scholarly journals Pregnancy and birth cohorts in Europe

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-113
Author(s):  
Iva Šunić ◽  
Natalija Novokmet ◽  
Jelena Šarac ◽  
Dubravka Havaš Auguštin ◽  
Nives Fuchs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Studies ◽  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
General Information ◽  
Birth Cohort Study ◽  
Research Subjects ◽  
Birth Cohorts ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Expectant Mothers ◽  
Pregnancy And Birth

A birth cohort study is a form of study that uses expectant mothers and newborn as research subjects. This form of research is suitable for epidemiological studies, which pregnancy and birth cohort studies generally are. Data is collected in order to identify health consequences and overall health outcomes. The main aim of this paper is to review and summarize all cohort studies that have been carried out or are still being conducted in Europe, as well as general information such as aim of the study, number of participants and duration of follow-up. Gathering information was made easier by websites such as Birthcohorts, CHICOS and LifeCycle, where many of the cohorts and their sources are listed. The remaining data was found by searching Google Scholar, PubMed and similar webpages, using keywords ‘birth and pregnancy cohorts’, ‘infants’, ‘pregnancies’, ‘allergies’ and ‘childhood obesity’. Overall, 137 cohorts in 27 countries were found. They are a great and important source of information and for the most part, concentrate on general health and wellbeing of mothers and children. Collaboration between different birth cohorts is crucial for further harmonization of collected data and their use in the public health systems worldwide

scholarly journals Population-Based Birth Cohort Studies in Epidemiology

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (15) ◽  
pp. 5276
Author(s):  
Cristina Canova ◽  
Anna Cantarutti
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Studies ◽  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Birth Cohort Study ◽  
Real Word ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Birth Cohorts ◽  
Medical Birth Register ◽  
Cohort Study Design

Birth cohort studies are the most appropriate type of design to determine the causal relationship between potential risk factors during the prenatal or postnatal period and the health status of the newborn up to childhood and potentially adulthood. To date, there has been a growth in interest regarding observational population-based studies which are performed to provide answers to specific research questions for defined populations, for instance, assessing the exposure to environmental pollutants or drugs on the risk of developing a disease. Birth cohorts based on the recruitment and active follow-up of mothers and children allow the collection of biological material, and specific clinical and genetic information. However, they require a considerable amount of time and resources and, besides being usually of limited size, they are exposed to the risk of the loss of subjects to follow-up, with decreased statistical power and possible selection bias. For these reasons, linking the medical birth register with administrative health records for mothers and babies is increasingly being used in countries with a universal healthcare system, allowing researchers to identify large and unselected populations from birth, and to reconstruct relevant traits and care pathways of mothers and newborns. This Special Issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health focuses on the current state of knowledge on perinatal and postnatal exposures and adverse pregnancy, maternal, fetal and neonatal outcomes through population-based birth cohort studies, with a specific focus on real-word data. The 12 accepted articles covered a wide range of themes that can be addressed specifically through birth cohort study design; however, only three were based on real word data with record-linkage to health administrative databases. In particular, two papers have addressed the topic of socioeconomic status considering several indicators both at the individual and contextual level. Two papers focused on inflammatory bowel diseases, both as an outcome of perinatal and antibiotic exposure in early life and as a condition associated with asthma, among children identified in a birth cohort based on a Regional Medical Birth Register. Three articles focused on medication use during pregnancy and its impact on maternal and fetal health. The effect of exposure to prenatal environmental risk factors on perinatal and childhood outcomes has been considered in two papers. Two papers analyzed ad hoc nationwide prospective birth cohorts set in Japan and UK. Finally, we included a systematic review with meta-analysis to evaluate the relation between growth restriction at birth and congenital heart defects. We think that this Special Issue may contribute to enriching the discussion of future challenges, opportunities, strengths and limitations for all research topics that can be investigated using a population-based birth cohort study design.

scholarly journals Declining Incident Dementia Rates Across Four Population-Based Birth Cohorts

2018 ◽  
Vol 74 (9) ◽  
pp. 1439-1445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin J Sullivan ◽  
Hiroko H Dodge ◽  
Tiffany F Hughes ◽  
Chung-Chou H Chang ◽  
Xinmei Zhu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Sex Education ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Birth Cohorts ◽  
Clinical Dementia Rating ◽  
Or Education ◽  
Incident Dementia

Abstract Background Incidence rates of dementia appear to be declining in high-income countries according to several large epidemiological studies. We aimed to describe declining incident dementia rates across successive birth cohorts in a U.S. population-based sample and to explore the influences of sex and education on these trends. Methods We pooled data from two community-sampled prospective cohort studies with similar study aims and contiguous sampling regions: the Monongahela Valley Independent Elders Survey (1987–2001) and the Monongahela-Youghiogheny Healthy Aging Team (2006–Ongoing). We identified four decade-long birth cohorts spanning birth years 1902–1941. In an analysis sample of 3,010 participants (61% women, mean baseline age = 75.7 years, mean follow-up = 7.1 years), we identified 257 cases of incident dementia indicated by a Clinical Dementia Rating of 1.0 or higher. We used Poisson regression to model incident dementia rates by birth cohort, age, sex, education, and interactions of Sex × Cohort and Sex × Education. We further examined whether cohort effects varied by education, testing a Cohort × Education interaction and stratifying the models by education. Results Compared to the earliest birth cohort (1902–1911), each subsequent cohort had a significantly lower incident dementia rate (1912–1921: incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 0.655, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 0.477–0.899; 1922–1931: IRR = 0.387, 95% CI = 0.265–0.564; 1932–1941: IRR = 0.233, 95% CI = 0.121–0.449). We observed no significant interactions of either sex or education with birth cohort. Conclusions A decline in incident dementia rates was observed across successive birth cohorts independent of sex, education, and age.

scholarly journals An inventory of Canadian pregnancy and birth cohort studies: research in progress

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Pier Joly ◽  
Michel Boivin ◽  
Anne Junker ◽  
Alan Bocking ◽  
Michael S Kramer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Studies ◽  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Pregnancy And Birth

Abstract 9: The Japan Environment and Children’s Study and Kawasaki disease

Circulation ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 131 (suppl_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuichi Ito ◽  
Kiwako Yamamoto ◽  
Kimie Ishizuka ◽  
Hisako Komuro ◽  
Hidetoshi Mezawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Kawasaki Disease ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Laboratory Data ◽  
Endocrine System ◽  
Birth Cohort Study ◽  
Birth Cohorts ◽  
Secondary Survey

Background: The Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS) is a nation-wide birth cohort study involving 100,000 parent-child pairs that was conducted by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment. This study was started in 2011 to evaluate the effect of various environmental factors on children’s health and development. Health outcomes and exposure measurements will continue until the participating children become 13 years old. Method: Exposure to environmental factors was assessed by chemical analyses of bio-specimens (blood, cord blood, urine, breast milk, and hair), household environmental measurements, and computational simulations using monitoring data, as well as questionnaires. The JECS’s priority outcomes include reproduction/pregnancy complications, congenital anomalies, neuropsychiatric disorders, immune system disorders, including Kawasaki disease (KD), and metabolic/endocrine system disorders. Genetic factors, socioeconomic status, history of infection, and lifestyle factors were also examined as covariates and potential confounders. Results: Some of the questionnaires for children under 2 years old have already been collected. The numbers of patients with KD according to age were as follows: 14/71,133 (0.02%) between 0-6 months old, 102/51,351 (0.2%) between 6-12 months old, 71/34,595 (0.21%) between 12-18 months old, and 20/20,995 (0.1%) between 18-24 months old. According to these results, the estimated incidence of KD in children younger than 2 years old could reach more than 0.5%, but this number may increase after further collection of questionnaires. We also conducted a secondary survey regarding KD patients, including family history, clinical symptoms, laboratory data, treatment, and outcome. Conclusion: Recently, similar birth cohorts to JECS were already initiated in many countries, but this is the first large-scale birth cohort focusing KD. The results of this cohort may shed new light on the environmental pathogenesis of KD.

Stability and change in milder psychiatric disorder over 7 years in a birth cohort

2001 ◽  
Vol 31 (8) ◽  
pp. 1373-1384 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. S. PAYKEL ◽  
H. HAYHURST ◽  
R. ABBOTT ◽  
M. WADSWORTH
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Psychiatric Disorder ◽  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Life Stress ◽  
Social Background ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Considerable Change ◽  
Birth Cohort Study ◽  
Symptom Scale ◽  
Case Status

Background. Relatively little is known regarding stability or change over time in milder psychiatric disorder identified in epidemiological studies.Methods. Data were analysed on 2890 subjects from the 1946 British birth cohort study. Psychiatric disorder was identified at age 36 years using the Present State Examination Index of Definition and 7 years later at age 43 using a symptom scale, employing a threshold to give identical 6% prevalence of disorder. Predictors were derived from recent social data and information collected earlier in childhood and younger adulthood.Results. Over 7 years, there was considerable movement between case and non-case status. Only 1·7% of the sample satisfied case criteria at both points. Approximately two-thirds of cases at age 36 had fallen below case levels at age 43 and two-thirds of cases at age 43 were new cases. Most onsets and remissions were between definite case and non-case levels, rather than around the threshold. The strongest predictors of onset and remission were recent demographic, social and life stress variables, and earlier reported nervous disorder, with contributions from parental social background, and life history variables in adolescence.Conclusions. There is considerable change over 7 years in milder psychiatric disorder, with around two-thirds of it episodic or fluctuating and one-third chronic. Recent social variables are strong predictors of change or chronicity, with some lasting contributions from childhood social setting and earlier life history.

Interaction between parental psychosis and risk factors during pregnancy and birth for schizophrenia — The Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort study

2013 ◽  
Vol 145 (1-3) ◽  
pp. 56-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Keskinen ◽  
J. Miettunen ◽  
H. Koivumaa-Honkanen ◽  
P. Mäki ◽  
M. Isohanni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Birth Cohort Study ◽  
Pregnancy And Birth

scholarly journals An Automated Text-Messaging Platform for Enhanced Retention and Data Collection in a Longitudinal Birth Cohort: Cohort Management Platform Analysis (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline M Barry ◽  
Aditi Sabhlok ◽  
Victoria C Saba ◽  
Alesha D Majors ◽  
Julia C Schechter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Cohort Studies ◽  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Text Messaging ◽  
Birth Cohort Study ◽  
Short Message ◽  
Management Platform ◽  
Message Service ◽  
Study Participants

BACKGROUND Traditional methods for recruiting and maintaining contact with participants in cohort studies include print-based correspondence, which can be unidirectional, labor intensive, and slow. Leveraging technology can substantially enhance communication, maintain engagement of study participants in cohort studies, and facilitate data collection on a range of outcomes. OBJECTIVE This paper provides an overview of the development process and design of a cohort management platform (CMP) used in the Newborn Epigenetic STudy (NEST), a large longitudinal birth cohort study. METHODS The platform uses short message service (SMS) text messaging to facilitate interactive communication with participants; it also semiautomatically performs many recruitment and retention procedures typically completed by research assistants over the course of multiple study follow-up visits. RESULTS Since February 2016, 302 participants have consented to enrollment in the platform and 162 have enrolled with active engagement in the system. Daily reminders are being used to help improve adherence to the study’s accelerometer wear protocol. At the time of this report, 213 participants in our follow-up study who were also registered to use the CMP were eligible for the accelerometer protocol. Preliminary data show that texters (138/213, 64.8%), when compared to nontexters (75/213, 35.2%), had significantly longer average accelerometer-wearing hours (165.6 hours, SD 56.5, vs 145.3 hours, SD 58.5, P=.01) when instructed to wear the devices for 1 full week. CONCLUSIONS This platform can serve as a model for enhancing communication and engagement with longitudinal study cohorts, especially those involved in studies assessing environmental exposures.

scholarly journals Time trends in nutrient intake and dietary patterns among five birth cohorts of 70-year-olds examined 1971–2016: results from the Gothenburg H70 birth cohort studies, Sweden

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Samuelsson ◽  
Elisabet Rothenberg ◽  
Lauren Lissner ◽  
Gabriele Eiben ◽  
Anna Zettergren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Studies ◽  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Dietary Patterns ◽  
Time Trends ◽  
Protein Intake ◽  
Nutrient Intake ◽  
Alcohol Intake ◽  
Healthy Ageing ◽  
Birth Cohorts ◽  
Nutrient Density

Abstract Background Nutrition is a key factor in healthy ageing but there are still gaps in knowledge about risk- and protective factors linking diet and healthy ageing. The aim of this study was to investigate time trends in dietary patterns and nutrient intake in an older population, in order to increase the understanding of whether dietary recommendations are followed and if nutrient needs are met. Methods Cross-sectional data was derived from five samples of 70-year-olds examined 1971–72, 1981–83, 1992–93, 2000–02 and 2014–16 from the Gothenburg H70 birth cohort studies in Sweden. A total of 2246 individuals (56% women) participated. Dietary intake was determined by the diet history method, which is an interview including questions on usual frequencies and portion sizes of food intake during the preceding three months. Recommended values of nutrient intake and determinants of healthful dietary patterns were based on the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2012. Statistical analyses were performed using general linear models, student’s t-test and chi-square test, stratified by sex. Results The intake of fruits and vegetables, fish and seafood, whole grain products and nuts and seeds increased during the study period (p < 0.0001), among both sexes. However, there was also an increase in alcohol intake (p < 0.0001), especially from wine and beer, and in 2014–16 more than 30% had an alcohol intake above recommendations. Protein intake increased (p < 0.0001 for women and p = 0.0004 for men), and 48% of the women and 37% of the men had a protein intake above recommended 1.2 g/kg body weight and day in 2014–16. The proportion of participants at risk of inadequate intake of vitamins C, D and folate decreased during the study period, among both sexes (p < 0.0001). However, vitamin D intake from diet was still below average requirement level of 7.5 μg/day for 49% of the women and 32% of the men in 2014–16. Conclusions Dietary patterns have changed among 70-year-olds during the past five decades, with an increase in healthful foods and a higher nutrient density in later born birth cohorts. However, the intake of alcohol increased, especially among women. Results from this study can be useful as a basis for dietary guidelines and used for prevention strategies involving older adults in population-based and health care settings.

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