Following their initial interview, an overwhelming 70% of women agreed to provide a blood sample. We have also collected blood samples from the women during pregnancy, and from the baby’s father. When the baby is born we have collected samples of umbilical cord and placenta. We are interested in studying how diet links to hormones and genes to influence the growth and development of the baby. Currently most of our samples are stored in freezers and we are trying to raise funds to measure the levels of hormones and other factors in them. All the initial visit blood samples and those from the pregnant women were, however, analysed immediately for red cell folate and general blood indices such as haemoglobin. Occasionally we found that the results indicated that a woman might be suffering from particular blood conditions such as anaemia. If this happened we liaised with her GP to ensure that she was followed up and treated if necessary.
We have collected saliva (buccal) swabs from the children at various ages and obtained blood samples from the children when aged 11-13 years, as long as they were willing.
Final numbers collected:
| Who from | Type of Information | Number |
|---|---|---|
| Women before pregnancy | Blood sample | 8,800 |
| Women in pregnancy at 11 weeks | Blood sample | 2,075 |
| Women in pregnancy at 34 weeks | Blood sample | 2,405 |
| Father of baby | Blood sample | 1,788 |
| Children aged 11-13 years | Blood sample | 257 |