Date: 23/Jun/2008

The Telethon Institute for Child Health Research is looking for volunteers aged 3, 6 or 9 years to participate in a new study looking into the role that diet plays in maintaining healthy DNA in children.

Children are eligible to take part in the Nutrition and Genome Health in Children Study if they have never been diagnosed with asthma, cancer, diabetes or arthritis.

The study will run over a four-month period and will involve parents completing two Food Frequency Questionnaires, one at the beginning and one at the end of the study, and completing five dietary records (one per month) which require parents to note everything their child eats in a 24-hour period. At the end of the four months, an experienced paediatric phlebotomist will take a tiny blood sample (2 teaspoons) from your child to measure micronutrient levels and DNA health.

Participating in this study will help increase knowledge about how diet affects children's DNA.

It will also help find the best way to measure what children eat. At the end of the study, participants will be offered a summary table indicating their child's estimated daily intake of key nutrients and micronutrient levels in the blood. This information will be accompanied by general advice from our dietitian about how the child's diet can be improved, if needed.

If you - or a friend or family member - are willing to volunteer, or would like some more information, please contact the study coordinator, Meg McHugh on 9489 7784 or email.