The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and AllerGen NCE Inc. are investing $12 million in a research study referred to as the CHILD study, which will investigate the genetic and environmental factors that influence the development of asthma and allergies in children.

Dr. Malcolm Sears, Professor of Medicine at McMaster University and Research Director of the firestone Institute for Respiratory Health is leading the study, which will follow 5,000 Canadian children from pregnancy through early childhood and investigate the roles of indoor and outdoor environmental exposure, infections, nutrition and genetics in the development of asthma and allergies. Expectant mothers will be recruited for the study in four regional centres across the country - Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Toronto.

The study will take 6 years. Let's hope they have some good news for us by 2014.