People expecting a baby next year might find themselves invited to take part
UK families expecting a new arrival next year could have their babies tracked. A major new research project will track the lives of up to 30,000 babies in the first long-term study of its kind in 25 years.
The researchers are launching Generation New Era to gain insights into how the next generation develops physically, mentally and socially. They will also monitor environmental and societal changes, including factors like parental employment, children’s health and wellbeing, early language skills and readiness for school.
Parents will be asked to provide this information at two crucial stages in their child’s life: when they are between nine and 11 months old, and again when they are three to four years old. The plan is for the children to be followed throughout their lives as part of the project.
The study could also shed light on genetic links to disease, as both parents and babies will be asked to give a saliva sample for genetic analysis. The researchers are keen to involve fathers and under-represented parenting groups to ensure the study reflects the diversity of the population.
Parents in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland who have babies next year may be invited to participate. They can expect to receive a letter next autumn with more details.
The research, backed by the UKRI (UK Research and Innovation) Infrastructure Fund and the UKRI Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), marks the first fresh UK-wide long-term study of its kind in 25 years. Scientists have highlighted the dramatic changes in modern life since the previous study in 2000.
Study co-director Professor Alissa Goodman told the PA news agency: “The world has changed an enormous amount since that time. Generation New Era is a landmark scientific endeavour which will improve the lives of children and benefit science and society for many years to come.
“In such a rapidly changing world, it is vital to have rich data on the lives of children and families, especially those from disadvantaged and less often heard groups. I personally feel incredibly excited that there will be data on this next generation of children.
“It’s such a critical time, and the ability to inform policies that can improve the lives of children through really strong evidence is so compelling.”
Study co-director Professor Pasco Fearon, from the University of Cambridge, said the information would establish a “lasting resource for the whole of UK and global science”. He added: “It’s designed in such a way that it can answer loads of different questions, it’s not focusing on specific ones.
“There’s a huge interest in the potential for genetic data to really illuminate the causes of health conditions that wouldn’t have been possible before, and having that data from the very beginning of the study is not totally unique globally, but we will be one of the first nationally representative birth cohorts to have genotyping in right at the beginning. And that’s going to be really powerful.
“A lot of people are talking about screen time and digital media and social media, that’s a huge issue, and it’s moved so much since 2000 – there really aren’t nationally representative UK-wide studies that allow us to get a fix on that properly.
“There’s a lot of interest in trying to understand the circumstances and outcomes and some of the causal factors involved in disability and special educational needs, so that’s also going to be a really important area of focus. And trying to get a handle on the rising rates of mental health conditions in children and young people is also going to be, I think, a very high priority for the study.”