From Fetus to Eight: the CHILD Cohort Study

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.