Pilot study to establish a prospective neonatal cohort: Study of Preterm Infants and Neurodevelopmental Genes (SPRING).

ABSTRACT:

Background

Genetic risk variants and preterm birth are early and potent risk factors for later neuropsychiatric disorders. To understand the interrelationships between these factors, a large-scale genetic study of very preterm (VPT, <32 weeks gestation) infants with prospective follow-up is required. In this paper, we describe a streamlined study approach, using efficient processes for biological and clinical data collection, to feasibly establish such a cohort.

Methods

We sought to recruit 500 VPT families within a 1 year period from neonatal units. Treating clinical teams recruited eligible participants, obtained parent consent, collected blood samples and posted specimens to the research laboratory. We extracted all clinical data from the National Neonatal Research Databa

SUBMITTER: Wong HS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7394180 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature