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From Fetus to Eight: the CHILD Cohort Study
Kozeta Miliku1,2, Myrtha E Reyna3,4, Maria Medeleanu3,5
1Department of Nutritional Sciences, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Insights
The CHILD Cohort Study tracks Canadian infants to understand how early environments and biology impact chronic diseases like asthma and neurodevelopmental disorders. High retention rates ensure robust data for lifelong health insights.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Epidemiology
- Life-Course Health Research
- Environmental Health
Background:
- The Canadian CHILD Cohort Study is a prospective, multi-center pregnancy cohort.
- It follows Canadian infants from fetal life to adulthood.
- Focuses on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and multimorbidity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate interactions between early life environments (physical, psychosocial) and biological factors.
- To understand influences on NCD outcomes such as asthma, allergic disorders, growth, cardio-metabolic, and neurodevelopmental health.
- To establish a data science platform for NCD research.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal data collection with detailed clinical and physiological phenotyping.
- Environmental, biological (microbiome, genetics, epigenetics), nutritional, and actigraphy/GPS sampling.
- High participant retention (90.7% at 8 years) and a COVID-19 sub-cohort.
Main Results:
- High retention rates demonstrate cohort's long-term viability.
- Successful adaptation to pandemic conditions via virtual visits.
- Ongoing data collection for 13-year assessments.
Conclusions:
- The CHILD Cohort Study provides a rich dataset for understanding chronic disease development.
- Highlights the critical role of early life exposures and biological factors.
- Aims to inform public health strategies for preventing NCDs and multimorbidity.
Abstract:
The CHILD Cohort Study is an active multi-center longitudinal, prospective, population pregnancy cohort study following Canadian infants from fetal life until adulthood. We hypothesized that early life physical and psychosocial environments interact with biological factors (e.g. immunologic, genetic, physiologic, and metabolic) influencing burdensome non-communicable disease outcomes, including asthma and allergic disorders, growth and development, cardio-metabolic health, and neurodevelopmental outcomes that manifest during the life-course. Detailed clinical and physiologic phenotyping at strategic intervals was complemented by environmental sampling, actigraphy and global positioning system measures, biological sampling including gut, breastmilk and nasal microbiome, nutritional studies, genetics, and epigenetic profiling. Of 3,454 families recruited from 2008 to 2012, study retention was 96.0% at 1-year, 93.2% at 5-years and 90.7% at 8-years. Data collection during the SARS-2 COVID-19 pandemic was partially completed via virtual visits. A sub-cohort was implemented, capturing detailed information on the prevalence and predictors of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the health and psychosocial impact of the pandemic on Canadian families. The 13-year clinical assessment launched in 2022 will be completed in 2025. Ultimately, the CHILD Cohort Study provides a data science platform designed to enable a deep understanding of early life factors associated with the development of chronic non-communicable diseases and multimorbidity.
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