Leicester Infants Multi-omic Birth Cohort
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Leicester Infants Multi-OMIC Birth Cohort
IRAS ID
344926
Contact name
D Cousins
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Leicester Research Governance
Duration of Study in the UK
4 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Infants born in areas with high levels of social deprivation are known to have higher infant mortality rates and worse health outcomes than those born in more affluent areas. Poor quality maternal diet, exposure to cigarette smoke, pollution among other things, are recognised to impact the health outcomes of their offspring during infancy and childhood and even into their adult life.
Part of this discrepancy is explained by developmental programming whereby the developing foetus adapts to the environment to which it is it is exposed, adapting the body's function and metabolism to better suit the availability of resources and nutrition and respond to harmful exposures. These adaptations can have a lifelong influence on health.
The developing fetal immune system is particularly susceptible these adaptations which can lead to impairment and dysfunction in immune functioning with at-risk groups having higher rates of infection and higher rates of immune-mediated diseases like asthma, allergy, eczema and auto-immune disorders.
This study will establish a birth cohort of 200 infants born within Leicester to explore how social deprivation and a range of maternal, birth-related and early-life factors influence the infant immune system, and the developing respiratory and gut microbiome and the roles these play in future health.
It will do this by obtaining cord blood and a paired day 5 capillary blood sample, obtained at the same time as the day 5 newborn blood spot. Respiratory and stool microbiome samples will be taken on day 5 and subsequently 6 monthly until the age of 3. Home air quality will be measured with passive and active air filter. Using data linkage and hospital and primary care episode data we will be able to explore the impact of underlying risk factors on the future health of the cohort.
REC name
North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/NW/0228
Date of REC Opinion
20 Aug 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion