Health & Fitness

BAR/BAT MITZVAH

Create The Celebration Of Your Dreams

Future Health

National Children's Study
comes to Michigan.

After my son's Bar Mitzvah at Franklin Athletic
Club, I knew where I wanted to celebrate my
daughters Bat Mitzvah. Now, with my third
daughter, there is no doubt, that this will be
another incredible party at Franklin!

Jodi

CALL NOW!

248.352.8000

_r _
William Lyman with young Shannie

T

he Michigan Alliance for the
National Children's Study
(MANCS) is part of a national
study to document the effects of the
social and physical environment on
children's health from pregnancy to age
21. Nationwide, 100,000 families will
participate in the study. MANCS enrolled
the first participants in January.
Wayne State
University professors
Robert Sokol, M.D.,
and Wiliam Lyman,
Ph.D., both on the
MANCS executive
committee, are playing
, lead roles in imple-
Dr. Robert
menting the Michigan
Sokol
component of the larg-
est long-term study
of children's health ever in the United
States.
Sokol, a professor of obstetrics and
gynecology and director of the C. S.
Mott Center for Human Growth and
Development, will supervise obstetrician-
gynecologists in recruiting pregnant
women living in Wayne, Lenawee, Grand
Traverse, Macomb and Genesee counties
to participate in the study. The physicians
will then monitor the women who enroll
in the study until their time of delivery.
"We've been working on the National
Children's Study for eight years:' Sokol
said. "Why? Because it will be so impor-
tant in understanding and preventing
and treating risks to the development
of normal children. It's hard to imag-
ine what the important questions and
answers will be 20 or 50 years from now,
but the data will be there to answer the
questions. I think of it like planting a
tree. I won't be around to sit in its shade,
but many people will."
Lyman, professor and associate chair-

;Ow I

man of pediatrics and director of the
Children's Research Center of Michigan,
will oversee the collection and process-
ing of specimens from more than 5,000
women and children in Wayne and other
counties.
He says the children's study will have
a future impact because many adult dis-
eases — osteoporosis, hypertension and
diabetes/obesity — have their anteced-
ents in childhood.
"For the Jewish community and an
increasing number of African-Americans,
inflammatory bowel disease is a growing
problem',' Lyman said."Currently, about
1.4 million Americans suffer from these
conditions. While the majority are Jewish
Caucasians, the incidence and prevalence
of IBD for African-Americans are increas-
ing. These statistics tell us that a large
part of this problem is genetic (the Jewish
experience), but it seems that the environ-
ment plays an important role as well (the
data for African-Americans). The National
Children's Study will hopefully tell us how
much is nature and how much of what
affects us is nurture or the environment:'
Wayne County is the first county to
participate and is one of 30 national
sites selected to test various recruitment
methods to enroll pregnant women or
those considering pregnancy in the near
future.
Those who join the study will be asked
to stay involved from before the child's
birth until age 21. Participating moth-
ers will be asked a series of questions
about their and their children's health
and environment. Study staff will col-
lect samples from participants and the
environment. No medications or drugs
will be administered. Participants will be
compensated during the study.
For eligibility information, call (888)
996-4627. iii

29350 Northwestern Highwa; Southfield, foil 48034 ; 248.352.8000
www.FranklinClub.com

Please join us for

Planned Parenthood Mid and South Michigan's

Annual
T ,uncheon

h

featuring

Joan
Rivers

April 26, 2011
12 to 2 PM
at the
Troy Marriott

Luncheon tickets start at $85 per person.
Sponsorship opportunities are available.

ema g ppluncheon@ppmchoice.org
Seating is
limited*cz,11 734-926-4813
PlannedParenthoodDetroit.org
Reserve your
place today!
All proceeds are used to benefit the women, men,

and teens served by Planned Parenthood Mid and
South Michigan. Thank you for your support.

Ntiarch 10 2011

37