The ORIGINS Project provides additional opportunities to be involved in exciting new sub-projects that allow further benefits to be gained by families already involved in ORIGINS.
These sub-projects have been launched off the main ORIGINS project and look at multiple aspects of child and family health and development.
In addition to the below sub-projects, at least a further 20 studies are currently under development or seeking approval and/or funding.
Community Wellbeing during COVID-19 – Investigating the impact of COVID-19 on emotional wellbeing, perceived stress, financial hardship and family functioning within the ORIGINS community.
Mums Minds Matter – Pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood can involve many new challenges. This project aims to pilot three different programs of support for emotional health, to compare how they influence well-being and stress among pregnant women.
BENEFIT and PrEggNut – By age one, 10% of babies will develop a food allergy. We are trying to answer the question of whether the amount of eggs and peanuts a mother eats during pregnancy and breastfeeding has an influence on reducing the chances her baby will develop an egg or peanut food allergy. Participants will receive complimentary peanuts and peanut butter, breastfeeding advice if needed, and dietary education on the introduction of solid foods to their baby.
CARE-Dads – Dads play an important role within the family as their involvement in child-rearing enhances the health of their children. Studies have shown that a father’s involvement in his child's life can be associated with positive child outcomes. Dads (partners) receive a free health check-up, including results of cholesterol and blood sugar tests, and advice on improving health. This is over two time points: during pregnancy and when the child is one year old.
Early Moves – Using home videos, researchers will investigate whether we can identify babies at risk of cognitive difficulties very early to provide critical support and intervention.
TUMS – Looking at domestic tap water quality and how this shapes the friendly bacteria that inhabit the gut in early childhood.
AERIAL– We are studying the importance of the cells lining the airways in the nose and lungs, known as the epithelial cells. This study will look at the epithelial cells in the nose at birth to determine any gene signature patterns which may predict the
SYMBA – We are investigating whether taking a high fibre prebiotic supplement during pregnancy (and whilst breastfeeding) will help to reduce the risk of children developing allergic disease, like eczema. Prebiotics improve the balance of ‘healthy bacteria’ in the gut and we know that a mother’s diet and gut health in pregnancy can have an important effect on the development of a baby’s immune system.
TALK – We are calling on families to help us better understand how testosterone exposure in the womb may be related to brain growth before birth, and language development after birth. Participants receive two 3D scans during pregnancy with images provided on a USB to keep, as well as a development check of their child at 6-9mths with real-time feedback.
Screen ORIGINS – This research will assess what influences family screen use, with a focus on mobile devices like tablets and smartphones, and measure the potential implications of screen time on a child’s health and development.
Learn more about our past studies