title: The Canadian healthy infant longitudinal development birth cohort study: biological samples and biobanking.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is hypothesised that complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors give rise to allergy and asthma in childhood. The Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) study was designed to explore these factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  CHILD is a longitudinal, general population birth cohort study following infants from mid-pregnancy to age 5 years. Over this time period, biological samples, questionnaires, clinical measures and environmental data are collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 3624 families have been recruited, and many thousands of samples and questionnaires have been collected, annotated, and archived. This report outlines the rationale and methodology for collecting and storing diverse biological samples from parents and children in this study, and the mechanisms for their release for analyses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The CHILD sample and data repository is a tremendous current and future resource and will provide a wealth of information not only informing studies of asthma and allergy, but also potentially in many other aspects of health relevant for Canadian infants and children.
authors.affiliation: Physiology and Experimental Medicine Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Moraes
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Lefebvre
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chooniedass
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Brook
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Denburg
authors.forename: K T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: HayGlass
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Hegele
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Kollmann
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Macri
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Mandhane
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Subbarao
authors.forename: T K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Takaro
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Turvey
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Duncan
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Sears
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Befus
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018070:Biological Specimen Banks / Q000458:organization & administration*; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D002669:Child Welfare; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007223:Infant; D007229:Infant Welfare; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: allergy; asthma; biological samples; birth cohort