Abstract
BackgroundA web-based inventory was developed as a voluntary registry of Canadian pregnancy and birth cohort studies, with the objective to foster collaboration and sharing of research tools among cohort study groups as a means to enrich research in maternal and child health across Canada.DescriptionInformation on existing birth cohort studies conducted in Canada exclusively or as part of broader international initiatives was accessed by searching the literature in PubMed and PsychInfo databases. Additional studies were identified by enquiring about the research activities of researchers at Canadian universities or working in affiliated hospitals or research centres or institutes. Of the fifty-eight birth cohort studies initially identified, forty-six were incorporated into the inventory if they were of a retrospective and/or prospective longitudinal design and with a minimum of two phases of data collection, with the first period having occurred before, during, or shortly after pregnancy and had an initial study sample size of a minimum of 200 participants.Information collected from each study was organized into four main categories: basic information, data source and period of collection, exposures, and outcome measures and was coded and entered into an Excel spreadsheet. The information incorporated into the Excel spreadsheet was double checked, completed when necessary, and verified for completeness and accuracy by contacting the principal investigator or research coordinator. All data collected were then uploaded onto the website of the Institute of Human Development Child and Youth Health of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Subsequently, the database was updated and developed as an online searchable inventory on the website of the Maternal, Infant, Child and Youth Research Network.ConclusionsThis inventory is unique, as it represents detailed information assembled for the first time on a large number of Canadian birth cohort studies. Such information provides a valuable resource for investigators in the planning stages of cohort studies and identifying current research gaps.
Highlights
A web-based inventory was developed as a voluntary registry of Canadian pregnancy and birth cohort studies, with the objective to foster collaboration and sharing of research tools among cohort study groups as a means to enrich research in maternal and child health across Canada.Description: Information on existing birth cohort studies conducted in Canada exclusively or as part of broader international initiatives was accessed by searching the literature in PubMed and PsychInfo databases
The Workshop on Canadian Children’s Environment and Health Research sponsored by Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health (IHDCYH) of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and Health Canada was held to review the () current status and future needs for pregnancy/birth cohort studies with measures of exposure to agents of the physicochemical environment. Subsequent to these initial meetings, plans were formulated through a partnership between MICYRN, CIHRIHDCYH and the Strategic Knowledge Cluster on Early Childhood Development (SKC-ECD) to plan and further develop the inventory of seventeen identified birth cohort studies that participated in the MICYRN workshop
Future expansion could include a repository for measurement tools, such as questionnaires and analytical methods, which could be shared with other studies and available upon registration in the MICYRN Birth Cohort Inventory
Summary
A web-based inventory was developed as a voluntary registry of Canadian pregnancy and birth cohort studies, with the objective to foster collaboration and sharing of research tools among cohort study groups as a means to enrich research in maternal and child health across Canada.Description: Information on existing birth cohort studies conducted in Canada exclusively or as part of broader international initiatives was accessed by searching the literature in PubMed and PsychInfo databases. Prospective longitudinal pregnancy or birth cohort studies exist in many countries to investigate the effect of prenatal, pregnancy, and early postnatal exposures and interventions on maternal health, pregnancy outcomes, and long-term child health, social adjustment, and adult chronic disease. The emergence of several birth cohort studies in Canada prompted two meetings in 2009 that fostered interaction among researchers conducting such Subsequent to these initial meetings, plans were formulated through a partnership between MICYRN, CIHRIHDCYH and the Strategic Knowledge Cluster on Early Childhood Development (SKC-ECD) to plan and further develop the inventory of seventeen identified birth cohort studies that participated in the MICYRN workshop. Such birth cohort inventories exist in Europe [2]. The actual inventory represents a voluntary registry of Canadian birth cohort studies with the express purpose to serve the research community in its future applications in support of enriching research in maternal and family health as well as broader contexts of well-being such as social capital outcomes
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call