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Robert E. Chapin¹ and Germaine M. Buck²

¹Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology Group, Pfizer Global Research and Development, Safety Sciences, Groton, Connecticut, USA; ²Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, Maryland, USA

Abstract
Longitudinal studies of the determinants of children's health are complex, costly, infrequent, and incredibly valuable. It has become clear in recent years that the periconceptional environment plays a surprisingly large role in the health of the resulting child. This short introduction to this mini-monograph briefly recaps the articles included herein and reminds us that adequate forethought and planning will result in a study that could shed new light on the earliest determinants of children's health and thereby fill critical data gaps. Key words: editorial material, National Children's Study, reproductive epidemiology. Environ Health Perspect 112:67-68 (2004) . doi:10.1289/ehp.6733 available via http://dx.doi.org/ [Online 24 September 2003]

This article is part of the mini-monograph "Understanding the Determinants of Children's Health."

Address correspondence to R. Chapin, Pfizer Global R&D, Eastern Point Rd., MS 8274-1336, Groton, CT 06340 USA. Telephone: (860) 441-0571. Fax: (860) 715-3577. E-mail: robert_e_chapin@groton.pfizer.com

This article contains only the opinions of the authors and in no way represents the thinking or the policies associated with the National Children's Study.

The authors declare they have no competing financial interests.

Received 11 September 2003 ; accepted 17 September 2003.