Dataset Information

Investigating the relationship between fetal growth and academic attainment: secondary analysis of the Born in Bradford (BiB) cohort.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The relationship between ultrasongraphically derived estimates of fetal growth and educational attainment in the postnatal period is unknown. Results from previous studies focusing on cognitive ability, however, suggest there may be gestation-specific associations. Our objective was to model growth in fetal weight (EFW) and head circumference (HC) and identify whether growth variation in different periods was related to academic attainment in middle childhood.

Methods

Data come from the Born in Bradford (BiB) cohort study, which has performed data linkage to both routine antenatal scans and national academic attainment tests at age 6-7?years. Multilevel linear spline models were used to model EFW and HC. Random effects from these were related to Key Stage 1 (KS1) results in reading, writing, mathematics, science and a composite of all four (age 6-7?years), using ordinal logistic and logistic regression. Associations were adjusted for potential confounders, facilitated by directed acyclic graphs. Missing covariate data were imputed using multiple imputation.

Results

In all, 6995 and 8438 children had complete KS1, and EFW and HC data, respectively. Positive associations were observed between both fetal weight in early pregnancy (14?weeks) and EFW growth in mid-pregnancy (14-26?weeks) and the individual KS1 outcomes. Furthermore, after adjustment for previous size and confounders, a 1-z score increase in growth in mid-pregnancy was associated with an 8% increased odds of achieving the expected standard for all KS1 outcomes [odds ratio (OR): 1.08, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02; 1.13]. Similar results were observed for HC, with generally larger effect sizes. Smaller associations were observed with growth in the early-third trimester, with no associations observed with growth in the later-third trimester.

Conclusions

We observed consistent positive associations between fetal size and growth in early and mid-gestation and academic attainment in childhood. The smaller and null associations with growth in the early-third and later-third trimester, respectively, suggests that early-mid gestation may be a sensitive period for future cognitive development.

SUBMITTER: Norris T

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6208280 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Investigating the relationship between fetal growth and academic attainment: secondary analysis of the Born in Bradford (BiB) cohort.

Norris Tom T Johnson William W Petherick Emily E Cameron Noel N Oddie Sam S Johnson Samantha S Wright John J Draper Elizabeth E Baker Philip N PN

International journal of epidemiology 20181001 5

<h4>Background</h4>The relationship between ultrasongraphically derived estimates of fetal growth and educational attainment in the postnatal period is unknown. Results from previous studies focusing on cognitive ability, however, suggest there may be gestation-specific associations. Our objective was to model growth in fetal weight (EFW) and head circumference (HC) and identify whether growth variation in different periods was related to academic attainment in middle childhood.<h4>Methods</h4>D ...[more]

PMID: 30060064

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Project description:Bradford, one of the most deprived cities in the United Kingdom, has a wide range of public health problems associated with socioeconomic deprivation, including an infant mortality rate almost double that for England and Wales. Infant mortality is highest for babies of Pakistani origin, who comprise almost half the babies born in Bradford. The Born in Bradford cohort study aims to examine environmental, psychological and genetic factors that impact on health and development perinatally, during childhood and subsequent adult life, and those that influence their parents' health and wellbeing. This protocol outlines methods for the recruitment phase of the study.Most Bradford women attend for antenatal care and give birth at the Bradford Royal Infirmary, which has approximately 5,800 births per year. Women are eligible for recruitment if they plan to give birth here. Babies born from March 2007 are eligible to participate, recruitment is planned to continue until 2010. Fathers of babies recruited are invited to participate. Women are usually recruited when they attend for a routine oral glucose tolerance test at 26-28 weeks gestation. Recruitment of babies is at birth. Fathers are recruited whenever possible during the antenatal period, or soon after the birth. The aim is to recruit 10,000 women, their babies, and the babies' fathers. At recruitment women have blood samples taken, are interviewed to complete a semi-structured questionnaire, weighed, and have height, arm circumference and triceps skinfold measured. Umbilical cord blood is collected at birth. Within two weeks of birth babies have their head, arm and abdominal circumference measured, along with subscapular and triceps skinfold thickness. Fathers self-complete a questionnaire at recruitment, have height and weight measured, and provide a saliva sample. Participants are allocated a unique study number. NHS numbers will be used to facilitate record linkage and access to routine data. A wide range of hospital and community sources is being accessed to provide data for the women and children. Data are checked for accuracy and consistency.Born in Bradford will increase understanding of the factors that contribute to health and wellbeing, and identify factors that influence differences in them between people of Pakistani and European origin.

Project description:BackgroundBorn in Bradford (BiB) is a prospective multi-ethnic pregnancy and birth cohort study that was established to examine determinants of health and development during childhood and, subsequently, adult life in a deprived multi-ethnic population in the north of England. Between 2007 and 2010, the BiB cohort recruited 12,453 women who experienced 13,776 pregnancies and 13,858 births, along with 3353 of their partners. Forty five percent of the cohort are of Pakistani origin. Now that children are at primary school, the first full follow-up of the cohort is taking place. The aims of the follow-up are to investigate the determinants of children's pre-pubertal health and development, including through understanding parents' health and wellbeing, and to obtain data on exposures in childhood that might influence future health.MethodsWe are employing a multi-method approach across three data collection arms (community-based family visits, school based physical assessment, and whole classroom cognitive, motor function and wellbeing measures) to follow-up over 9000 BiB children aged 7-11?years and their families between 2017 and 2021. We are collecting detailed parent and child questionnaires, cognitive and sensorimotor assessments, blood pressure, anthropometry and blood samples from parents and children. Dual x-ray absorptiometry body scans, accelerometry and urine samples are collected on subsamples. Informed consent is collected for continued routine data linkage to health, social care and education records. A range of engagement activities are being used to raise the profile of BiB and to disseminate findings.DiscussionOur multi-method approach to recruitment and assessment provides an efficient method of collecting rich data on all family members. Data collected will enhance BiB as a resource for the international research community to study the interplay between ethnicity, socioeconomic circumstances and biology in relation to cardiometabolic health, mental health, education, cognitive and sensorimotor development and wellbeing.

Dataset Information

Investigating the relationship between fetal growth and academic attainment: secondary analysis of the Born in Bradford (BiB) cohort.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Investigating the relationship between fetal growth and academic attainment: secondary analysis of the Born in Bradford (BiB) cohort.

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