Short summary

This follow up study builds on the cohort 'Healthy Habits for Two' where 12,000 pregnant women and their children were recruited in late pregnancy during the years 1984-87. Questionnaire follow ups of the children and comprehensive register follow ups of both mothers and children allow studies of how exposures in early life affect health in a  lifecourse perspective.

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Rationale

The early origin of disease hypothesis, that many aspects of both health and disease may have its origin in fetal life and early childhood, was the main motivator for establishing this follow-up study, which builds on the cohort 'Healthy Habits for Two' where 12,000 pregnant women and their children were recruited in late pregnancy during the years 1984-87 at Aalborg Hospital and Odense Hospital.  Two questionnaire followups focusing on the children were carried out in adolescence and data from a comprehensive register followup of both mothers and children were retrieved in 2018.These data allows studies of how exposures in early life relate to later health in the children, from birth until adulthood. Also, rich data on exposures, lifestyle and health of the mothers allow important studies of maternal health in a lifecourse perspective. 

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Description of the cohort

12,000 women recruited in late pregnancy - on average 60 years of age at end of follow-up. 12,000 children followed from birth and until on average 30 years of age. Half of the women/children habitated in Aalborg municipality at time of birth, the other half in Odense municipality.

Data and biological material

Questionnaire date in late pregnancy on demographics and life style habits; birth outcomes and medical information from medical records at birth; a questionnnaire focusing on the children at 14 years of age, filled out by the mothers; a questionnaire at 18 years of age, filled out by the children; Follow-up data on the mothers from the period 1978 - 2018 in national health registers, Follow up data on the children from birth until 2018 in national health registers.  No biological material.

Collaborating researchers and departments

Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Odense University Hospital

• Professor Ellen Aagaard Nøhr
• Associate Professor Chunsen Wu

Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital

• Professor Jørn Olsen

Institute of Public Health, Aarhus University

• Associate Professor Bodil Hammer Bech

Publications associated with the project

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