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A Cluster Analysis of Reported Sleeping Patterns of 9-Month Old Infants and the Association with Maternal Health: Results from a Population Based Cohort Study.
The aim of this study was to identify, using cluster analysis, novel sleep phenotypes in a population based cohort of infants, and to explore the associations between infant sleep profiles and their mothers’ health and well-being. 11,134 mothers of 9-month old infants were interviewed as part of the…
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Body mass index changes in early childhood
Objective To longitudinally investigate body mass index (BMI) in young children in Ireland and identify factors and critical time points associated with changes in BMI. Study design Data on 11 134 children were collected in the nationally representative Growing Up in Ireland infant cohort study. Hei…
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Measured parental weight status and familial socio-economic status correlates with childhood overweight and obesity at age 9.
Background Parental obesity is a predominant risk factor for childhood obesity. Family factors including socio-economic status (SES) play a role in determining parent weight. It is essential to unpick how shared family factors impact on child weight. This study aims to investigate the association be…
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Childhood obesity, dietary quality and the role of the local food environment: cross-sectional analysis from the growing up in Ireland study
Background Globally, childhood obesity is a significant public health problem associated with adverse health and economic consequences. To tackle the problem, we need a comprehensive understanding on how the environment in which we live may influence obesity related behaviours and weight status. Thu…
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Use of folic acid supplements and risk of cleft lip and palate in infants: a population-based cohort study.
Background Orofacial clefts occur when the lips or the roof of the mouth do not fuse properly during the early weeks of pregnancy. There is strong evidence that periconceptional use of folic acid can prevent neural tube defects but its effect on oral clefts has generated debate. Aim To identify fact…
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Antibiotic use in early childhood and risk of obesity: longitudinal analysis of a national cohort
Background Taking oral antibiotics during childhood has been linked with an increased risk of childhood obesity. This study assessed any potential association in number of courses of antibiotics taken between 2–3 and 4–5 years of age and body mass trajectory up to age 5. Methods The study was a seco…
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Adaptations to a cohort study in response to the COVID-19 pandemic: insights from Growing Up in Ireland
Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) is the national longitudinal study of children and young people in the Republic of Ireland and has followed two cohorts for over ten years to date: Cohort ’98 who were recruited into the study at age nine years and Cohort ’08, recruited at age nine months. The study aims…
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A comparison of home learning environment of families at risk of socio-economic disadvantage to national norms in Ireland
The present study investigated the home learning environment of three to five-year-old children (n = 429) living in an area designated as socio-economically disadvantaged, involved in the Area Based Childhood (ABC) programme, compared to a nationally representative sample of three-year-old children…
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The impact of obstetric mode of delivery on childhood behaviour
Purpose We investigated the hypothesis that mode of delivery affects childhood behavior and motor development and examined whether there are sex-specific associations, i.e., whether males and females have different risk estimates. Methods Families with infants born between December 2007 and May 2008…
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Academic Resilience of Pupils from Low Socioeconomic Backgrounds
The purpose of the study was, 1) to identify risk and protective factors that predict academic achievement in low socioeconomic status (SES) pupils in Ireland; and 2) to establish if these predicting factors are unique and applicable only in low-SES pupils. Using two waves of the Irish nationally re…
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The influence of ethnicity on breastfeeding rates in Ireland: a cross-sectional study
Background Historically, breastfeeding rates in Ireland have been low compared with international averages. It has been suggested that maternal ethnicity and citizenship may influence breastfeeding rates, with ethnic minorities thought more likely to breast feed. Aim The aim of this study is to inve…