- Cohort, name
Wirral Child Health and Development Study
Cohort, abbreviation
WCHADS
Cohort, country
United Kingdom
Cohort, website
https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/psychology-health-and-society/departments/psychological-sciences/research/first-steps/
Key reference
Sharp H, Pickles A, Meaney M, Marshall K, Tibu F, Hill J. Frequency of infant stroking reported by mothers moderates the effect of prenatal depression on infant behavioural and physiological outcomes. PLoS One 2012;7(10):e45446.
Date of filling in this questionnaire:
2019-03-03 - Principal investigator(s), name
Professor Jonathan Hill
Principal investigator(s), e-mail address
first.steps@liverpool.ac.uk
Principal investigator(s), institution
University of Reading
Contact person(s), name
Professor Helen Sharp
Contact person(s), e-mail address
hmsharp@liverpool.ac.uk
Contact person(s), institution address
Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building, Bedford Street South, Liverpool, L69 7ZA
- Main aim of cohort
The main aim of the study is to identify the very early risks and processes in the development of behavioural and emotional problems in childhood. Many aspects of social, psychological, cognitive and biological processes have been measured through development using experimental, observational, questionnaire-report and The Wirral Child Health and Development Study was established in 2007 to identify early social, emotional and biological risks and processes involved in the development of childhood conduct problems. It was designed to identify pathways to antisocial outcomes that might require differing treatment responses. The study is also ideally designed to identify pathways to childhood emotional problems. The Wirral Child Health and Development Study dataset comprises observational, experimental, self-report, informant-report and biological data prospectively collected from a longitudinal birth cohort of first-time pregnant mothers, their partners and their children up to age 9. The domains of repeated measurement include the mental health, life stress, personality functioning and relationship functioning of the parents; parenting behaviour and the family environment; child social, emotional, cognitive and physical development and biological data. The biological data includes mother and child saliva for DNA analysis and child physiological responses to social stress indexed by their heart rate variability (Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia), cortisol reactivity, and galvanic skin response. Teacher informant data was also gathered on child social, academic, behavioural and mental health functioning in school was gathered at age 7 and 9 years of age. Fourteen phases of data collection have been completed from 20 weeks of pregnancy to age 9 years. Full details of the study and domains of measurement are given on the study website together with the application process for approval to access the data for research purposes.
Recruited number of:
1233 children / 1233 mothers / 1014 fathers / 0 grand parents / 0 other family members
Approximate proportion of source population included
68
Source population
Region-based - Period of enrollment
Start: 2007-03-30, End: 2008-12-30
Enrollment period
Pregnancy, week 20 to 20
Enrollment criteria, please specify
All women aged 18 years or above who were pregnant with their first child (and gave birth later to a live singleton baby). English speaking.
Exclusion criteria, please specify
At birth those infants with gross congenital abnormality or who did not survive.
Planned age of children at end of follow-up
Life-long / unrestricted
| General information | ---------- Child age (years) at assessment ---------- | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | >18 | |
| Home address | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||
| School address | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||||
| Birth outcomes | |
|---|---|
| Birth weight | X |
| Birth length | X |
| Gestational age at birth | X |
| Apgar score | X |
| Congenital malformations | X |
| Stillbirth (>= 22 weeks) | X |
| Child’s sex | X |
| Head circumference | X |
| Biparietal diameter | |
| Child exposures | ---------- Child age (years) at assessment ---------- | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | >18 | |
| Breast feeding | X | |||||||||||||||||||
| Diet | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Dietary supplements | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Childcare attendance | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||
| Active smoking | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Passive smoking | X | |||||||||||||||||||
| Alcohol consumption | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Physical activity | X | |||||||||||||||||||
| Substance use | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Medicine intake | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||
| Vaccinations | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Psychological distress (e.g. bullying) | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||
| Air pollution | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Access to green spaces | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Built environment | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Noise | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Radiation, electromagnetic fields | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Water contamination | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Pets | X | |||||||||||||||||||
| Farm animal exposure | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Biomarkers of exposure | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Mercury | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Lead | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Cadmium | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Arsenic | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Other metals | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Polychlorinated biphenyl esters | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Dicloro difenil tricloroetano | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Hexachlorobenzene | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Brominated flame retardants | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Perflouralkyl compounds | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Bisphenol A | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Other bisphenols | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Parabens | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Benzophenones | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Triclosan | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Phthalates | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Cotinine | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Child development and health | ---------- Child age (years) at assessment ---------- | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | >18 | |
| Anthropometry | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||
| Height | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||
| Head circumference | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||
| Abdominal circumference | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Arm circumference | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||
| Wrist circumference | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Waist circumference | X | |||||||||||||||||||
| Clinical examinations | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Blood pressure | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Carotida intima media thickness | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Pulse wave velocity | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Cardiac ultrasound | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Renal ultrasound | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Brain MRI | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Other MRI | ||||||||||||||||||||
| DEXA‐scan results | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Skin folds | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Bio impedence | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Oscilometry | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Spirometry | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Skin prick test | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Bronchial challenge test | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Reversibility test | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Dental observations | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Mental and neurological development | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Cognitive function | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||
| School performance | X | X | ||||||||||||||||||
| Language | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||
| ADHD | X | |||||||||||||||||||
| Autism | X | |||||||||||||||||||
| Sleep disturbances | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||
| Mental health | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||
| Respiratory health | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Asthma | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Allergy | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Allergic rhinitis | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Eczema | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Respiratory tract infections | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Senses | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Vision | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Hearing | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Musculo-skeletal health | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Back pain | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Neck pain | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Growing pains | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sexual maturation | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Tanner stage | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Pubertal development stage | X | |||||||||||||||||||
| Age at menarche | X | |||||||||||||||||||
| Age at voice change | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2D/4D digit ratio | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Nocturnal ejaculation | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Acne | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Other health outcomes | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Cancer | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Diabetes | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Congenital anomalies | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Biomarkers of health | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Nephrology (e.g. creatinine, albumin) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Thyroid hormones | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Inflammatory markers (e.g. C-reactive protein cytokines) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Immunologic markers (e.g. immunoglobulines) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Cortisol | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||||
| Vitamines and micronutrients | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Gonadal axis hormones (e.g. testosterone, estradiol) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Metabolism (e.g. cholesterol, LDL, HDL, insulin, triglycerides) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Metabolomics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| DNA methylation | X | |||||||||||||||||||
| Transcriptomics (mRNA, miRNA) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Genome-wide association study (GWAS) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Child biological samples | ---------- Child age (years) at sampling ---------- | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At birth | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | >18 | |
| Whole blood | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Serum | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Plasma | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Buffy coat | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Urine | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Hair | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Teeth | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Nails | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Saliva | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||
| Purified DNA | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Purified RNA | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Red blood cells | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Umbilical cord blood/tissue | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Blood smear | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Faeces/meconium | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Exhaled breathe condensate | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Sputum induction | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Placenta | |||||||||||||||||||||
| General information | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-pregnancy | During pregnancy | <1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | |
| Education | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Income | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Employment status | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Job title | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Single parenthood | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Home address | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Work address | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Maternal characteristics related to the index pregnancy/child | |
|---|---|
| Age at birth | |
| Ethnicity | |
| Country of birth | |
| Planned pregnancy | |
| Time to pregnancy | |
| Fertility treatment | |
| Prior spontaneous abortion (<22w) | |
| Prior births | |
| Ultrasound measurements | |
| Doppler measurements | |
| Preeclampsia | |
| Gestational diabetes | |
| Gestational hypertension | |
| Gestational duration | |
| Mode of delivery | |
| Prenatal diagnostics | |
| Medical termination of pregnancy | |
| Maternal Exposures | ---------- Timing of assessment ---------- | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-pregnancy | First trimester | Second trimester | Third trimester | Post pregnancy | |
| Diet | |||||
| Dietary supplements | |||||
| Active smoking | |||||
| Passive smoking | |||||
| Alcohol consumption | |||||
| Physical activity | |||||
| Substance use | |||||
| Medicine intake | |||||
| Coffee drinking | |||||
| Psychological distress (e.g. life-events, health behaviors, perceived stress) | |||||
| Occupational exposures | |||||
| Heavy lifts | |||||
| Work hours | |||||
| Air pollution | |||||
| Access to green spaces | |||||
| Built environment | |||||
| Noise | |||||
| Radiation, electromagnetic fields | |||||
| Water contamination | |||||
| Binge drinking | |||||
| Pets | |||||
| Farm animal exposure | |||||
| Biomarkers of exposure | |||||
| Mercury | |||||
| Lead | |||||
| Cadmium | |||||
| Arsenic | |||||
| Other metals | |||||
| Polychlorinated biphenyl esters | |||||
| Dicloro difenil tricloroetano | |||||
| Hexachlorobenzene | |||||
| Brominated flame retardants | |||||
| Perflouralkyl compounds | |||||
| Bisphenol A | |||||
| Other bisphenols | |||||
| Parabens | |||||
| Benzophenones | |||||
| Triclosan | |||||
| Phthalates | |||||
| Cotinine | |||||
| Maternal health | ---------- Timing of assessment ---------- | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-pregnancy | First trimester | Second trimester | Third trimester | Post pregnancy | |
| Anthropometry | |||||
| Weight | |||||
| Height | |||||
| Waist circumference | |||||
| Clinical examinations | |||||
| Blood pressure | |||||
| Carotida intima media thickness | |||||
| Pulse wave velocity | |||||
| DEXA scans | |||||
| Bioimpedence | |||||
| Mental and neurological development | |||||
| Mental health | |||||
| Cognitive function (e.g. intelligence quotient) | |||||
| Respiratory health | |||||
| Asthma | |||||
| Allergy | |||||
| Musculo‐skeletal disease | |||||
| Back pain | |||||
| Neck pain | |||||
| Arthritis | |||||
| Other health outcomes | |||||
| Cancer | |||||
| Diabetes | |||||
| Cardio‐vascular disease | |||||
| Family history of chronic disease | |||||
| Infectious disease | |||||
| Fever | |||||
| Autoimmune disease | |||||
| Urinary symptoms | |||||
| Sexual problems | |||||
| Sleep disturbance | |||||
| Biomarkers of health | |||||
| Nephrology (e.g. creatinine, albumin) | |||||
| Thyroid hormones | |||||
| Inflammatory markers (e.g. C-reactive protein cytokines) | |||||
| Immunologic markers (e.g. immunoglobulines) | |||||
| Cortisol | |||||
| Vitamines and micronutrients | |||||
| Gonadal axis hormones (e.g. testosterone, estradiol) | |||||
| Metabolism (e.g. cholesterol, LDL, HDL, insulin, triglycerides) | |||||
| Metabolomics | |||||
| DNA methylation | |||||
| Transcriptomics (mRNA, miRNA) | |||||
| Genome-wide association study (GWAS) | |||||
| Maternal biological samples | ---------- Timing of sampling ---------- | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-pregnancy | First trimester | Second trimester | Third trimester | Post pregnancy | |
| Breast milk | |||||
| Whole blood | |||||
| Serum | |||||
| Plasma | |||||
| Buffy coat | |||||
| Urine | |||||
| Hair | |||||
| Nails | |||||
| Saliva | |||||
| Purified DNA | |||||
| Purified RNA | |||||
| Red blood cells | |||||
| Faeces | |||||
| General information | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-pregnancy | During pregnancy | <1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | |
| Education | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Income | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Employment status | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Job title | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Single parenthood | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Home address | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Work address | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Paternal characteristics related to the index pregnancy/child | |
|---|---|
| Fertility treatment | |
| Age at child's birth | |
| Ethnicity | |
| Country of birth | |
| Paternal exposures | ---------- Timing of assessment ---------- | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-pregnancy | During pregnancy | Post pregnancy | |
| Diet | |||
| Dietary supplements | |||
| Active smoking | |||
| Passive smoking | |||
| Alcohol consumption | |||
| Physical activity | |||
| Substance use | |||
| Medicine intake | |||
| Coffee drinking | |||
| Psychological distress (e.g. life-events, health behaviors, perceived stress) | |||
| Occupational exposures | |||
| Heavy lifts | |||
| Work hours | |||
| Air pollution | |||
| Access to green spaces | |||
| Built environment | |||
| Noise | |||
| Radiation, electromagnetic fields | |||
| Water contamination | |||
| Binge drinking | |||
| Pets | |||
| Farm animal exposure | |||
| Biomarkers of exposure | |||
| Mercury | |||
| Lead | |||
| Cadmium | |||
| Arsenic | |||
| Other metals | |||
| Polychlorinated biphenyl esters | |||
| Dicloro difenil tricloroetano | |||
| Hexachlorobenzene | |||
| Brominated flame retardants | |||
| Perflouralkyl compounds | |||
| Bisphenol A | |||
| Other bisphenols | |||
| Parabens | |||
| Benzophenones | |||
| Triclosan | |||
| Phthalates | |||
| Cotinine | |||
| Paternal health | ---------- Timing of assessment ---------- | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-pregnancy | During pregnancy | Post pregnancy | |
| Anthropometry | |||
| Weight | |||
| Height | |||
| Waist circumference | |||
| Clinical examinations | |||
| Blood pressure | |||
| Carotida intima media thickness | |||
| Pulse wave velocity | |||
| DEXA scans | |||
| Bio impedence | |||
| Mental and neurological development | |||
| Mental health | |||
| Cognitive function (e.g. intelligence quotient) | |||
| Respiratory health | |||
| Asthma | |||
| Allergy | |||
| Musculo‐skeletal disease | |||
| Back pain | |||
| Neck pain | |||
| Arthritis | |||
| Other health outcomes | |||
| Cancer | |||
| Diabetes | |||
| Cardio‐vascular disease | |||
| Family history of chronic disease | |||
| Infectious disease | |||
| Fever | |||
| Autoimmune disease | |||
| Urinary symptoms | |||
| Sexual problems | |||
| Sleep disturbance | |||
| Biomarkers of health | |||
| Nephrology (e.g. creatinine, albumin) | |||
| Thyroid hormones | |||
| Inflammatory markers (e.g. C-reactive protein cytokines) | |||
| Immunologic markers (e.g. immunoglobulines) | |||
| Cortisol | |||
| Vitamines and micronutrients | |||
| Gonadal axis hormones (e.g. testosterone, estradiol) | |||
| Metabolism (e.g. cholesterol, LDL, HDL, insulin, triglycerides) | |||
| Metabolomics | |||
| DNA methylation | |||
| Transcriptomics (mRNA, miRNA) | |||
| Genome-wide association study (GWAS) | |||
| Paternal biological samples | ---------- Timing of sampling ---------- | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-pregnancy | During pregnancy | Post pregnancy | |
| Semen | |||
| Whole blood | |||
| Serum | |||
| Plasma | |||
| Buffy coat | |||
| Urine | |||
| Hair | |||
| Nails | |||
| Saliva | |||
| Purified DNA | |||
| Purified RNA | |||
| Red blood cells | |||
| Faeces | |||
Comments and ideas
