A mother reflects on the National Children's Study

Abstract

Welcome to Public Health Moment from the University of Minnesota. Pat McGovern is a mother, stepmom, and, recently, she became a grandmother. The University of Minnesota professor of environmental health is also the mother of the local study center for the National Children’s Study -- the largest long-term study of children's health ever in the United States. Since Mother’s Day is around the corner, we thought it appropriate to ask her, how she feels about having that responsibility. <Pat: “Being a mom, a stepmom, and a grandmom are three of the most important roles in my life. And being the mother of the National Children’s Study center here at the University of Minnesota is really a privilege and probably the most exciting thing I’ve done in my academic career at the University of Minnesota.”> Why is this study so important? <Pat: “I think the study has the potential to make a huge difference in the health and development of kids and grandkids and future generations. There’s nothing we care more about than the health of our kids and our grandkids. If people want to care about the children in Ramsey County, in the children in the country, hopefully, they too will want to contribute to the science that is leading this study and that will be produced by this study and help contribute to the health of future generations.”> For more information about the study, call 612-626-KIDS.