Cohort profile: Sheyang Mini Birth Cohort Study (SMBCS)

The Sheyang Mini Birth Cohort Study (SMBCS) aimed to assess the impact of prenatal and postnatal environmental factors on children's development.

SMBCS was established in Sheyang County, Jiangsu Province, China. Between June 2009 and January 2010, 1303 healthy pregnant women residing in Sheyang for at least 1 year were recruited along with their 1312 newborns. By 2025, the SMBCS had completed 11 follow-up rounds covering children ages 1-16, with a total of 4696 postnatal visits. Questionnaire interviews, physical examinations, neurodevelopmental and pubertal assessments and biological sample collection were conducted at each follow-up. A series of analytical methods were applied to determine contaminants including pesticides, phenols, polyfluoroalkyl substances, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, metals and metabolites in biological samples.

SMBCS reported widespread exposure to multiple environmental contaminants, with exposure levels varying across developmental stages. Both individual and combined exposure effects were observed on physical, neural and pubertal development. Several studies have also identified potential metabolic, monoamine and hormonal pathways underlying these adverse health effects.

The SMBCS will continue to pay attention to the impact of environmental pollutants on children's health. As children grow older and with the advancement of new technologies, the focus of SMBCS will shift from the early life health effects of long-term, low-dose environmental pollutant exposome on the health status and developmental outcomes during adolescence and adulthood.