title: The Taiwan Birth Panel Study: a prospective cohort study for environmentally- related child health.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Taiwan Birth Panel Study (TBPS) is a prospective follow-up study to investigate the development of child health and disease in relation to in-utero and/or early childhood environmental exposures. The rationale behind the establishment of such a cohort includes the magnitude of potential environmental exposures, the timing of exposure window, fatal and children's susceptibility to toxicants, early exposure delayed effects, and low-level or unknown neurodevelopmental toxicants.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 486 mother-infant paired was enrolled from April 2004 to January 2005 in this study. Maternal blood before delivery, placenta and umbilical cord blood at birth, and mothers' urine after delivery were collected. The follow-up was scheduled at birth, 4, 6 months, and 1, 2, 3 and 5 years. The children's blood, urine, hair, and saliva were collected at 2 years of age and children's urine was collected at 5 years of age as well. The study has been approved by the ethical committee of National Taiwan University Hospital. All the subjects signed the inform consent on entering the study and each of the follow up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Through this prospective birth cohort, the main health outcomes were focused on child growth, neurodevelopment, behaviour problem and atopic diseases. We investigated the main prenatal and postnatal factors including smoking, heavy metals, perfluorinated chemicals, and non-persistent pesticides under the consideration of interaction of the environment and genes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This cohort study bridges knowledge gaps and answers unsolved issues in the low-level, prenatal or postnatal, and multiple exposures, genetic effect modification, and the initiation and progression of "environmentally-related childhood diseases."
authors.affiliation: Institute of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene, National Taiwan University College of Public Health, Taipei, Taiwan. pchen@ntu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Chia-Jung
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Wu-Shiun
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Yi-Ning
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Hua-Fang
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Suh-Fang
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Jeng
authors.forename: Feng-Ming
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Taso
authors.forename: Yaw-Huei
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Kuen-Yuh
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Chia-Yang
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yueliang Leon
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Pau-Chung
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Chen