title: Cohort Profile: The Barwon Infant Study.
abstract: The modern environment is associated with an increasing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Mounting evidence implicates environmental exposures, experienced early in life (including in utero), in the aetiology of many NCDs, though the cellular/molecular mechanism(s) underlying this elevated risk across the life course remain unclear. Epigenetic variation has emerged as a candidate mediator of such effects. The Barwon Infant Study (BIS) is a population-derived birth cohort study (n = 1074 infants) with antenatal recruitment, conducted in the south-east of Australia (Victoria). BIS has been designed to facilitate a detailed mechanistic investigation of development within an epidemiological framework. The broad objectives are to investigate the role of specific environmental factors, gut microbiota and epigenetic variation in early-life development, and subsequent immune, allergic, cardiovascular, respiratory and neurodevelopmental outcomes. Participants have been reviewed at birth and at 1, 6, 9 and 12 months, with 2- and 4-year reviews under way. Biological samples and measures include: maternal blood, faeces and urine during pregnancy; infant urine, faeces and blood at regular intervals during the first 4 years; lung function at 1 month and 4 years; cardiovascular assessment at 1 month and 4 years; skin-prick allergy testing and food challenge at 1 year; and neurodevelopmental assessment at 9 months, 2 and 4 years. Data access enquiries can be made at [www.barwoninfantstudy.org.au] or via [peter.vuillermin@deakin.edu.au].
authors.affiliation: Barwon Health, Geelong, VIC, Australia, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia, peter.vuillermin@deakin.edu.au.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vuillermin
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saffery
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Katrina J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: John B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Carlin
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Mimi L K
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Sarath
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ranganathan
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia, Department of Paediatrics, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Burgner
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, The George Institute for Global Health, Oxford, United Kingdom and.
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dwyer
authors.affiliation: Barwon Health, Geelong, VIC, Australia, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Collier
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jachno
authors.affiliation: University of Queensland, Queensland Children's Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sly
authors.affiliation: Barwon Health, Geelong, VIC, Australia, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Symeonides
authors.affiliation: Barwon Health, Geelong, VIC, Australia, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McCloskey
authors.affiliation: Barwon Health, Geelong, VIC, Australia, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Molloy
authors.affiliation: Barwon Health, Geelong, VIC, Australia, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Forrester
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Anne-Louise
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Ponsonby
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D057890:Epigenomics / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D014739:Victoria
chemical_list: D005492:Folic Acid