Pregnancy and birth cohorts in Europe

Abstract

A birth cohort study is a form of study that uses expectant mothers and newborn as research subjects. This form of research is suitable for epidemiological studies, which pregnancy and birth cohort studies generally are. Data is collected in order to identify health consequences and overall health outcomes. The main aim of this paper is to review and summarize all cohort studies that have been carried out or are still being conducted in Europe, as well as general information such as aim of the study, number of participants and duration of follow-up. Gathering information was made easier by websites such as Birthcohorts, CHICOS and LifeCycle, where many of the cohorts and their sources are listed. The remaining data was found by searching Google Scholar, PubMed and similar webpages, using keywords ‘birth and pregnancy cohorts’, ‘infants’, ‘pregnancies’, ‘allergies’ and ‘childhood obesity’. Overall, 137 cohorts in 27 countries were found. They are a great and important source of information and for the most part, concentrate on general health and wellbeing of mothers and children. Collaboration between different birth cohorts is crucial for further harmonization of collected data and their use in the public health systems worldwide