Ontario Birth Study
The main objective of the Ontario Birth Study (OBS) is to provide a platform for assessing a wide range of exposures including environmental, diet, social and emotional factors and genetics in relation to outcomes such as pregnancy complications (e.g. preterm birth, pre-eclampsia, IUGR, gestational diabetes, low birth weight, miscarriage), and maternal health (both mental and physical health outcomes during pregnancy and the postpartum period). In addition, the platform will serve as a basis for the study of childhood and later life health outcomes, learning, and social functioning.
More specifically, the OBS study aims to :
- identify informative biomarkers and defined molecular mechanisms responsible for the major pregnancy complications such as growth restriction, pre-eclampsia and preterm birth, placental insufficiency;
- determine how adversity during pregnancy and early life impact the establishment of developmental trajectories to later life health, learning and social functioning;
- promote interventions that seek to optimize individual developmental trajectories, to enhance developmental potential and prevent or mitigate the impact of early adversity.
- Start Year
- 2013
- Supplementary Information
Visit OBS
| Investigators | Contacts |
|---|---|
|
Design
- Study design
- Cohort
- Follow Up
- Participants were followed-up at 12-16 weeks, 28-32 weeks, 34-38 weeks of gestation, at delivery and at 6-10 weeks postpartum.
- Supplementary Information
Marker Paper
Anderson LN, Knight JA, Hung RJ, et al. The Ontario Birth Study: A prospective pregnancy cohort study integrating perinatal research into clinical care. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2018;32:290–301. https://doi.org/10.1111/ppe.12473
PUBMED 29750375
Recruitment
- Recruitment Target
-
- Families
Number of Participants
- Number of Participants
- 2,748
- Number of Participants with Biological Samples
- 1,835
- Supplementary Information
-
Mothers: 1374 participants
Children: 1374 participants
Access
Availability of data and biosamples
| Possible Access to Data | |
| Possible Access to Biosamples | |
| Other |
|
Availability of access information
On the study website : https://ontariobirthstudy.com/
Sector of research
| Possible Access to Data | Possible Access to Biosamples | |
|---|---|---|
| Investigators from the public sector | ||
| Investigators from the private sector | ||
| Investigators from not-for-profit organization |
Transfer
| Possible Access to Data | Possible Access to Biosamples | |
|---|---|---|
| Can leave the study facility | ||
| Can leave the country |
'Responsibilities of the Applicant' are outlined in the 'Data Access Application Form'
Cost
| Possible Access to Data | Variable Cost |
| Possible Access to Biosamples | Variable Cost |
Cost reduction for co-analyses
| Possible Access to Data | |
| Possible Access to Biosamples |
Timeline
Populations
Selection Criteria
- Sex
-
Women
- Minimum age
-
18
- Pregnant Women
-
- First trimester
- Second trimester
- Newborns
- Twins
- Countries
-
- Canada
- Territory
- Toronto
- Ethnic Origin
-
- Health Status
-
- Other Criteria
- Women have to be less than 17 weeks gestation, delivering at an OBS Hospital, have antenatal care at an OBS Hospital
- Supplementary Information about selection criteria
- The exclusion criterias aimed at women who had a non-viable fetus and had known significant abnormalities.
Recruitment
- Sources of recruitment
-
- Specific population
- Specific Population
-
- Clinic patients
- Supplementary Information
-
Women are recruited at the time of their first nuchal translucency scan, ultrasound or prenatal visit at St. Michael's and Mount Sinai Obstetrics clinics, usually at 11-14 weeks of gestational age. Recruitment is ongoing.
Number of Participants
- Number of Participants
- 1,374
- Number of Participants with Biological Samples
- 1,325
- Supplementary Information about selection criteria
-
LSQ 1: 1196 participants
LSQ 2: 1171 participants
LSQ 3: 819 participants
DHQ: 1034 participants
Blood 1: 1325 participants
Blood 2: 538 participants
Blood 3: 1015 participants
Blood 4: 815 participants
Swab 1: 1253 participants
Swab 2: 1067 participants
Data Collection Events
| # | Name | Description | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 |
OBS - Mothers - 12-16 weeks
|
Comprehensive questionnaires about lifestyle completed by the women, included questions about the participant's anthropometry (height, weight), pregnancy history, family and personal medical ... |
2013-01 | 2017 |
| 1 |
OBS - Mothers - 16-20 weeks
|
The participants completed a diet history questionnaire, which included questions about food, daily nutrient intake, nutritional supplement use (vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements), and ... |
2013-02 | 2017 |
| 2 |
OBS - Mothers - 28-32 weeks
|
Comprehensive questionnaires about lifestyle completed by the women, included questions about the participant's anthropometry (height, weight), pregnancy history, health status, oral, ... |
2013-04 | 2017 |
| 3 |
OBS - Mothers - 34-38 weeks
|
Participants underwent an ultrasound. Vaginal cells were collected. |
2013-06 | 2017 |
| 4 |
OBS - Mothers - Delivery
|
Before delivery, blood was collected as part of routine care. Clinical data were collected from the antenatal records and hospital medical charts, including routine demographic data, ... |
2013-07 | 2017 |
| 5 |
OBS - Mothers - 6-10 weeks postpartum
|
The comprehensive questionnaires about lifestyle completed by the women included questions about the participant's anthropometry (current and usual weight, weight loss and control), pregnancy ... |
2013-08 | 2017 |
Selection Criteria
- Newborns
- Twins
- Countries
-
- Canada
- Territory
- Toronto
- Ethnic Origin
-
- Health Status
-
Recruitment
- Sources of recruitment
-
- Specific population
- Specific Population
-
- Other specific population : Children of the women already recruited in the study
- Supplementary Information
-
Some mothers of the Ontario Birth Study choose to also enroll their children in the TARGet Kids! study.
Number of Participants
- Number of Participants
- 1,374
- Number of Participants with Biological Samples
- 510
Data Collection Events
| # | Name | Description | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 |
OBS - Children - Birth
|
Shortly after birth, blood was collected on a blood spot card. Clinical data were collected from the antenatal records and hospital medical charts, including gestational age, birth ... |
2013-07 | 2017 |
| 1 |
OBS - Children - 6-10 weeks postpartum
|
Mothers completed a questionnaire regarding their infant's health, feeding and crying patterns. |
2013-08 | 2017 |
Classifications
- Socio-demographic and economic characteristics
- Lifestyle and behaviours
- Birth, pregnancy and reproductive health history
- Perception of health, quality of life, development and functional limitations
- Diseases
- Symptoms and signs
- Medication and supplements
- Non-pharmacological interventions
- Health and community care services utilization
- Death
- Physical measures and assessments
- Laboratory measures
- Cognition, personality and psychological measures and assessments
- Life events, life plans, beliefs and values
- Preschool, school and work life
- Social environment and relationships
- Physical environment
- Administrative information
- Cognitive functioning
- Personality
- Psychological distress and emotions
- Other psychological measures and assessments
- Life events
- Beliefs and values
- Perception of health
- Quality of life
- Life course development
- Functional limitations
- Other perception of health, quality of life and functional limitation-related information
- Tobacco
- Alcohol
- Drugs
- Nutrition
- Breastfeeding
- Physical activity
- Sleep
- Sexual behaviours and orientation
- Technological devices
- Misbehaviour and criminality
- Other and unspecified lifestyle information
Socio-demographic and economic characteristics
Lifestyle and behaviours
Birth, pregnancy and reproductive health history
Perception of health, quality of life, development and functional limitations
Diseases
Symptoms and signs
Medication and supplements
Non-pharmacological interventions
Health and community care services utilization
Death
Physical measures and assessments
Cognition, personality and psychological measures and assessments
Life events, life plans, beliefs and values
Preschool, school and work life
Social environment and relationships
Physical environment
Administrative information
Personality
Psychological distress and emotions
Other psychological measures and assessments
Life events
Quality of life
Nutrition
Physical activity