The Mother-Infant Study Cohort (MISC): Methodology, challenges, and baseline characteristics

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Maternal and Child Health

Background:

• The United Arab Emirates (UAE) faces a high prevalence of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
• Maternal and early childhood nutrition are critical for preventing NCDs later in life.
• There is a need for localized research on this topic in the UAE.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the design and methodology of the UAE's first Mother and Infant Study Cohort (MISC).
• To present baseline demographic characteristics of the MISC participants.
• To discuss challenges encountered during the cohort study and outline response strategies.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, two-year cohort study involving Arab pregnant women in their third trimester.
• Six interviews conducted from pregnancy through 24 months postpartum, supplemented by hospital records.
• Data collected on socio-demographics, lifestyle, diet, anthropometry, infant feeding, development, and biological profiles.

Main Results:

• 256 participants completed baseline assessment; 208 women-infant pairs were retained at delivery.
• High rates of overweight/obesity before pregnancy (60%) and gestational diabetes (19.2%) were observed.
• Challenges included participant retention, cultural factors, resource underestimation, and biochemical data collection.

Conclusions:

• Despite significant challenges, satisfactory follow-up rates were achieved.
• Documented strategies offer insights for future birth cohort studies.
• This study provides crucial data for understanding NCD prevention in the UAE context.