BaBi is network of local electronic birth cohort studies that work together to link routine data across health, education, and social care to create a picture of families’ lives over time. This means that, with consent from pregnant women, routine data recorded by the services they access themselves or for their babies is joined together anonymously. This helps to create a clearer picture of people’s lives, for research purposes. By looking for patterns in the data, the research can give valuable insights into what works well and what can be made better, helping us to improve services for the future.
Sally Bridges, BaBi Network Director and Programme Manager, at NIHR ARC Yorkshire and Humber said:
“Connecting routinely collected data for women and their children is a hugely valuable and efficient way to help researchers answer questions that lead to real improvements in families’ health and wellbeing. At Born in Bradford, we have been working with families locally since 2007 to understand what helps to keep families happy and healthy. We then use what we learn to work closely with local services to make improvements that affect the health and wellbeing of our communities. We are delighted to welcome our new Yorkshire research sites to the BaBi family, so that more families and areas can enjoy the benefits this research can bring about.”