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Population-Based Birth Cohort Studies in Epidemiology

Author

Listed:
  • Cristina Canova

    (Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Cardio-Thoraco-Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy)

  • Anna Cantarutti

    (Laboratory of Healthcare Research & Pharmacoepidemiology, Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Statistics and Quantitative Methods, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy)

Abstract

Birth cohort studies are the most appropriate type of design to determine the causal relationship between potential risk factors during the prenatal or postnatal period and the health status of the newborn up to childhood and potentially adulthood. To date, there has been a growth in interest regarding observational population-based studies which are performed to provide answers to specific research questions for defined populations, for instance, assessing the exposure to environmental pollutants or drugs on the risk of developing a disease. Birth cohorts based on the recruitment and active follow-up of mothers and children allow the collection of biological material, and specific clinical and genetic information. However, they require a considerable amount of time and resources and, besides being usually of limited size, they are exposed to the risk of the loss of subjects to follow-up, with decreased statistical power and possible selection bias. For these reasons, linking the medical birth register with administrative health records for mothers and babies is increasingly being used in countries with a universal healthcare system, allowing researchers to identify large and unselected populations from birth, and to reconstruct relevant traits and care pathways of mothers and newborns. This Special Issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health focuses on the current state of knowledge on perinatal and postnatal exposures and adverse pregnancy, maternal, fetal and neonatal outcomes through population-based birth cohort studies, with a specific focus on real-word data. The 12 accepted articles covered a wide range of themes that can be addressed specifically through birth cohort study design; however, only three were based on real word data with record-linkage to health administrative databases. In particular, two papers have addressed the topic of socioeconomic status considering several indicators both at the individual and contextual level. Two papers focused on inflammatory bowel diseases, both as an outcome of perinatal and antibiotic exposure in early life and as a condition associated with asthma, among children identified in a birth cohort based on a Regional Medical Birth Register. Three articles focused on medication use during pregnancy and its impact on maternal and fetal health. The effect of exposure to prenatal environmental risk factors on perinatal and childhood outcomes has been considered in two papers. Two papers analyzed ad hoc nationwide prospective birth cohorts set in Japan and UK. Finally, we included a systematic review with meta-analysis to evaluate the relation between growth restriction at birth and congenital heart defects. We think that this Special Issue may contribute to enriching the discussion of future challenges, opportunities, strengths and limitations for all research topics that can be investigated using a population-based birth cohort study design.

Suggested Citation

  • Cristina Canova & Anna Cantarutti, 2020. "Population-Based Birth Cohort Studies in Epidemiology," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-6, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:15:p:5276-:d:388292
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ali Ghanchi & Neil Derridj & Damien Bonnet & Nathalie Bertille & Laurent J. Salomon & Babak Khoshnood, 2020. "Children Born with Congenital Heart Defects and Growth Restriction at Birth: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-20, April.
    2. David Waynforth, 2020. "Mother–Infant Co-Sleeping and Maternally Reported Infant Breathing Distress in the UK Millennium Cohort," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-10, April.
    3. Teresa Spadea & Barbara Pacelli & Andrea Ranzi & Claudia Galassi & Raffaella Rusciani & Moreno Demaria & Nicola Caranci & Paola Michelozzi & Francesco Cerza & Marina Davoli & Francesco Forastiere & Gi, 2020. "An Italian Network of Population-Based Birth Cohorts to Evaluate Social and Environmental Risk Factors on Pregnancy Outcomes: The LEAP Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-14, May.
    4. Costanza Pizzi & Matteo Richiardi & Marie-Aline Charles & Barbara Heude & Jean-Louis Lanoe & Sandrine Lioret & Sonia Brescianini & Virgilia Toccaceli & Martine Vrijheid & Franco Merletti & Daniela Zug, 2020. "Measuring Child Socio-Economic Position in Birth Cohort Research: The Development of a Novel Standardized Household Income Indicator," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-17, March.
    5. Angela Lupattelli & Marta Picinardi & Anna Cantarutti & Hedvig Nordeng, 2020. "Use and Intentional Avoidance of Prescribed Medications in Pregnancy: A Cross-Sectional, Web-Based Study among 926 Women in Italy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-14, May.
    6. Bárbara Heather Lutz & Vanessa Iribarrem Avena Miranda & Marysabel Pinto Telis Silveira & Tatiane da Silva Dal Pizzol & Sotero Serrate Mengue & Mariângela Freitas da Silveira & Marlos Rodrigues Doming, 2020. "Medication Use among Pregnant Women from the 2015 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-14, February.
    7. Bárbara Heather Lutz & Diego Garcia Bassani & Vanessa Iribarrem Avena Miranda & Marysabel Pinto Telis Silveira & Sotero Serrate Mengue & Tatiane da Silva Dal Pizzol & Mariângela Freitas da Silveira & , 2020. "Use of Medications by Breastfeeding Women in the 2015 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-16, January.
    8. Cristina Canova & Jonas F Ludvigsson & Riccardo Di Domenicantonio & Loris Zanier & Claudio Barbiellini Amidei & Fabiana Zingone, 2020. "Perinatal and Antibiotic Exposures and the Risk of Developing Childhood-Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Nested Case-Control Study Based on a Population-Based Birth Cohort," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-13, April.
    9. Machiko Minatoya & Atsuko Araki & Chihiro Miyashita & Sachiko Itoh & Sumitaka Kobayashi & Keiko Yamazaki & Yu Ait Bamai & Yasuaki Saijyo & Yoshiya Ito & Reiko Kishi & The Japan Environment and Childre, 2019. "Cat and Dog Ownership in Early Life and Infant Development: A Prospective Birth Cohort Study of Japan Environment and Children’s Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-11, December.
    10. Claudio Barbiellini Amidei & Fabiana Zingone & Loris Zanier & Cristina Canova, 2020. "Risk of Prevalent Asthma among Children Affected by Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Population-Based Birth Cohort Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-10, June.
    11. Paola Manduca & Nabil Al Baraquni & Stefano Parodi, 2020. "Long Term Risks to Neonatal Health from Exposure to War—9 Years Long Survey of Reproductive Health and Contamination by Weapon-Delivered Heavy Metals in Gaza, Palestine," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-20, April.
    12. Viola Tozzi & Aitana Lertxundi & Jesus M. Ibarluzea & Michela Baccini, 2019. "Causal Effects of Prenatal Exposure to PM 2.5 on Child Development and the Role of Unobserved Confounding," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-12, November.
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    1. Bukola G. Olutola & Paulina Phoobane, 2023. "A Bibliometric Analysis of Literature on Prenatal Exposure to Air Pollution: 1994–2022," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-14, February.
    2. Simona Fumagalli & Antonella Nespoli & Maria Panzeri & Edda Pellegrini & Michele Ercolanoni & Paul Stefan Vrabie & Olivia Leoni & Anna Locatelli, 2024. "Intrapartum Quality of Care among Healthy Women: A Population-Based Cohort Study in an Italian Region," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(5), pages 1-12, May.
    3. Munum Hassan & Kinza Saif & Muhammad Saad Ijaz & Zouina Sarfraz & Azza Sarfraz & Karla Robles-Velasco & Ivan Cherrez-Ojeda, 2023. "Mean Temperature and Drought Projections in Central Africa: A Population-Based Study of Food Insecurity, Childhood Malnutrition and Mortality, and Infectious Disease," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-21, February.

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