Rutgers Health has launched a major statewide research initiative, the New Jersey Kids Study, to examine how early environmental factors impact the health of children. The study, which began in 2022 and is led by roughly 100 faculty members, is actively enrolling pregnant mothers to follow their children from before birth to 18 months of age.
The research aims to answer crucial questions about preventing common childhood conditions such as allergies, asthma, and diabetes. A key focus of the study, according to co-director Emily Barrett, is the role of the early life microbiome—the community of microbes that naturally colonizes a baby’s body.
“We want to use science to answer crucial questions about how the environment shapes the health of children, beginning with pregnancy,” Barrett, a professor with the School of Public Health, said. “Our goal, our vision, is having what we learn contribute to children in New Jersey and beyond living healthier, happier lives.”
The study seeks to represent New Jersey’s tremendous diversity by making all communication materials available in both English and Spanish and by collaborating with community partners such as the Central Jersey Family Health Consortium and the Partnership for Maternal and Child Health.
So far, the study has enrolled more than 300 pregnant mothers and is aiming to reach a total of 500. Participants will be asked to complete online questionnaires and provide mail-in samples, including mouth swabs and urine specimens from both mothers and babies.
The New Jersey Kids Study has also been selected as a site for the National Institutes of Health’s Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) study, a national effort focused on exploring environmental influences on children’s health. According to study director Martin Blaser, this partnership allows the Rutgers research to contribute to a much larger, nationwide effort.
