In NYU Langone’s Division of Environmental Pediatrics, we lead efforts to document the economic benefits of protecting children from environmental hazards. Studies performed by our research team and others show that chemicals in the environment are increasingly identified in epidemiologic and laboratory studies as contributors to prematurity, developmental disabilities, asthma, and obesity.

Yet without accurate, up-to-date estimates of the burden of disease and disability caused by these exposures, the high costs of safer alternatives are likely to outweigh concerns about the health consequences of environmental exposures.

Environmental factors that affect health can be changed through regulatory action. Our data help guide local, national, and global leaders in designing policies to effectively allocate resources and prioritize strategies in medicine and public health.