Abstract:

Birth cohorts are important research tools and resources for exploring the impacts of early life risk factors on offspring’s health throughout their life courses. However, large-scale birth cohorts with long-term follow-up are lack in China. The Born in Guangzhou Cohort Study (BIGCS), a large general-population parent-child prospective cohort, was officially launched in 2012 to conduct long-term longitudinal observation of participating families from pregnancy to offspring. This cohort collected data and biological samples through face-to-face follow-up at multiple time points, including early pregnancy, mid-pregnancy, late pregnancy, delivery, as well as 6 weeks, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, 6 years, and 8.5 years after birth. Cohort children were planned to be followed up to 18 years of age. Up to June 2024, the BIGCS has recruited over 60000 pregnant women and 53000 children, among whom 27000 children are over 6 years old, with over 2.9 million specimens. The aim of this study is to identify the risk factors associated with adverse maternal and children’s health outcomes and explore their potential mechanisms and provide scientific evidences for developing the strategies to improve women and children’s health. This paper will give a brief introduction to the establishment, research progress, and future development of the BIGCS.

Key words: the Born in Guangzhou Cohort Study, pregnancy, child