Wayne County children's study means dozens of healthcare jobs

The Michigan Alliance for National Children's Study is about to start spending its research dollars in Wayne County.

The ambitious study plans to enroll Wayne County families this fall, which will lead to dozens of new health care and administrative jobs within the next few years.

"There is a considerable employment potential," says Nigel Paneth, principal investigator for the Michigan Alliance for National Children's Study. "We're pretty much targeting the county we are focusing on for those new jobs."

The study will focus on researching children's health in 100 counties across the U.S. over at least the next five years. Michigan has five counties in this pool, including Macomb and Wayne. Wayne State University and Henry Ford Hospital are partners in this study.

Each county will enroll 1,000 families. That includes studying not only children, but mothers, both before and while they're pregnant. Researchers will thoroughly study the mothers' and children's health and the environment they live in, including water and air quality. The hope is to follow these people until the age of 21 and perhaps even beyond.

"They will be giving us quite a comprehensive picture of children's health in Wayne County," Paneth says.

Source: Nigel Paneth, principal investigator for the Michigan Alliance for National Children's Study
Writer: Jon Zemke
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