Birth cohort studies look at the relationship between factors during pregnancy and in the postnatal period, and the health of the newborn child from birth to adulthood. This approach provides valuable research to investigate and evaluate important questions about how health and wellbeing can be improved.

By recruiting pregnant women and their newborn babies to the cohort, this study offers the potential to:

• assess the determinants of childhood and adult disease
• explore the influences of pregnancy and childbirth on subsequent health
• generate and test hypotheses that have the potential to improve health for some of the most disadvantaged within our society.

The best way we can demonstrate how research can make a difference locally is by looking at what has already been achieved in Bradford.

This section provides information on some of the projects which researchers have already investigated, as well as the projects which are in progress now.

But don’t just take our word for it! You can also hear from some of the families who have taken part.