B3386 - Impact of parenthood on maternal and paternal neurobiology and subsequent child development - 11/10/2019

B number: 
B3386
Principal applicant name: 
Elanor Hinton | University of Bristol (United Kingdom)
Co-applicants: 
Professor Iain D Gilchrist, Nicholas Timpson
Title of project: 
Impact of parenthood on maternal and paternal neurobiology and subsequent child development
Proposal summary: 

Parenthood is one of the most important events in an adult’s life. Yet there is much to learn about how becoming a parent for the first time influences underlying biology. Researchers have begun to study changes in brain structure and function, as well as functioning of the heart, and pattern of fat and muscle in the body. These changes may help to prepare for the transition to parenthood, but also may have positive and negative consequences for future health. This project aims to study these changes in more detail using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) by studying adults before and after having their first child. ALSPAC (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children) is a long-term health project that has studied parents and their children since the early 1990s. The ‘Children of the 90s’ are now having their own children; these births represent an unparalleled time limited opportunity to study the health consequences of pregnancy and parenthood. We will use records collected since birth from the Children of the 90s to predict how their bodies might cope with the challenge of parenthood. There is also much to understand about infant development. By collecting MRI data on the brain and body early in lives of the Children of the Children of the 90s, we will gain greater understanding of how the body develops. By comparing the data from parents with their children, this project will provide a unique opportunity to study the influence of parental biology on their child’s development.

Impact of research: 
Novel and important findings will be made possible through this project by further understanding the changes in body composition and the structure and functioning of the brain and heart during the perinatal period. Thus far, this has been understudied in the literature using small sample sizes. This project has the potential for high impact in this field due to the retrospective analyses made possible by the three generational nature of the dataset and existing detailed phenotypic and genetic records on participants therein. Such analyses will allow us to predict who may be at risk of negative outcomes and to give the possibility of early intervention. Beyond the specific hypotheses specified here, the newly acquired imaging data has huge potential for impact in numerous subject areas through prospective analyses. For example, by imaging the G2 babies early in life, precursors of many health and disease outcomes can be elucidated, including obesity and depression.
Date proposal received: 
Tuesday, 1 October, 2019
Date proposal approved: 
Tuesday, 1 October, 2019
Keywords: 
Neuroscience, Mental health, Obesity, Pregnancy - e.g. reproductive health, postnatal depression, birth outcomes, etc., Medical imaging, Combining medical imaging data with data already collected on the G1 participants, as well as future data collected on G1 and G2 during clinics., BMI, Cardiovascular, Parenting, Psychology - personality, Childhood - childcare, childhood adversity, Equipment - MRI, Fathers, Genetic epidemiology, Mothers - maternal age, menopause, obstetrics, Neurology, Nutrition - breast feeding, diet, Offspring