Birth Cohorts in Israel

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.