While much has been discovered in the last 10 years, there is still much to learn about children's environmental health. Building on the many lessons learned in characterizing pesticide exposures during early development and in investigating the multiple impacts of indoor and outdoor air pollution on childhood asthma, NCER is now broadening its focus. Recently, the STAR grant program has increased its support for research on less characterized, though increasingly common, chemicals (for example, plasticizers and flame retardants) and chronic childhood ailments (for example, autism and other developmental disabilities). The STAR grant program will continue to work closely with Federal, state, and community partners to disseminate these and many other findings in order to create healthier environments and nurture healthier children. The STAR grant program also anticipates continuing, even broadening, Federal partnerships for future research efforts that build upon the progress that has already been made.

"EPA/600/S-07/038" "December 2007." Title taken from title screen (viewed March 5, 2008). Includes bibliographical references.

Glossary -- Executive summary -- Introduction -- How this report is organized -- Important findings across life stages -- Prenatal: pollutant exposure -- Neonatal: genetic vulnerability -- Infant/crawler: early immune function -- Toddler: behaviors that affect pollutant exposure -- Preschooler: neurological disorders -- School-age: asthma intervention programs -- Children's health and the environment: emerging trends, current work, and future directions - -Interpreting human biomonitoring information-- Community-based risk approaches: exploring interactions between chemical and nonchemical stressors -- Epilogue -- Links to additional information -- References. These 10 years of STAR research studies have shed light on how environmental exposures change from newborn to school-age children and on some of the genetic factors that contribute to children's vulnerability. This research has also provided insight on how to assess children's exposures, what biological markers tell us about exposure or effects, and what steps need to be taken to prevent harmful exposures. Some of the major findings of this research include: People metabolize pesticides differently based on their genotype; some faster, others slower. This finding is of particular concern during pregnancy, as many babies do not develop the ability to metabolize some pesticides during the first two years of life, putting them at greater risks of health effects. Children living close to major roadways in Southern California have a higher risk of asthma. EPA's ban on two household pesticides (diazinon and chlorpyrifos) resulted in a rapid decrease in exposures in New York City. Children born after the ban were also healthier. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) can be effectively implemented in urban areas to reduce both pesticide and allergen triggers. Community partners play a critical role in informing, implementing, and translating children's environmental health research.