Early life exposures may lead to adverse effects on health in later life. The Boston birth Cohort study is designed to study a broad array of early life factors and their effects on maternal and child health outcomes.
Any woman admitted to the Labor and Delivery floor at the Boston Medical Center (BMC) who delivers a singleton live infant and meets our case (gestational age \<37 weeks or birthweight \<2,500 grams) or control (full term birth with birthweight \>2,500 grams) criteria will be eligible. Postnatal follow-up of enrolled mother-child pair is conducted from birth to age 21 years. The Boston Birth Cohort has high-quality biospecimen collection, and comprehensive epidemiological, clinical, and environmental exposure data via standardized questionnaire interview, measurements, and review of the electronic medical records.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
24,000
Boston Medical Center
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
RECRUITINGPregnancy complications
Multiple pregnancy complications are examined including gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
Time frame: At birth
Birth outcomes - preterm birth
Birth outcomes are examined - preterm birth.
Time frame: At birth
Birth outcomes - birthweight
Birth outcomes are examined - birthweight.
Time frame: At birth
Child health outcomes
Multiple child health outcomes are examined including food allergy, asthma, child's overweight or obesity, blood pressure, and child neuro-developmental outcomes.
Time frame: From birth to 21 years
Maternal health outcomes
Multiple maternal health outcomes are measured including blood pressure, weight, height, physician diagnosis.
Time frame: After delivery to 21 years
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