
There is a growing awareness of the long-term health effects of intrauterine and early life exposures to environmental pollutants, and their role as contributing factors to the development of illness and disease later in life. Because of the lag that often exists between the time of exposure to environmental pollutants and the emergence of diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity, impaired neuro-cognitive development, diabetes and fertility problems later in life, ecological studies in epidemiology can provide only weak evidence of causality. Birth cohort studies, which examine environmental exposures and health outcomes over time, have become a vital tool in providing stronger evidence of causal relationships. This evidence can then support policy interventions to reduce the exposures and improve public health.
Over the years, the Environment and Health Fund has supported the establishment of several birth cohorts in Israel which are investigating the impact of environmental exposures. This support has provided the infrastructure for long-term monitoring, collection and storage of information and samples, and the examination of the relationship between chronic diseases and environmental exposures in Israel.
Cohort Name | First enrollment | Status | Location | Principal investigator | Envinromental pollutants measured | Contact (email) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Environment and Health Fund – Ichilov - Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh) (EHF-AHI) Cohort | 2013 | Children follow-up | Assaf Harofeh Medical Center / Soraski Medical Center | Prof. Mati Berkovitch/ Prof. Dror Mendel | PBDEs, PCBs, Phthalates (planned) | mberkovitch@asaf.health.gov.il |
Environment, Mother and Child Cohort | 2013 | Children follow-up | Hadassah Medical Center | Prof. Ronit Calderon Margalit | Phthalates, Organophosphates, Cotinine | ronitcm@gmail.com |
Twins Cohort- Sheba MC | 2015 | Completed | Sheba Medical Center | Dr. Ronit Machtinger | Phthalates, Phenols and alternatives, Parabens, Triclosan, Oxybenzone | mmachtin@gmail.com |
IVF Cohort- Gertner Institute | 2015 | Completed | Assaf Harofeh Medical Center | Prof. Liat Lerner | Organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs) | LiatL@gertner.health.gov.il |
Rambam - Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh) (AHR) Cohort | 2016 | Enrolling | Rambam Medical Center / Assaf Harofeh Medical Center | Prof. Mati Berkovitch/ Prof. Ido Solt/ Prof. Amalia Levy | Heavy metals, BTEX | mberkovitch@asaf.health.gov.il |
Negev Pregnancy Cohort (NPC) | 2017 | Enrollment completed | Ben Gurion University | Dr. Tamar Wainstock | Organophosphates, Heavy metals | wainstoc@bgu.ac.il |
Haifa Pregnancy Cohort - Maccabi HS | 2019 | Enrolling | Haifa district | Dr. Hagai Levine | Heavy metals, BTEX, Cotinine, PAHs (planned) | hagai.levine@gmail.com |