new discoveries about autism and its prevention.

Q: When will the first results come in?

A: The earliest results will be those related to pregnancy and birth outcomes, and we hope to see these within the next few years.

Q: Has anything on this scale ever been tried before?

A: The Women’s Health Initiative enrolled over 100,000 women in the U.S. in the 1990s, and is already credited with having lead to a major reduction in breast cancer incidence in post-menopausal women. The National Children’s Study is modeled partially after studies of 100,000 births recently started in Denmark and in Norway.

Q: What can people who want to participate do?

A: The future of the study is somewhat uncertain due to cost concerns. The most important thing may be for those in support of children’s health research to communicate about this and the importance of children’s health as a national priority.