Researchers hoping to determine the causes of many common diseases like autism and diabetes will follow 100,000 U.S. children from birth through adulthood in the largest ever study of its kind."We’re looking to find the root causes of many common diseases and disorders. When we do, we’ll be in a position to prevent them from ever occurring,” said U.S. Surgeon-General Dr. Richard Carmona.In particular, scientists will try to find out whether there is a link between environment and diseases.Most studies used now to link environment and disease are retrospective, meaning they rely on a patient’s or a parent’s recall of events, food eaten, and behaviors. Scientists place much greater faith in studies that look at actual behaviors in real time to more accurately link them to consequences.
