BLOOMS
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The Babies' Longitudinal Outcomes, 'Omics, and Milestones Study (BLOOMS)
IRAS ID
344546
Contact name
Catherine Aiken
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust & University of Cambridge
ISRCTN Number
ISRCTN15896464
Duration of Study in the UK
18 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Every year, thousands of babies in the UK spend time in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) because they are born early, small, or with health complications. These babies often face a greater risk of complications later in life – including problems with physical and mental health, learning, and development. Around 30% of children who were in a NICU do not meet national learning goals by the time they start school at age five.
BLOOMS (Babies’ Longitudinal Outcomes, ‘Omics, and Milestones Study) is a new research project designed to understand how we can better support these children as they grow. We are following 1,000 babies who received care in NICUs, along with their parents. This will allow us to explore how genetics, environment, and early life experiences predict and shape future outcomes.
To do this, we will collect many different types of data. This includes:
Multi-omic information like whole genome sequencing (WGS), proteomics, and metabolomics to look at biological signals in the body at birth and in later childhood.
Clinical and developmental deep-phenotyping, which means gathering detailed data on how children grow, behave, learn, and interact.
Routinely collected national records, such as NHS health data and school records, to track progress over time.
All of this data will be stored securely at the University of Cambridge and the Wellcome Sanger Institute. This will create a long-term resource for researchers and allow us to add new information as the children grow older. We will also make sure families stay involved through regular contact, updates, and feedback.
BLOOMS is committed to being inclusive and diverse. Our recruitment is focused in ethnically and socially diverse cities in the East of England, and the study is co-designed with our Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) team to make sure it meets families’ needs.
The aims of BLOOMS are to:
Improve how we use newborn genome sequencing alongside other biological information to make earlier and more accurate diagnoses.
Discover early warning signs (biomarkers) that could help doctors and teachers provide support before problems become serious.
Understand the root causes of poor health and developmental outcomes – so we can work to prevent them.
By identifying the children most at risk and learning how to help them sooner, BLOOMS aims to give every baby who started life in intensive care the best chance to grow, thrive, and reach their full potential.
REC name
North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee 1
REC reference
25/NS/0084
Date of REC Opinion
1 Aug 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion