ESTER Preterm Birth, Pregnancy and Offspring Health in Adult Life

Duration:

1.10.2008–

Unit at THL:

Population Health

On other websites:

We study how preterm birth and maternal pregnancy disorders (gestational diabetes and hypertension in pregnancy) predict offspring health and well-being in adult life.

Objectives

To assess the effects of preterm birth, maternal gestational diabetes and maternal hypertension in pregnancy on the health and well-being of the young adult offspring. We focus on cardiometabolic risk factors, pulmonary health, allergies, physical activity and fitness, nutrition, mental health and transition to adulthood.

Implementation

1161 people born in Northern Finland in 1985-1989 have undergone a detailed clinical examination during 2009-2011. These participants were recruited based on their early life exposure (preterm birth, maternal pregnancy disorders, or controls). The examination was conducted in parallel with a corresponding examination in the Arvo Ylppö Longitudinal Study in collaboration with University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital. We have also collected data on pregnancy, birth and childhood growth and development from medical records. These data are planned to be later supplemented by data from national registers including Medical Birth Register and Care Register of Health Care maintained by THL, Medication Reimbursement Register maintained by National Social Insurance Institution and Census data obtained from Statistics Finland. The participants are also planned to be invited to a re-examination. The timing of these future studies will depend on available funding.

Partners

  • University of Oulu, Department of Health Sciences (Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1985-1986)
  • University of Helsinki, Faculty of Medicine (Arvo Ylppö Longitudinal Study)
  • Helsinki University Hospital (Arvo Ylppö Longitudinal Study)
  • Oulu University Hospital
  • LIKES Research Center
  • Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
  • McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
  • APIC Adults Born Preterm International Collaboration
  • RECAP Research on Children and Adults Born Preterm EU Horizon 2020 Consortium

Funding

  • European Commission
  • Academy of Finland
  • Sigrid Jusélius Foundation
  • Emil Aaltonen Foundation
  • Foundation for Pediatric Research
  • Juho Vainio Foundation
  • Foundation for Diabetes Research
  • Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation
  • Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation
  • Jalmari and Rauha Ahokas Foundation
  • Novo Nordisk Foundation
  • Foundation for Pulmonary Research
  • Päivikki and Sakari Sohlberg Foundation

Data protection

The register keeper of the study is National Institute for Health and Welfare. The responsible principle investigator is Professor, Research Manager Eero Kajantie. Data collected in the study are processed by researchers at National Institute for Health and Welfare and University of Helsinki. To attain the aims of the project, the data are also processed in national and international collaborative projects together with data from other follow-up studies. Data are processed such that it is not possible to directly identify individuals. Access to data is protected by username and password. The data are confidential.
Personal data are processed for scientific research. Data are stored for the duration of follow-up data collection. The need to store data is evaluated on a regular basis. 

Contact information

Eero Kajantie
Research Manager
Professor of life course medicine
tel. +358 2952 48610

Data Protection Officer

tietosuoja(at)thl.fi

Data protection legislation grants the study participant specific rights that the participant may exercise to ensure privacy as one of fundamental rights. Should you wish to exercise these rights, please contact kirjaamo(at)thl.fi

You have the right to make an appeal to the Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman, if you consider that prevailing data protection legislation has not been followed when your personal data have been used. 

Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman
Street address: Ratapihantie 9, 6th floor, 00520 Helsinki
Mail address: PL 800, 00521 Helsinki
Telephone: +358 29 566 6700
Telefax +358 29 566 6735
E-mail: tietosuoja(at)om.fi

 

Updated: