- Cohort, name
Baby Biome Study (pilot)
Cohort, abbreviation
BBS
Cohort, country
United Kingdom
Cohort, website
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/igh/research/a-z/baby-biome-study
Date of filling in this questionnaire:
2018-08-14 - Principal investigator(s), name
Professor Peter Brocklehurst; Dr Nigel Field
Principal investigator(s), e-mail address
p.brocklehurst@bham.ac.uk; nigel.field@ucl.ac.uk
Principal investigator(s), institution
University of Birmingham; UCL
Contact person(s), name
Dr Nigel Field
Contact person(s), e-mail address
nigel.field@ucl.ac.uk
Contact person(s), institution address
UCL
- Main aim of cohort
Baby Biome Study aims to understand how interactions between microorganisms, both pathogenic and the colonising microbiota, the immune system, and clinical, social, and behavioural factors during pregnancy and early life influence health throughout life. We hypothesise that the nascent immune system interacts with the first microbiota colonisers, driving immune-mediated disease when this process is disturbed. This work includes exploring the impact of elective caesarean section, and of antibiotics given in pregnancy or labour, on the acquisition of microbiota in a child’s gastrointestinal tract, and their subsequent health.
Recruited number of:
3401 children / 3401 mothers / 0 fathers / 0 grand parents / 0 other family members
Approximate proportion of source population included
33
Source population
Region-based - Period of enrollment
Start: 2016-02-14, End: 2017-11-30
Enrollment period
At birth to
Enrollment criteria, please specify
All pregnant women older than 16 years and giving birth at study sites were eligible for the BBS pilot.
Exclusion criteria, please specify
There were no gestational age exclusion criteria since pre-term babies are of specific interest.
Planned age of children at end of follow-up
Life-long / unrestricted
| General information | ---------- Child age (years) at assessment ---------- | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | >18 | |
| Home address | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||||
| School address | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth outcomes | |
|---|---|
| Birth weight | X |
| Birth length | X |
| Gestational age at birth | X |
| Apgar score | X |
| Congenital malformations | X |
| Stillbirth (>= 22 weeks) | |
| Child’s sex | X |
| Head circumference | |
| Biparietal diameter | |
| Child exposures | ---------- Child age (years) at assessment ---------- | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | >18 | |
| Breast feeding | X | |||||||||||||||||||
| Diet | X | |||||||||||||||||||
| Dietary supplements | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Childcare attendance | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Active smoking | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Passive smoking | X | |||||||||||||||||||
| Alcohol consumption | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Physical activity | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Substance use | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Medicine intake | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Vaccinations | X | X | ||||||||||||||||||
| Psychological distress (e.g. bullying) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Air pollution | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Access to green spaces | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Built environment | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Noise | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Radiation, electromagnetic fields | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Water contamination | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Pets | X | |||||||||||||||||||
| Farm animal exposure | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Biomarkers of exposure | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Mercury | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Lead | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Cadmium | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Arsenic | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Other metals | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Polychlorinated biphenyl esters | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Dicloro difenil tricloroetano | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Hexachlorobenzene | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Brominated flame retardants | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Perflouralkyl compounds | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Bisphenol A | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Other bisphenols | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Parabens | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Benzophenones | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Triclosan | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Phthalates | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Cotinine | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Child development and health | ---------- Child age (years) at assessment ---------- | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | >18 | |
| Anthropometry | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | X | X | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | X | X | ||||||||||||||||||
| Head circumference | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Abdominal circumference | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Arm circumference | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Wrist circumference | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Waist circumference | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Clinical examinations | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Blood pressure | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Carotida intima media thickness | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Pulse wave velocity | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Cardiac ultrasound | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Renal ultrasound | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Brain MRI | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Other MRI | ||||||||||||||||||||
| DEXA‐scan results | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Skin folds | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Bio impedence | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Oscilometry | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Spirometry | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Skin prick test | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Bronchial challenge test | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Reversibility test | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Dental observations | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Mental and neurological development | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Cognitive function | ||||||||||||||||||||
| School performance | X | |||||||||||||||||||
| Language | ||||||||||||||||||||
| ADHD | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Autism | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sleep disturbances | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Mental health | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Respiratory health | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Asthma | X | |||||||||||||||||||
| Allergy | X | |||||||||||||||||||
| Allergic rhinitis | X | |||||||||||||||||||
| Eczema | X | |||||||||||||||||||
| Respiratory tract infections | X | |||||||||||||||||||
| Senses | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Vision | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Hearing | X | X | ||||||||||||||||||
| Musculo-skeletal health | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Back pain | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Neck pain | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Growing pains | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sexual maturation | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Tanner stage | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Pubertal development stage | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Age at menarche | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Age at voice change | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2D/4D digit ratio | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Nocturnal ejaculation | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Acne | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Other health outcomes | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Cancer | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Diabetes | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Congenital anomalies | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Biomarkers of health | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Nephrology (e.g. creatinine, albumin) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Thyroid hormones | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Inflammatory markers (e.g. C-reactive protein cytokines) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Immunologic markers (e.g. immunoglobulines) | X | |||||||||||||||||||
| Cortisol | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Vitamines and micronutrients | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Gonadal axis hormones (e.g. testosterone, estradiol) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Metabolism (e.g. cholesterol, LDL, HDL, insulin, triglycerides) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Metabolomics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| DNA methylation | X | |||||||||||||||||||
| Transcriptomics (mRNA, miRNA) | X | |||||||||||||||||||
| Genome-wide association study (GWAS) | X | |||||||||||||||||||
| Child biological samples | ---------- Child age (years) at sampling ---------- | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At birth | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | >18 | |
| Whole blood | X | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Serum | X | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Plasma | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Buffy coat | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Urine | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Hair | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Teeth | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Nails | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Saliva | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Purified DNA | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Purified RNA | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Red blood cells | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Umbilical cord blood/tissue | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Blood smear | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Faeces/meconium | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||||||
| Exhaled breathe condensate | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Sputum induction | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Placenta | |||||||||||||||||||||
| General information | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-pregnancy | During pregnancy | <1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | |
| Education | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Income | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Employment status | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Job title | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Single parenthood | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Home address | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Work address | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Maternal characteristics related to the index pregnancy/child | |
|---|---|
| Age at birth | |
| Ethnicity | |
| Country of birth | |
| Planned pregnancy | |
| Time to pregnancy | |
| Fertility treatment | |
| Prior spontaneous abortion (<22w) | |
| Prior births | |
| Ultrasound measurements | |
| Doppler measurements | |
| Preeclampsia | |
| Gestational diabetes | |
| Gestational hypertension | |
| Gestational duration | |
| Mode of delivery | |
| Prenatal diagnostics | |
| Medical termination of pregnancy | |
| Maternal Exposures | ---------- Timing of assessment ---------- | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-pregnancy | First trimester | Second trimester | Third trimester | Post pregnancy | |
| Diet | |||||
| Dietary supplements | |||||
| Active smoking | |||||
| Passive smoking | |||||
| Alcohol consumption | |||||
| Physical activity | |||||
| Substance use | |||||
| Medicine intake | |||||
| Coffee drinking | |||||
| Psychological distress (e.g. life-events, health behaviors, perceived stress) | |||||
| Occupational exposures | |||||
| Heavy lifts | |||||
| Work hours | |||||
| Air pollution | |||||
| Access to green spaces | |||||
| Built environment | |||||
| Noise | |||||
| Radiation, electromagnetic fields | |||||
| Water contamination | |||||
| Binge drinking | |||||
| Pets | |||||
| Farm animal exposure | |||||
| Biomarkers of exposure | |||||
| Mercury | |||||
| Lead | |||||
| Cadmium | |||||
| Arsenic | |||||
| Other metals | |||||
| Polychlorinated biphenyl esters | |||||
| Dicloro difenil tricloroetano | |||||
| Hexachlorobenzene | |||||
| Brominated flame retardants | |||||
| Perflouralkyl compounds | |||||
| Bisphenol A | |||||
| Other bisphenols | |||||
| Parabens | |||||
| Benzophenones | |||||
| Triclosan | |||||
| Phthalates | |||||
| Cotinine | |||||
| Maternal health | ---------- Timing of assessment ---------- | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-pregnancy | First trimester | Second trimester | Third trimester | Post pregnancy | |
| Anthropometry | |||||
| Weight | |||||
| Height | |||||
| Waist circumference | |||||
| Clinical examinations | |||||
| Blood pressure | |||||
| Carotida intima media thickness | |||||
| Pulse wave velocity | |||||
| DEXA scans | |||||
| Bioimpedence | |||||
| Mental and neurological development | |||||
| Mental health | |||||
| Cognitive function (e.g. intelligence quotient) | |||||
| Respiratory health | |||||
| Asthma | |||||
| Allergy | |||||
| Musculo‐skeletal disease | |||||
| Back pain | |||||
| Neck pain | |||||
| Arthritis | |||||
| Other health outcomes | |||||
| Cancer | |||||
| Diabetes | |||||
| Cardio‐vascular disease | |||||
| Family history of chronic disease | |||||
| Infectious disease | |||||
| Fever | |||||
| Autoimmune disease | |||||
| Urinary symptoms | |||||
| Sexual problems | |||||
| Sleep disturbance | |||||
| Biomarkers of health | |||||
| Nephrology (e.g. creatinine, albumin) | |||||
| Thyroid hormones | |||||
| Inflammatory markers (e.g. C-reactive protein cytokines) | |||||
| Immunologic markers (e.g. immunoglobulines) | |||||
| Cortisol | |||||
| Vitamines and micronutrients | |||||
| Gonadal axis hormones (e.g. testosterone, estradiol) | |||||
| Metabolism (e.g. cholesterol, LDL, HDL, insulin, triglycerides) | |||||
| Metabolomics | |||||
| DNA methylation | |||||
| Transcriptomics (mRNA, miRNA) | |||||
| Genome-wide association study (GWAS) | |||||
| Maternal biological samples | ---------- Timing of sampling ---------- | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-pregnancy | First trimester | Second trimester | Third trimester | Post pregnancy | |
| Breast milk | |||||
| Whole blood | |||||
| Serum | |||||
| Plasma | |||||
| Buffy coat | |||||
| Urine | |||||
| Hair | |||||
| Nails | |||||
| Saliva | |||||
| Purified DNA | |||||
| Purified RNA | |||||
| Red blood cells | |||||
| Faeces | |||||
| General information | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-pregnancy | During pregnancy | <1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | |
| Education | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Income | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Employment status | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Job title | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Single parenthood | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Home address | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Work address | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Paternal characteristics related to the index pregnancy/child | |
|---|---|
| Fertility treatment | |
| Age at child's birth | |
| Ethnicity | |
| Country of birth | |
| Paternal exposures | ---------- Timing of assessment ---------- | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-pregnancy | During pregnancy | Post pregnancy | |
| Diet | |||
| Dietary supplements | |||
| Active smoking | |||
| Passive smoking | |||
| Alcohol consumption | |||
| Physical activity | |||
| Substance use | |||
| Medicine intake | |||
| Coffee drinking | |||
| Psychological distress (e.g. life-events, health behaviors, perceived stress) | |||
| Occupational exposures | |||
| Heavy lifts | |||
| Work hours | |||
| Air pollution | |||
| Access to green spaces | |||
| Built environment | |||
| Noise | |||
| Radiation, electromagnetic fields | |||
| Water contamination | |||
| Binge drinking | |||
| Pets | |||
| Farm animal exposure | |||
| Biomarkers of exposure | |||
| Mercury | |||
| Lead | |||
| Cadmium | |||
| Arsenic | |||
| Other metals | |||
| Polychlorinated biphenyl esters | |||
| Dicloro difenil tricloroetano | |||
| Hexachlorobenzene | |||
| Brominated flame retardants | |||
| Perflouralkyl compounds | |||
| Bisphenol A | |||
| Other bisphenols | |||
| Parabens | |||
| Benzophenones | |||
| Triclosan | |||
| Phthalates | |||
| Cotinine | |||
| Paternal health | ---------- Timing of assessment ---------- | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-pregnancy | During pregnancy | Post pregnancy | |
| Anthropometry | |||
| Weight | |||
| Height | |||
| Waist circumference | |||
| Clinical examinations | |||
| Blood pressure | |||
| Carotida intima media thickness | |||
| Pulse wave velocity | |||
| DEXA scans | |||
| Bio impedence | |||
| Mental and neurological development | |||
| Mental health | |||
| Cognitive function (e.g. intelligence quotient) | |||
| Respiratory health | |||
| Asthma | |||
| Allergy | |||
| Musculo‐skeletal disease | |||
| Back pain | |||
| Neck pain | |||
| Arthritis | |||
| Other health outcomes | |||
| Cancer | |||
| Diabetes | |||
| Cardio‐vascular disease | |||
| Family history of chronic disease | |||
| Infectious disease | |||
| Fever | |||
| Autoimmune disease | |||
| Urinary symptoms | |||
| Sexual problems | |||
| Sleep disturbance | |||
| Biomarkers of health | |||
| Nephrology (e.g. creatinine, albumin) | |||
| Thyroid hormones | |||
| Inflammatory markers (e.g. C-reactive protein cytokines) | |||
| Immunologic markers (e.g. immunoglobulines) | |||
| Cortisol | |||
| Vitamines and micronutrients | |||
| Gonadal axis hormones (e.g. testosterone, estradiol) | |||
| Metabolism (e.g. cholesterol, LDL, HDL, insulin, triglycerides) | |||
| Metabolomics | |||
| DNA methylation | |||
| Transcriptomics (mRNA, miRNA) | |||
| Genome-wide association study (GWAS) | |||
| Paternal biological samples | ---------- Timing of sampling ---------- | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-pregnancy | During pregnancy | Post pregnancy | |
| Semen | |||
| Whole blood | |||
| Serum | |||
| Plasma | |||
| Buffy coat | |||
| Urine | |||
| Hair | |||
| Nails | |||
| Saliva | |||
| Purified DNA | |||
| Purified RNA | |||
| Red blood cells | |||
| Faeces | |||
Comments and ideas
The Baby Biome Study pilot was designed to test the feasibility, acceptability and scalability of our approach. The study team is currently developing a funding application to expand the cohort to 40,000 mother-baby pairs to investigate the role of gut microbiota colonisation and the immune system in driving subsequent health and disease.
The Baby Biome Study pilot was designed to test the feasibility, acceptability and scalability of our approach. The study team is currently developing a funding application to expand the cohort to 40,000 mother-baby pairs to investigate the role of gut microbiota colonisation and the immune system in driving subsequent health and disease.