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Children Could Benefit from Medical Research, Study Says
Filed under: In The News, Research Reveals: Babies, Research Reveals: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Research Reveals: Big Kids
Credit: Getty Images
Most parents overlook the possible benefit of children participating in medical research. How do we know? Guess what? There's been a study.
Researchers from the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health surveyed parents earlier this year and found one in nine adults have participated in medical research -- compared with only one in 20 children.
A university press release also reports that 68 percent of adults are aware of medical research opportunities for themselves. However, 84 percent of parents are not aware of medical research opportunities for children.
So, c'mon, kids, who wants to play guinea pig? It's not as bad as it sounds.
"Medical research is the backbone of improving medical care. Without volunteers, medical research cannot move forward," Matthew Davis, an associate professor at the University of Michigan's medical school, says in the release.
Participation in research is essential to continued medical progress, Davis says.
Over the last 100 years, infant mortality in the United States has been reduced by 90 percent. Millions of deaths from diseases such as polio, diphtheria, pneumonia and influenza have been prevented by vaccines.
Children with life-threatening diseases such as cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease and diabetes now survive beyond childhood, into adult years.
All thanks to kids participating in medical research.
"Awareness about research opportunities, which is a necessary step before participation, is reasonably high among adults but strikingly low for children's research," Davis adds. "To improve participation rates among children, researchers and institutions evidently need to do a better job of getting the word out to parents."
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
8-03-2011 @ 11:42AM
Diane said...Might be ok if the parents work in a medical environment, eg as doctors or nurses. The key is the child understanding what they are doing and what is involved and of course everyone understanding any risk to the child I would have thought. Not sure if I'd want my children to participate, maybe it would be ok for some trials.
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8-04-2011 @ 6:12PM
Zach said...nice thoughtful comment diane. obviously its a conundrum - great to have it done, but no one's really gonna want their kid used in a trial. its always good to share information. there's some great info on things like this and the opportunity to share at fitango.com. if anyone else has ideas that'd be wonderful too.
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8-11-2011 @ 2:08PM
Courtney said...Diane- Kids undergo procedures all the time without knowing/understanding what's going on. That's why it's the parents who consent (instead of the child) for minor children. Consenting to participation in a research study is basically the same as consenting to any other medical treatment. I would have my daughter participate in a heartbeat if it was a safely designed and conducted study.
Zach- Wow. I agree- nobody wants their kid 'used' in a study. That's why it's actually participating in a study. And lots of parents want that for their kids. For instance, every parents whose child is a St. Jude's being treated for cancer. Survival rates for childhood cancers have skyrocketed because St. Jude's enrolls most of their patients in study's to compare the current best treatment with a potentially better one.
How do you think doctors and researchers come up with treatments and cures? It's via research.
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10-13-2011 @ 6:13AM
medical assistant said...Nice.. your site is given the useful information. medical research is one of the thing for improve knowledge. its are very useful to all children's. in childhood age, all are knowing about the medical research,it will use to future improvement for their studies.
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10-29-2011 @ 5:17AM
odoctor24 said...Very nice & impressive article you have posted.. Wonderful post, It is really not difficult to study your blog.. I have found good information in your blog… So excellent … It’s a treasure for me to reading your blog..I will definitely share it with others.thanks
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11-13-2011 @ 5:31PM
truth4ever said...I think a lot of parents shy away from the idea of allowing their children to participate in medical research because of the possibility of exposing them to drugs which have not been thoroughly tested and could therefore have long lasting or far reaching side effects. As parents, we are supposed to keep our children safe - so what if exposing them to medical research ended up doing harm? Children can't really be held responsible for choices like this, it is an adult decision, but the child is the one who would benefit (or suffer the consequences). I think if studies were advertised which involved no drugs, more parents would allow their children to participate.
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11-27-2011 @ 8:02PM
babyfloatsforpool said...Great Content. It's useful for me not difficult to learn in your blog. I will teach my kid also. thank you for your share,
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12-05-2011 @ 2:34AM
Anne said...nobody wants their kid 'used' in a study. That's why it's actually participating in a study. And lots of parents want that for their kids.
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12-05-2011 @ 9:14AM
Alexandra said...I work in medical research, now with kids and adults who have a life-threatening genetic disorder.
The only way we get new drugs or devices through the FDA is for them to be tested on people. My participants get a thorough explanation of what we are doing, what's going to happen, plus they get my cellphone number which they can call at any time (the only time I ever got called outside of working hours was when I was doing cancer studies).
By the time drugs or devices are tested in kids, they have already been tested in both normal people and adults who have the disease/disorder.
People who participate in a study can drop out at any time. Just because you said yes, doesn't mean that you must continue to say yes if you don't like the treatment, if you don't have time for the visits anymore, or if you just don't like the study personnel.
In the 20 some years I've done this, and in every area I have worked (diabetes, cancer, psychiatry, and now pulmonary), our clinic patients ask about new treatments. Sometimes the treatments don't work at all, sometimes they work incredibly well...and if the drug/device doesn't help your child, it may help others in the future.
In addition, there are other studies (such as quality of life studies) which have little to no risk but add a lot to our knowledge of how disorders/diseases affect people over the long term.
If you've never participated in a study before, a university environment is the best way to get started. If the study is not thoroughly explained though, or you feel pressured to sign up, don't participate.
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