Health and Early Microbiota (HELMi)
HELMi is a birth cohort that aims to identify environmental, lifestyle and genetic factors that modify the intestinal microbiota development in the first years of life and their relation to child health and well-being. The cohort consists of 1,055 healthy-term infants born between 2016 and 2018, mainly in the capital region of Finland, and their parents. Participants were followed from birth to 24 months through weekly to monthly questionnaires and repeating microbiota sampling. Home dust samples were collected when the children were between 1.5 and 3 years old. In 2021, a follow-up began to assess participants at ages 4 to 5 years, with plans for additional follow-ups every 4 to 5 years for over 15 years.
Study design
Cohort - birth
Number of participants at first data collection
1,055 (families)
Age at first data collection
Birth (participants)
Participant year of birth
2016 - 2018 (participants)
Participant sex
All
Representative sample at baseline?
No
Sample features
Country
Year of first data collection
2016
Primary Institutions
University of Helsinki (Helsingin yliopisto)
Profile paper DOI
Funders
Academy of Finland
Biocodex Microbiota Foundation
Dupont Nutrition and Health
Dutch Research Council (Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, NWO)
European Union Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program
Ongoing?
Yes
Data types collected
- Computer, paper or task testing (e.g. cognitive testing, theory of mind doll task, attention computer tasks)
- Physical or biological assessment (e.g. blood, saliva, gait, grip strength, anthropometry)
- Self-report questionnaire – online
- None
- None
- Healthcare data
- Medical birth registry
Engagement
Keywords
