One primary aim of the Helsinki Birth Cohort
Study or the “IDEFIX-study ” (IDentifying Early Factors
In syndrome X) is to assess how growth and environmental factors
acting during the fetal period and childhood are related to health
in adult life. Our particular focus has been to study the early
life origins of cardiovascular disease and its risk factors. We are
also focusing our research interest upon cognitive function,
psychological and behavioral outcomes as well as aging-related
processes.
The HBCS has been made possible by the unique
child welfare and school healthcare system in Finland. We have been
able to abstract data from birth records, child welfare clinic and
school healthcare records. Data on growth, socioeconomic aspects
and general health has been collected. This data has been linked
with data obtained from national health care registers (e.g. Death
register, Hospital discharge register) and with data from
Statistics Finland. Information is available for over 20000
subjects born between 1924 and 1944. One essential part of the
project has been a detailed clinical examination including over
2500 voluntary participants.
The Helsinki Birth Cohort Study (HBCS) was
initiated as a collaborative project between National Public Health
Institute and University of
Southampton.
Our original focus was on cardiovascular
disease and its risk factors in relation to early growth. During
the past years we have in addition put emphasis on studying how
early growth and living conditions are related to psychological
outcomes in adult life. These outcomes include personality
characteristics and physiological responsiveness to stress. Recent
research suggests that these factors could be an important mediator
explaining the association between growth during early life and
health in adult life. During World War II a large number of
children (~70 000) living in Helsinki were evacuated unaccompanied
by their parents to temporary foster families in Sweden and
Denmark. This gives us a unique possibility to study the long-term
effects of early parental separation on adult health. These studies
are done in collaboration with
Professor Katri Räikkönen’s group at Department of Psychology
at University of Helsinki .
Contact person and principal investigator is professor Johan Eriksson.