New Grant
Early life determinants of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and other Developmental Disorders (DD) in the Boston birth cohort
This newly awarded MCHB funded study on Developmental Disabilities (DD) and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is a collaboration between Xiaobin Wang (PI) and Dani Fallon Chair of Mental Health and the Director of the Wendy Klag Center for Autism & Developmental Disabilities here at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. Based on the Boston Birth Cohort with over 8,500 mother-baby pairs of predominantly low-income, urban-minority families, this is the largest U.S. prospective birth cohort study on ASD and other DD. The multi-disciplinary team will analyze ASD and other DD status in relation to a broad spectrum of risk and protective factors during critical developmental windows (preconception, in-utero, and early childhood). This study is expected to provide urgently needed data to inform early risk prediction and early prevention for ASD and other DD in US urban low income minority setting.
Enrollment Summary
8,500 mother-infant pairs (~2,500 preterm)
Demographics
Inner city, minority (65% blacks, 25% Hisp) in Boston
Timepoints
Enrolled at Birth F/U at pediatric primary care visits
Data Collected
- Prenatal and Perinatal EMR Data
- Clinical Measurements including Growth and Development at F/U
- Biospecimens: Maternal and Cord Blood, Placenta Tissue; Venous Blood at F/U
- Epidemiological Questionnaires
Grants Associated with the Boston Birth Cohort
- Preterm Birth
- 2R01 HD041702 NICHD Genome-wide Association Study of Preterm Birth
- R21HD066471 NICHD Epigenome Association Study of Preterm Birth
- Respiratory Diseases
- K23 HL093023, NHLBI, Role of Prenatal Factors and Gene-Environment Interactions in Recurrent Wheezing
- K23 HL093302 NHLBI, Oxidant Stress and Gene Polymorphisms in Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
- Food Allergy
- FA093009, U.S. DOD, Genetics, Epigenomics and Food Allergy
- R21AI088609, NIAID, Epigenome Association Study of Food Allergy
- U01AI090727, NIAID, Post Genome-Wide Association Study of Food Allergy
- Developmental Outcomes
- R40 MC27443 HRSA A Prospective Birth Cohort Study on Pre- and Peri-natal Determinants of Autism Spectrum Disorders and Developmental Disabilities