How cleaner cookstoves affect children's lung development
Child Lung Development Following a Cookstove Intervention: Evidence from GRAPHS
This project looks at whether replacing smoky cooking fires with cleaner cookstoves during pregnancy and the baby's first year helps children grow healthier lungs through age 13.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11301813 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
We follow children from the Ghana GRAPHS program and compare those whose households received cleaner cookstoves with those who used traditional cooking fires. The team measures air pollution levels during pregnancy and the child's first year, performs standard lung-function and growth tests at several ages up to 13, and looks at genetic markers related to mucus production to see who is more affected by smoke. Data come from direct exposure measurements, clinical exams, and lab analysis of biospecimens using validated methods. The goal is to link early smoke exposure and biological responses to lung health as children grow.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are children enrolled in the GRAPHS cohort in Ghana with prenatal exposure data whose families can provide consent and attend follow-up visits through adolescence.
Not a fit: Children who are not part of the GRAPHS cohort, who have no household smoke exposure to compare, or who cannot complete follow-up visits are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could show that reducing household smoke before and after birth leads to better lung growth and fewer respiratory problems in children.
How similar studies have performed: Prior cookstove interventions have lowered household air pollution and shown some short-term respiratory benefits, but long-term effects on lung development into adolescence are still not well proven.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Columbia University Health Sciences — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jack, Darby — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Jack, Darby
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.