KUNO-Kids birth cohort study: rationale, design, and cohort description

Michael Melter,Silvia Gran,Jakob Niggel,Christian Apfelbacher,Michael Kabesch,Christine Wolff,Susanne Brandstetter,Antoaneta A. Toncheva,Birgit Seelbach-Göbel

doi:10.1186/s40348-018-0088-z

Abstract

BackgroundBirth cohort studies can contribute substantially to the understanding of health and disease — in childhood and over the life course. The KUNO-Kids birth cohort study was established to investigate various aspects of child health, using novel omics technologies in a systems medicine approach.ResultsAfter 3 years of recruitment, 2515 infants and their families have joined the study. Parents with higher education are overrepresented as in many other birth cohorts and are more likely to complete follow-up assessments via self-report questionnaires. The vast majority of participants consented to clinical examinations of their child and to the non-invasive collection of diverse biosamples, which were processed specifically for their integrated use in omics technology covering genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and microbiome analyses of the skin, oral cavity, and stool.ConclusionsThe data and diverse biomaterial collected in the KUNO-Kids birth cohort study will provide extensive opportunities for investigating child health and its determinants in a holistic approach. The combination of a broad range of research questions in one study will allow for a cost-effective use of biomaterial and omics results and for a comprehensive analysis of biological and social determinants of health and disease. Aiming for low attrition and ensuring participants’ long-term commitment will be crucial to fully exploit the potential of the study.

Highlights

Birth cohort studies can contribute substantially to the understanding of health and disease — in childhood and over the life course
In addition to the general consent, which is a requirement for study participation, the vast majority of participating mothers provided specific consent to additional study procedures and analyses: 99% agreed to additional examinations of the infant (e.g., ECG, skin swabs), to the collection and analysis of biological samples, and to sharing data or biological samples with external researchers
Ninety-eight percent of participants consented to be re-contacted by the study team, and 97% agreed to the analysis of genetic information

Summary

Introduction

Birth cohort studies can contribute substantially to the understanding of health and disease — in childhood and over the life course. The KUNO-Kids birth cohort study was established to investigate various aspects of child health, using novel omics technologies in a systems medicine approach. Birth cohort studies have contributed significantly to advancing medical knowledge about childhood and adult health. Bias and confounding are serious problems in observational research, associations between exposures and outcomes can be established [1], which might even provide evidence for causal pathways. Links between exposures from early childhood to subsequent disease outcomes in adulthood are of particular relevance [2]. In a contemporary birth cohort study, recent socio-cultural developments in Germany ought to be reflected, including the shifting roles of motherhood and fatherhood, facilitated by financial support for parental leave [6, 7], increasing availability of early child care [8], rising birth rates [9], and widespread digital technology in work and home environments [10, 11].

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