TY - JOUR T1 - Piccolipiù, a multicenter birth cohort in Italy: protocol of the study. JF - BMC Pediatr Y1 - 2014 A1 - Farchi, Sara A1 - Forastiere, Francesco A1 - Vecchi Brumatti, Liza A1 - Alviti, Sabrina A1 - Arnofi, Antonio A1 - Bernardini, Tommaso A1 - Bin, Maura A1 - Brescianini, Sonia A1 - Colelli, Valentina A1 - Cotichini, Rodolfo A1 - Culasso, Martina A1 - De Bartolo, Paolo A1 - Felice, Laura A1 - Fiano, Valentina A1 - Fioritto, Alessandra A1 - Frizzi, Alfio A1 - Gagliardi, Luigi A1 - Giorgi, Giulia A1 - Grasso, Chiara A1 - La Rosa, Francesca A1 - Loganes, Claudia A1 - Lorusso, Paola A1 - Martini, Valentina A1 - Merletti, Franco A1 - Medda, Emanuela A1 - Montelatici, Veronica A1 - Mugelli, Isabella A1 - Narduzzi, Silvia A1 - Nisticò, Lorenza A1 - Penna, Luana A1 - Piscianz, Elisa A1 - Piscicelli, Carlo A1 - Poggesi, Giulia A1 - Porta, Daniela A1 - Ranieli, Antonella A1 - Rapisardi, Gherardo A1 - Rasulo, Assunta A1 - Richiardi, Lorenzo A1 - Rusconi, Franca A1 - Serino, Laura A1 - Stazi, Maria Antonietta A1 - Toccaceli, Virgilia A1 - Todros, Tullia A1 - Tognin, Veronica A1 - Trevisan, Morena A1 - Valencic, Erica A1 - Volpi, Patrizia A1 - Ziroli, Valentina A1 - Ronfani, Luca A1 - Di Lallo, Domenico KW - Adolescent KW - Child KW - Child Development KW - Child Welfare KW - Child, Preschool KW - Cohort Studies KW - Environmental Exposure KW - Humans KW - Infant KW - Infant, Newborn KW - Italy KW - Prospective Studies KW - Socioeconomic Factors AB -

BACKGROUND: The fetal and infant life are periods of rapid development, characterized by high susceptibility to exposures. Birth cohorts provide unique opportunities to study early-life exposures in association with child development and health, as well as, with longer follow-up, the early life origin of adult diseases. Piccolipiù is an Italian birth cohort recently set up to investigate the effects of environmental exposures, parental conditions and social factors acting during pre-natal and early post-natal life on infant and child health and development. We describe here its main characteristics.

METHODS/DESIGN: Piccolipiù is a prospective cohort of expected 3000 newborns, who will be recruiting in six maternity units of five Italian cities (Florence, Rome, Trieste, Turin and Viareggio) since October 2011. Mothers are contacted during pregnancy or at delivery and are offered to participate in the study. Upon acceptance, their newborns are recruited at birth and followed up until at least 18 years of age. At recruitment, the mothers donate a blood sample and complete a baseline questionnaire. Umbilical cord blood, pieces of umbilical cord and heel blood spots are also collected. Postnatal follow-up currently occurs at 6, 12, and 24 months of age using on-line or postal self administered questionnaire; further questionnaires and medical examinations are envisaged. Questionnaires collect information on several factors, including mother's and/or child's environmental exposures, anthropometric measures, reproductive factors, diet, supplements, medical history, cognitive development, mental health and socioeconomic factors. Health promotion materials are also offered to parents.

DISCUSSION: Piccolipiù will broaden our understanding of the contribution of early-life factors to infant and child health and development. Several hypotheses on the developmental origins of health can be tested or piloted using the data collected from the Piccolipiù cohort. By pooling these data with those collected by other existing birth cohorts it will be possible to validate previous findings and to study rare exposures and outcomes.

VL - 14 U1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24506846?dopt=Abstract ER -