Nine months that last a lifetime. Experience from the Danish National Birth Cohort and lessons learned.
A growing body of evidence indicates that antenatal care should focus not only on preventing perinatal complications but needs to see the early phase of life as important for a number of adult diseases as well. Most of the research comes from animal studies, since cohorts starting early in life that include biomarkers and have long term follow-up are few, the best known being the National Collaborative Perinatal Project (1959-1974) where only a part of the cohort are being followed (www.birthcohorts.net). Many cohorts are, however, in the planning phase, and the paper provides ten suggestions/recommendations for principal investigators of new or recently established cohorts.
Aarhus University, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Bartholins Allé 2, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark. jo@soci.au.dk
Jørn
J
Olsen
D015331:Cohort Studies; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D003718:Denmark; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood; D012107:Research Design; D013048:Specimen Handling; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires