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CONIMPREG – Early lifecourse development

Conception-implantation and later development – A longitudinal study from preconception to early childhood: how conception, implantation and fetal growth velocity determine pregnancy duration and child development, and how parental and environmental factors modify these elements for a lifecourse.

Hovedinnhold

Life-style diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and adiposity, are growing into a global epidemic, and therefore a prioritized agenda for the WHO 1. During recent years, it has become increasingly evident that life courses of health and disease are already conditioned during fetal development. Maternal health and nutrition during the peri-conception period are supposed to influence pregnancy development and later health of the child 2. Providing evidence of how maternal body composition, sleep and physical activity influences intrauterine development, will constitute the foundation for advocating specific and simple advice on lifestyle that can condition a healthier lifecourse both for the expected child, and the mother’s own life. 

CONIMPREG is a composite research program running since 2014. The goal is to follow 370 women (and their partners) from before pregnancy until a live birth. These children are then followed till 5 years of age. The Regional Committee for Medical Research Ethics has also approved the establishment of a general biobank [REK ref.2013/856a].

Before conception, physical activity and sleep are measured, nutrition assessed, body proportion and composition are measured, and specimens are collected from blood, saliva, hair, and nails. Some of the assessments are repeated thrice during pregnancy and at birth when placental biopsies, cord blood, a piece of cord, neonatal saliva, hair, and nail are added. Ovulation and implantation are monitored by daily urine samples until positive pregnancy test. Fetal development is monitored during pregnancy using ultrasound biometry and circulation assessment.

In addition to provide physical and nutritional information from the parents, the vitamin status and mono-carbon metabolites are followed, a genome-wide assessment including epigenetic techniques are intended, an assessment of xenobiotics is planned, and so is a proteomic analysis of the urine after conception. 

  1. Organization WH. Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of NCDs 2013-2020. 20131-55.
  2. Hanson MA, Gluckman PD. Early developmental conditioning of later health and disease: physiology or pathophysiology. Physiol Rev 2014;94:1027-1076.