GenR

Description

General Design

Type

Cohort study

Cohort type

Population cohort, Birth cohort

Data collection type

Retrospective, Prospective

Design

Longitudinal

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Design description

The design of Generation R has been described in detail previously, the following information was extracted from the most recent paper on design and cohort update 2017 (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-016-0224-9): The Generation R Study is a population-based prospective cohort study from fetal life until adulthood and is conducted in Rotterdam, the second largest city in the Netherlands. The study is designed to identify early environmental and genetic causes and causal pathways leading to normal and abnormal growth, development and health from fetal life, childhood and young adulthood. This multidisciplinary study focuses on several health outcomes including behaviour and cognition, body composition, eye development, growth, hearing, heart and vascular development, infectious disease and immunity, oral health and facial growth, respiratory health, allergy and skin disorders of children and their parents. Main exposures of interest include environmental, endocrine, genomic (genetic, epigenetic, microbiome), lifestyle related, nutritional and socio-demographic determinants. Pregnant women with an expected delivery date between April 2002 and January 2006 living in Rotterdam were eligible for participation in the study. In total, 9778 mothers were enrolled in the study, who gave birth to 9749 live born children. Extensive assessments are performed in mothers, fathers and their children. Measurements were planned in early pregnancy (gestational age <18 weeks), mid pregnancy (gestational age 18–25 weeks) and late pregnancy (gestational age >25 weeks). The fathers were assessed once during the pregnancy of their partner. The children form a prenatally recruited birth cohort that will be followed at least until young adulthood. In the preschool period, which in the Netherlands refers to the period from birth until the age of 4 years, data collection was performed by a home-visit at the age of 3 months, and by repeated questionnaires and routine child health centers visits. Information from these routine visits was obtained and used for the study. Additional detailed measurements of fetal and postnatal growth and development were conducted in a randomly selected subgroup of Dutch children and their parents at a gestational age of 32 weeks and postnatally at the ages of 1.5, 6, 14, 24, 36 and 48 months in a dedicated research center. Around the ages of 6 and 10 years all children and their parents were invited to visit our research center in the Erasmus MC-Sophia Children’s Hospital to participate in hands-on measurements, advanced imaging modalities, behavioural observations and biological sample collection. MRI scans of all participating children were made in order to image abdominal composition, brain, lungs, cardiovascular system, fat tissue, kidney, liver, and hip development. Furthermore, the parents received 6 questionnaires during this period. Children also received their own questionnaire around the age of 10. Information from municipal health services, schools and general practicionars has also been collected. Response at baseline was 61%, and general follow-up rates until the age of 10 years were around 80%.

Design schematic

Design schematic

Start/End data collection

2001 (ongoing)

Design paper

The Generation R Study: Design and cohort profile

Population

Countries

Netherlands (the)

Regions

Rotterdam

Number of participants

9901

Population age groups

Prenatal, Infant (0-23 months), Child (2-12 years), Adolescent (13-17 years)

Organisations

• Erasmus MC (EMC)

  Netherlands (the)

  https://www.erasmusmc.nl/

Contributors

• Vincent JaddoeErasmus MCv.jaddoe@erasmusmc.nl

  Principal Investigator

• Marieke WeltenErasmus MClifecycle@erasmusmc.nl; m.welten@erasmusmc.nl

  Data manager

Datasets

Networks

• 

  The EU Child Cohort Network

  Website
• 

  The LifeCycle Project

  Website
• 

  Advancing Tools for Human Early Lifecourse Exposome Research and Translation

  Website
• 

  A federated FAIR platform enabling large-scale analysis of high-value cohort data connecting Europe and Canada in personalized health

  Website
• 

  LongITools health & environment dynamics

  Website

Publications

Access conditions

Data use conditions

not for profit, non commercial use only

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Release type

Periodically

Release description

Upon completion of follow-up, data will be cleaned for usage by the Generation R study group and then harmonized and uploaded for ECCN availability.

Funding & Acknowledgements

Funding

The general design of the Generation R Study is made possible by financial support from the Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw), Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport and Ministry of Youth and Families. This project received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (LIFECYCLE, grant agreement No 733206, 2016; EUCAN-Connect grant agreement No 824989; ATHLETE, grant agreement No 874583). VJ received funding from a Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council (ERC-2014-CoG-648916).

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the contribution of participants, research collaborators, general practitioners, hospitals, midwives, and pharmacies in Rotterdam.