For participants

What are we asking our participants to do?

As a valued member of the ORIGINS community you are asked to attend three follow-up assessments with your child, at the ORIGINS clinic in Edgewater, until five years of age. This includes sample collections from you and your child. We also ask you to complete online questionnaires at home and to drop-off samples, such as urine and saliva, at various time points. A summary of these key timepoints and activities is outlined below.

Going Virtual - click here for more information about ORIGINS appointments now being offered via Telehealth if you choose. 

All samples and requirements that are listed below are voluntary contributions to the research project. Participants are within their rights to refuse any collections according to their values or needs. We respect the wishes of all of our ORIGINS families and can provide further information or guidance at any time throughout the ORIGINS journey.

Please note: If you are involved in any of the ORIGINS sub-projects, you may also have additional appointments, questionnaires or touchpoints to those outlined.

For more detailed information, download our Participant Information Brochure.

 

Read more about each time point

Enrolment appointment (18-38 weeks into pregnancy)

Follow-up appointment (if enrolled prior to 32 weeks gestation pregnancy)

At delivery and before you go home

When child is 2 months and 6 months of age

When child is 4 months, 9 months, 18 months, 2 years and 4 years of age

When child turns one

3- and 5-year 'Kids Check'

 

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Recruitment of active participants for ORIGINS is now closed.
However, there are a number of ways for families to become involved in The ORIGINS Project. For more information on an alternative way to support the project, visit our Routine Data page.

 

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Enrolment appointment 

During the 2nd trimester or early 3rd trimester.

Enrolments are completed from around 18 weeks gestation up to 38 weeks. 

Responsibilities:

• 60 minute appointment
• Web-based questionnaires from home

You will be introduced to ORIGINS and shown how to access the web-based questionnaires about your health, diet, lifestyle, and environment. A sample of your blood, saliva, and a buccal (cheek) swab will be collected. You will be given your at-home sample packs and be told how to use them and what is needed for your next timepoint.

Should your partner choose to be involved in the study, a sample of his/her blood, saliva and a buccal (cheek) swab will be collected. We will also take a hair sample if possible, and height, weight and blood pressure will be measured.

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Follow-up appointment

If you have been enrolled prior to 32 weeks gestation, this appointment will take place around 36 weeks gestation or sometime during the 3rd trimester.

Responsibilities:

• 45 minute appointment
• Web-based questionnaires from home

We will remind you to complete the web-based questionnaire for each time point. A sample of your blood, urine, a buccal (cheek) swab and a small sample of saliva will be collected. Prior to the visit you will be asked to collect a small sample of dust from your home, as well as a small stool sample.

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At delivery and before you go home

At the hospital

If you have given consent, cord blood and placental tissue will be collected at the birth of your baby. We will also collect information about the delivery of your baby and baby's details including name, sex, birth weight, length, and head circumference.

Before you leave hospital, an ORIGINS team member will visit you in your room and sign your baby into the study, leaving you with your take-home sample collection packs for the first year of baby's life. If possible, a small sample of colostrum (first breast milk) will also be collected. Your baby will have a sample of meconium (first poo) collected and your baby's body fat composition will be measured in our PEA POD, a non-invasive scale measurement conducted in a capsule.

If your partner has joined ORIGINS, a small sample of saliva and a buccal (cheek) swab will also be collected from him/her.

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At 2 months and 6 months of age

Responsibilities:

• Sample drop-off - *see note below
• Web-based questionnaires from home

We will remind you to complete the web-based questionnaire for each time point. These will include questions about your baby's developmental milestones, and weight, length and head circumference measurements by the Child Health Nurses.

When your baby is 2 months old, and again when he/she is 6 months old, you will be asked to collect a sample of your and your baby's stool, a small sample of breast milk, if you are breast-feeding, as well as a sample of your urine and your baby's urine. These will go into your home sample packs to be returned to ORIGINS. Clear instructions are provided in the take-home sample packs and you can also visit this page of the website for further information.

*When your baby is this young, ORIGINS can arrange a courier to collect the samples from your home to make it easier for you, otherwise, follow the instructions on the sample pack or visit this page of the website.

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At 4 months, 9 months, 18 months, 2 years and 4 years of age

Responsibilities:

• Web-based questionnaires from home

We will remind you to complete the web-based assessment for these time points.

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  When child turns one

Responsibilities:

• 45-minute child health and development assessment
• 45-minute allergy testing, measurements and sample collection appointment
• Web-based questionnaires from home

The web-based questionnaires will include questions about your child's diet, health, environment and about your child's developmental milestones. These questionnaires should be completed and submitted before attending your appointment with the ORIGINS team. 

Your child's health and development assessment will take place virtually (online via Telehealth) and the doctor will go through the results of your questionnaires and will discuss with you any issues identified within those questionnaires. You will also have the opportunity to ask about any concerns or questions you may have about your child.

You will visit Telethon Kids' new facilities in Edgewater and meet with the ORIGINS team. During this appointment we will take height, weight and head circumference measurements. This will be followed by an allergy skin prick test. You will receive the immediate results of this test.

A sample of your child's blood, a buccal (cheek) swab and saliva will be collected, with your consent. Alternatively, we will ask you to collect these samples at home and bring them with you. You will also be asked to collect a stool and urine sample from your child.

If you are still breastfeeding, you will be asked to provide a sample of breast milk. Mum will also have a buccal (cheek) swab, hair sample taken and a saliva swab performed.

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Three-year and Five-year 'Kids Check'

Responsibilities:

• 90-minute appointment including;  
  
  • allergy testing, measurements and sample collection
  • BOD POD measurement
• Web-based questionnaires from home

The web-based questionnaires will include questions about your child's diet, health, environment and about your child's developmental milestones. These questionnaires will be independently reviewed by a paediatrician and should be completed and submitted before attending your Kids Check appointment where possible.

If any issues are identified, the ORIGINS team will arrange a time with the paediatrician. If you do have concerns about your child's health and development, you can discuss these with the team at your Kids Check appointment who will book an appointment with the doctor if they feel it is necessary.

The Three-year and Five-Year Kids Checks are now taking place at our facility in Edgewater. Find out more about ORIGINS' new facility here. These appointments will be conducted by the ORIGINS paediatric team who will take your child's height, weight and head circumference measurements, as well as blood pressure reading. This will be followed by a repeat of the allergy skin prick test. You will receive the immediate results of this test.

A sample of your child's blood will be collected with your consent. Read about the value of blood collection here. You will also be asked to collect a small sample of of your child's stool, urine, saliva and a cheek cell swab. Clear instructions are outlined on the sample collection packs, or visit this page of the website.

A blood pressure reading will also be taken from the birthing partner, if present, and your child.

The three-year and five-year Kids Check have an additional assessment - a BOD POD measurement, similar to the PEA POD assessment your baby would have had shortly after birth. Though this appointment has changed slightly since filming, the following video outlines what will take place during the BOD POD measurement. We invite you to watch this video with your child.

Watch Lucas become an ORIGINS EXPLORER at his Three-year Kids Check.

Following your five-year Kids Check, the ORIGINS Team will then keep in touch with you beyond this timepoint for possible future follow-ups with your family.