title: Perinatal nutrition in maternal mental health and child development: Birth of a pregnancy cohort.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mental disorders are one of the leading contributors to the global burden of disease. The Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition (APrON) study was initiated in 2008 to better understand perinatal environmental impacts on maternal mental health and child development.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This pregnancy cohort was established to investigate the relationship between the maternal environment (e.g. nutritional status), maternal mental health status, birth outcomes, and child development. The purpose of this paper is to describe the creation of this longitudinal cohort, the data collection tools and procedures, and the background characteristics of the participants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were pregnant women age 16 or older, their infants and the biological fathers.
  
  
  METHODS
  For the women, data were collected during each trimester of pregnancy and at 3, 6, 12, 24, and 36months after the birth of their infant. Maternal measures included diet, stress, current mental and physical health, health history, and lifestyle. In addition, maternal biological samples (DNA, blood, urine, and spot breast milk samples) were banked. Paternal data included current mental and physical health, health history, lifestyle, and banked DNA samples. For infants, DNA and blood were collected as well as information on health, development and feeding behavior.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the end of recruitment in 2012, the APrON cohort included 2140 women, 2172 infants, and 1417 biological fathers. Descriptive statistics of the cohort, and comparison of women who stayed in the study and those who dropped out are discussed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings from the longitudinal cohort may have important implications for health policy and clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada. Electronic address: brenda.leung@uleth.ca.
authors.forename: Brenda M Y
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Gerald F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Giesbrecht
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Letourneau
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Catherine J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Field
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Rhonda C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dewey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011247:Pregnancy; D039401:Prenatal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
keywords: Child development; Maternal mood; Perinatal nutrition