Twenty One Years: Our Journey

Twenty one years ago we asked thousands of parents-to-be to allow us to follow the lives of their newborn babies in order to shed light on some of the most important health and social issues facing the world.

To thank all those remarkable parents and their children – now young adults – who have given their time and dedication over the last 21 years, we have produced a book entitled Twenty One Years: Our Journey, which you can download free here (PDF, 4,986kB)

The book is in PDF format, and can be viewed using the free Adobe Reader software.

If you’d like to find out more about the science featured in the book, just follow the links in the table below.

PageEntry titlePaper
 NUGGETS OF PRACTICAL WISDOM
44 Raise a cup Northstone K, Rogers I,Emmett P, ALSPAC study team. Drinks consumed by 18 month old children: are current recommendations being followed? European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. doi: 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601313.
44 No cannabis during pregnancy Fergusson DM, Horwood LJ , Northstone K, ALSPAC study team. Maternal use of cannabis and pregnancy outcome. British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2002.01020.x.
44 Eat fish Williams C, Birch EE,Emmett PM, Northstone K, ALSPAC study team. Stereoacuity at 3.5 years of age in children born full-term is associated with prenatal and postnatal dietary factors: a report from a population based cohort study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2001, 73: 316-322.
AND Rogers I, Emmett P, Ness A, Golding J , ALSPAC study team. Maternal fish intake in late pregnancy and the frequency of low birth weight and intrauterine growth retardation in a cohort of British infants. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. Volume 58, Issue 6 I. doi:10.1136/jech.2003.013565
AND Hibbeln JR et al. Maternal seafood consumption in pregnancy and neurodevelopmental outcomes in childhood (ALSPAC study): an observational cohort study. Lancet 2007; 369 (9561): 578-85.
45 Get grubby Sherriff A,Golding J, ALSPAC study team. Hygiene levels in a contemporary population cohort are associated with wheezing and atopic eczema in preschool infants. Archives of Disease in Childhood. doi: 10.1136/adc.87.1.26.
45 Build strong bones Conference abstract | Press release
46 Get active Riddoch CJ et al. Objective measurement of levels and patterns of physical activity. Arch Dis Child 2007; 92 (11): 963-9.
AND Ness AR et al. Objectively measured physical activity and fat mass in a large cohort of children. PLOS Med 2007; 4 (3): e97.
AND Riddoch CJ et al. Prospective associations between objective measures of physical activity and fat mass in 12-14 year old children: the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). BMJ 2009; 339b4544.
46 Breast is best Ken Ong et al. Dietary energy intake at age 4-months predicts postnatal weight gain and childhood body mass index. Pediatrics March 2006. doi: 10.1542/peds.2005-1668.
47 Good fat, bad fat Sayers A, Tobias JH. Fat mass exerts a greater effect on cortical bone mass in girls than boys. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 95: 669–706, 2010 doi: 10.1210/jc.2009-1907
47 Monitor milk Hopkins D et al. Infant feeding in the second 6 months of life related to iron status: an observational study. Archives of Disease in Childhood 2007; 92: 850-854 doi:10.1136/adc.2006.114074.
48 Talk and play Roulstone S, Law J, Rush R, Clegg J, Peters T. Research Report DFE-RR134: Investigating the role of language in children’s early educational outcomes. Department for Education.
48 Make it at home Coulthard H, Harris G, Emmett P. Long-term consequences of early fruit and vegetable feeding practices in the United Kingdom. Public Health Nutrition 13(12), 2044–2051 (2011). doi:10.1017/S1368980010000790.
49 Live unleaded Chandramouli K, Steer CD, Ellis M, Emond AM. Effects of early childhood lead exposure on academic performance and behaviour of school age children. Arch Dis Child 2009; 94:844-848. doi:10.1136/adc.2008.149955.
49 Find work-life balance Gregg P, Washbrook E, ALSPAC study team. The effects of early maternal employment on child development in the UK. CMPO Working Paper Series No. 03/070.
50 Go back to sleep Hunt L, Fleming P, Golding J, ALSPAC study team. Does the supine sleeping position have any adverse effects on the child? I: health in the first six months. Pediatrics 1997; 100 (1): E11.
50 Don't pass the salt to baby Cribb VL, Warren JM and Emmett PM. Contribution of inappropriate complementary foods to the salt intake of 8-month old infants. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2011. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2011.137.
50 Walk the walk van Sluijs Emet al. The contribution of active travel to children's physical activity levels: cross-sectional results from the ALSPAC study. Prev Med 2009; 48 (6): 519-24.
52 Junk the junk Northstone K, Joinson C, Emmett P, Ness A, Paus T. Are dietary patterns in childhood associated with IQ at 8 years of age? A population-based cohort study. J Epidemiol Community Health 2011.
52 Set a sleep routine Reilly JJ et al. Early life risk factors for obesity in childhood: cohort study. BMJ 2005; 330 (7504): 1357.
53 Go teetotal during pregnancy Sayal K et al. Binge pattern of alcohol consumption during pregnancy and childhood mental health outcomes: longitudinal population-based study. Pediatrics 2009; 123 (2): e289-96.
53 Use and reuse Philipp R, Hughes A, Golding J and the ALSPAC survey team. Getting to the bottom of nappy rash. Avon Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood. Br J Gen Pract 1997; 47 (421): 493-7.
53 Keep swimming Nieuwenhuijsen MJ, Northstone K, Golding J. Swimming and birth weight. Epidemiology 2002; 13 (6): 725-8.
Athens log in required. If you do not have this, email us at media@childrenofthe90s.ac.uk with the title of the paper and we will send it to you.
 KEY DISCOVERIES THAT IMPROVE OUR LIVES
56 Breastfeeding at work Noble S. Maternal employment and the initiation of breastfeeding. Acta Paediatr 2001; 90 (4): 423-8.
56 Lazy eye screening Williams C, Northstone K, Harrad RA, Sparrow JM, Harvey I. Amblyopia treatment outcomes after screening before or at age 3 years: follow up from randomised trial. BMJ 2002; 324 (7353): 1549.
56 Peanut oil on packaging Lack G, Fox D, Northstone K, Golding J. Factors associated with the development of peanut allergy in childhood. N Engl J Med 2003; 348 (11): 977-85.
57 Don't shout Carding PN, Roulstone S, Northstone K. The prevalence of childhood dysphonia: a cross-sectional study. J Voice 2006; 20 (4): 623-30.
57 Slow weight gain Emond AM, Blair PS, Emmett PM, Drewett RF. Weight faltering in infancy and IQ levels at 8 years in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Pediatrics 2007; 120 (4): e1051-8.
58 Eczema gene Henderson J, et al. The burden of disease associated with filaggrin mutations: a population-based, longitudinal birth cohort study. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2008; 121 (4): 872-7.e9.
58 In the lunchbox Rogers IS, Ness AR, Hebditch K, Jones LR, Emmett PM. Quality of food eaten in English primary schools: school dinners vs packed lunches. Eur J Clin Nutr 2007; 61 (7): 856-64.
59 Resuscitation and IQ Odd DE, Lewis G, Whitelaw A, Gunnell D. Resuscitation at birth and cognition at 8 years of age: a cohort study. Lancet 2009; 373 (9675): 1615-22.
59 Infant sleep and childhood behaviour Bonuck K, Freeman K, Chervin RD, Xu L. Sleep-disordered breathing in a population-based cohort: behavioral outcomes at 4 and 7 years. Pediatrics: 2012 Apr; 129(4):e857-65.
60 Mother's smoking and childhood behaviour Brion MJ et al. Maternal smoking and child psychological problems: disentangling causal and noncausal effects. Pediatrics 2010; 126 (1): e57-e65.
60 The smoking gene Freathy RM et al. A common genetic variant in the 15q24 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor gene cluster (CHRNA5-CHRNA3-CHRNB4) is associated with a reduced ability of women to quit smoking in pregnancy. Hum Mol Genet 2009; 18 (15): 2922-7.
61 Eating for two Brion MJ et al. Maternal macronutrient and energy intakes in pregnancy and offspring intake at 10 y: exploring parental comparisons and prenatal effects. Am J Clin Nutr 2010; 91 (3): 748-56.
61 Toothy tales Pillas D et al. Genome-wide association study reveals multiple loci associated with primary tooth development during infancy. PLOS Genet 2010; 6 (2): e1000856.
61 Breathing genes Repapi E et al. Genome-wide association study identifies five loci associated with lung function. Nature Genetics 2010; 42 (1): 36- 44.
62 Depression and miscarriage Blackmore ER et al. Previous prenatal loss as a predictor of perinatal depression and anxiety. Br J Psychiatry 2011; 198 (5): 373- 8.
62 All things being equal Baker D, Taylor H. The relationship between condition-specific morbidity, social support and material deprivation in pregnancy and early motherhood. Soc Sci Med 1997; 45 (9): 1325-36.
62 Depth perceptions Birch E, Williams C, Hunter J, Lapa MC. Random dot stereoacuity of preschool children. J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus 1997; 34 (4): 217-22; quiz 247-8.
63 Being with dad Dunn J, Cheng H, O`Connor TG, Bridges L. Children's perspectives on their relationships with their nonresident fathers: influences, outcomes and implications. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2004; 45 (3): 553-66.
63 Coeliac revelations Bingley PJ et al. Undiagnosed coeliac disease at age seven: population based prospective birth cohort study. BMJ 2004; 328 (7435): 322-3.
64 Domestic violence Bowen E, Heron J, Waylen A, Wolke D. Domestic violence risk during and after pregnancy: findings from a British longitudinal study. BJOG 2005; 112 (8): 1083-9.
64 Word recognition all AJ, Munro KJ, Heron J. Developmental changes in word recognition threshold from two to five years of age in children with different middle ear status. Int J Audiol 2007; 46 (7): 355-61.
 HOW WE'RE MADE
66 Tick tock, male clock Ford WC et al. Increasing paternal age is associated with delayed conception in a large population of fertile couples: evidence for declining fecundity in older men. Hum Reprod 2000; 15 (8): 1703-8.
66 Eczema Wadonda-Kabondo N et al. Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies identifies three new risk loci for atopic dermatitis. Nature Genetics 2011; 44:2:187-193.
67 Fetal bones Sayers A, Tobias JH. Estimated maternal ultraviolet B exposure levels in pregnancy influence skeletal development of the child. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2009; 94 (3): 765-71.
67 Mixed handedness Glover V, O`Connor TG, Heron J, Golding J. Antenatal maternal anxiety is linked with atypical handedness in the child. Early Hum Dev 2004; 79 (2): 107-18.
68 Stress response O`Connor TG et al. Prenatal anxiety predicts individual differences in cortisol in pre-adolescent children. Biol Psychiatry 2005; 58 (3): 211-7.
68 Obesity gene Frayling TM et al. A common variant in the FTO gene is associated with body mass index and predisposes to childhood and adult obesity. Science 2007; 316 (5826): 889-94.
AND Relton CL et al. DNA methylation patterns in cord blood DNA and body size in childhood. PLOS ONE 2012; 7(3):e31821. Epub 2012 Mar 14.
69 Autism spectrum Golding J, Steer C, Pembrey M. Parental and grandparental ages in the autistic spectrum disorders: a birth cohort study. PLOS One 2010; 5 (4): e9939.
69 Heart health Fraser A et al. Association of maternal weight gain in pregnancy with offspring obesity, metabolic and vascular traits in childhood: the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Circulation 2010; 121: 2557-2564.
72 Asthma Henderson J, Sherriff A, Farrow A, Ayres JG. Household chemicals, persistent wheezing and lung function: effect modification by atopy? Eur Respir J 2008; 31 (3): 547-54
AND Shaheen SO et al. Paracetamol use in pregnancy and wheezing in early childhood. Thorax 2002; 57 (11): 958-63.
72 Blood pressure Leary SD, Ness AR, Emmett PM, Davey Smith G, Headley JE. Maternal diet in pregnancy and offspring blood pressure. Arch Dis Child 2005; 90 (5): 492-3.
72 Tomboy behaviour Hines M, Golombok S, Rust J, Johnston KJ, Golding J. Testosterone during pregnancy and gender role behavior of preschool children: a longitudinal, population study. Child Dev 2002; 73 (6): 1678-87.
73 Can a mother's diet make you tall? Leary S, Ness A, Emmett P, Davey Smith G. Maternal diet in pregnancy and offspring height, sitting height, and leg length. J Epidemiol Community Health 2005; 59 (6): 467-72.
73 Or do your genes make you tall? Paternoster L et al. Adult height variants affect birth length and growth rate in children. Hum Mol Genet 2011; 20 (20): 4069-75.
73 Active pregnancy, healthy birth Both MI, Overvest MA, Wildhagen MF, Golding J, Wildschut HI. The association of daily physical activity and birth outcome: a population-based cohort study. Eur J Epidemiol 2010; 25 (6): 421-9.
74 Boys will be boys Stevens M, Golombok S, Beveridge M. Does father absence influence children's gender development? Findings from a general population study of preschool children. Parenting, Science and Practice 2002; 247-60.
74 Troubled dads, troubled babies Ramchandani P, Stein A, Evans J, O`Connor TG. Paternal depression in the postnatal period and child development: a prospective population study. Lancet 2005; 365 (9478): 2201-5.
76 Family portrait Dunn J, O`Connor TG, Levy I. Out of the picture: a study of family drawings by children from step-, single-parent, and non-step families. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol 2002; 31 (4): 505-12.
76 Growth hormone and IQ Gunnell D, Miller LL, Rogers I, Holly JM. Association of insulin-like growth factor I and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 with intelligence quotient among 8- to 9-year-old children in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Pediatrics 2005; 116 (5): e681-6.
76 First period Ong KK et al. Infancy weight gain predicts childhood body fat and age at menarche in girls. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2009; 94 (5): 1527-32.
77 Alcohol tolerance Schuckit MA et al. Performance of a self-report measure of the level of response to alcohol in 12- to 13-year-old adolescents. J Stud Alcohol 2005; 66 (4): 452-8.
77 Stronger bones Sayers A et al. Habitual levels of vigorous, but not moderate or light, physical activity is positively related to cortical bone mass in adolescents. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2011; 96 (5): E793-802.

If you have problems downloading the book, find a broken link or have any queries, please get in touch. Happy reading!

Corrections

  • The short biography of Professor Jean Golding on the front flap of the book should say she ran Children of the 90s until 2006, not 1996.
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