First Annual Symposium on Policy and Health
Sponsored by the Johns Hopkins Population Center and the Population Reference Bureau
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Coffee 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. | Symposium: 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.
National Press Club
Holman Lounge | 529 14th St., NW, Washington, DC 20045
Please RSVP to: eposter@prb.org.
How Important Are the Long-Term Consequences of Low Birth Weight?
In a surprising debate about the consequences of low birth weight, social scientists argue that it may affect high school graduation or wage levels, while clinical scientists argue that it does not directly affect long-term outcomes. The social scientists point to statistical evidence from surveys or from studies of twins while the clinical scientists argue that no biological mechanism exists that would support the idea of direct later-life consequences. The discussion has important implications for public policy. For instance, how much should government invest in nutrition programs for pregnant women versus educational interventions for young children? The symposium will bring together three distinguished individuals to explore this topic.
Speakers:
Dalton Conley is University Professor of the Social Sciences and Chair of Sociology at New York University. In 2005 he became the first sociologist to win the National Science Foundation's Alan T. Waterman Award for outstanding young scientists. His research focuses on how socioeconomic status is transmitted across generations and on the public policies that affect that process.
Marie McCormick is the Sumner and Esther Feldberg Professor of Maternal and Child Health in the Department of Society, Human Development, and Health at the Harvard School of Public Health, and Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. Her research has focused on the effectiveness of perinatal and neonatal health services on the health of women and children, with a particular concern in the outcomes of very premature infants. She is a member of the Institute of Medicine.
Discussant:
Woodie Kessel, M.D., M.P.H., Assistant Surgeon General, USPHS, (Ret.) served as the Senior Child Health Science Adviser in the Office of the Secretary focusing on helping children and families become healthier, be physically active, eat healthy, get proper health services, and make healthy and wise choices. He has been an adviser on child health matters to Cabinet officials in five administrations, directly serving eight Secretaries, eight Assistant Secretaries for Health, and six Surgeon Generals. His scholarship has addressed such domains as improving birth outcomes, healthy childhood growth and development, reducing adolescent risky behavior, and systems and social determinants of child health promotion and disease prevention.