‘Born and Bred In’ research study opens in Nottingham to help families’ health
‘Born and Bred In’ research study opens in Nottingham to help families’ health
Pregnant women in Nottingham are to be invited to join an important national research initiative, which aims to find out what influences the health and wellbeing of families.
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust has become the latest research site to join the ‘BaBi’ (Born and Bred in) Network, which has recruited over 32,000 participants in locations including Bradford, Leeds, Wakefield, Doncaster and East London.
Mothers-to-be living in the city will be asked to give consent to have ‘routine data’ - data that is routinely collected about themselves and their baby by NUH - collected for this research study. As with other BaBi study locations, this will allow Nottingham to contribute to research linking existing data across health, education and social care to create a picture of families’ lives over time.
As has already happened in other cities, this information will be used in future to help improve local services, creating a healthier environment for families living in Nottingham.
Professor Kate Walker, a consultant obstetrician at NUH and Principal Investigator for BaBi Nottingham, who is leading the research, said: “We’re delighted to become the latest site joining the successful BaBi research network, which will be an important way for us to understand more about families’ local health needs and to listen to parents and families’ needs.
“Our community midwives will begin speaking to pregnant women across the city in the spring, as we begin our own ‘BaBi’ research journey. We will be looking to build up a bigger picture of local people’s health for research purposes.
“In other locations, the BaBi studies have identified valuable insights into what is working well and what could be made better, an approach which will help us shape the services that local families use in the future.”
Community midwives working across the city will begin talking to pregnant women about the BaBi Nottingham study from February, to invite them to take part.
More details of the BaBi Nottingham study are here: BaBi Nottingham | NUH
- BaBi Nottingham is part of the BaBi network; a group of local birth cohort studies that work together to link routine data with the aim to improve the health and wellbeing of families through research. The BaBi network is part of the Born in Bradford family and is supported by the National Institute for Health Research Yorkshire and Humber ARC (NIHR YHARC). To find out more please visit: Born and Bred In (BaBi) (babinetwork.co.uk)
- Recognition Statement: The BaBi network is only possible thanks to the generosity of women and babies who joined the BaBi family and the enthusiasm and dedication of the midwives who invited them. We are grateful to all the women, babies, health professionals and researchers who make BaBi happen.