Blog

Medical research has led to countless treatments and cures for childhood illness and disease, saving lives, preventing tragedies, and making life more manageable for sick kids. But there is still an overwhelming amount of research to do in order to rid the world of diseases in children. So where should researchers start?

In the National Poll on Children’s Health, we asked adults across the country to name areas of medical research that they think are very important. Overall, the public said childhood cancers, diabetes, and birth defects and other genetic problems should be the top three areas for medical research in children. Read the full report: Top public priorities for children’s health research: cancer, diabetes, birth defects.

View full size image | See other infographics

With budget constraints making it challenging to fund new medical research, the public’s voice about research priorities is increasingly important. With the majority of the public naming many of the childhood illnesses in this list “very important” for medical research, it’s likely that there would be public support of further research endeavors in these areas. Learn more about this issue in this brief video with NPCH Director Dr. Matt Davis:

What child health issues do you think need more research? Share your opinions in the comments or tweet us at @CSMottPoll with the hashtag #NPCHmedresearch.