We intend to create a mother-infant cohort over 5 years in which women and their neonates are recruited during their delivery hospitalization. They will then be followed annually for a minimum of five years. The data collected from this cohort will assist researchers investigating predictors of childhood autism, respiratory disorders and other health issues.
We will examine a broad range of factors including maternal health status, family history, neighborhood, pregnancy complications and feeding and exercise patterns with a particular focus on how they are associated with childhood neurologic development, respiratory morbidity and weight trajectory.
These specimens will be available for future multi-disciplinary research aimed at examining toxins, immunologic factors, and metabolic determinants of childhood disease.