Recent findings of our Japanese birth cohort study with omics analysis: Chiba study of Mother and Children’s Health (C-MACH)

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Introduction: Our previous studies have reported on the fetal exposure level of POPs in Japan. Recently, our group has started the Chiba study of Mother and Children’s Health (C-MACH) which is a birth cohort study based on the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) concept and involves multi-omics analysis. This study aims to explore the effects of genetic and environmental factors such as POPs exposure and nutrition, particularly the preconceptional and fetal environment and post-birth living environment, on children's health and to identify potential biomarkers for these effects. Methods: The C-MACH consists of three hospital-based cohorts. The study participants are pregnant women at <13 weeks gestation. The participants received an explanation of the study and consented to completing questionnaire surveys and the collection and storage of biological and house-environmental samples. A wide range of biomaterials such as maternal blood and urine, umbilical cords, cord blood, maternal and child faeces, and maternal milk etc. from mother-child pairs are collected. Results: Consent to participate was obtained from 433 women. Of these women, 376 women completed questionnaires in the early gestational period. The mean age was 32.5 (± 4.4) years. The mean body mass index (BMI) was 21.1 (± 3.0) kg/m2. Before pregnancy, 72.3% of the women had a BMI of 18.5-24.9 kg/m2. During early pregnancy, 5.0% of the participants smoked. At the end of January 2016, we had 236 live-birth data, 128 are male and 108 are female. Mean gestational age at birth was 39. 1 (±1.2) weeks. Mean birth weight was 3077.0 (±355.7) g. Conclusions: In the study, various analytical methods such as genome, DNA methylation analysis, microbiome, and metabolome and nutrition are combined to investigate the health effects of the various environmental factors on children in later life. The children are followed to observe the health effects (allergies, non-communicable diseases and neurodevelopmental disorders).