An innovative new approach to birth cohort studies has been published today in NIHR Open Research. The NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Yorkshire & Humber (YH ARC) Born and Bred in (BaBi) Network creates an efficient, place-based birth e-cohort system that links routinely collected data for mothers and babies to support both local service improvement and national research.
Led by researchers from YH ARC, Bradford Institute for Health Research and the University of York, the BaBi Network builds on the success of the established Born in Bradford cohort study and has expanded the model to a further 13 sites across England.
Innovative Approach to Data Collection
Unlike traditional birth cohorts that require intensive resource investment, the BaBi Network embeds the consent process into routine antenatal appointments. Trained healthcare practitioners, primarily midwives, obtain verbal consent from pregnant women during standard clinical visits, with consent recorded directly in electronic patient records.
This streamlined approach allows for the linking of routine data from multiple sources—including health, education, and social care—creating a comprehensive picture of maternal and child health over time. The model also includes “consent to contact” for future research opportunities.
Local Ownership with National Impact
A key strength of the BaBi approach is its emphasis on local ownership. Each site operates as a partnership between NHS Trusts and key local partners, focusing on place based relevant research questions, whilst also contributing to a central meta-cohort to address national health priorities.
“The BaBi Network provides a new model for harnessing the power of routinely collected data to develop insights and drive local service improvements,” the authors note in the paper.
Growing Rapidly
Since launching in Bradford in 2019, the network has expanded to 13 active sites and recruited over 62,000 participants, with approximately 1,500 new participants joining each month.
The initiative has also built research capacity across the NHS, with over 1,500 clinical staff trained to obtain informed consent for research—introducing research midwife roles to some sites for the first time.
Fo more information about establishing a local BaBi study or using the data, more information is available at www.babinetwork.co.uk.