LLNEXT is a prospective birth cohort study embedded within the broader Lifelines three-generation cohort, aiming to investigate how preconceptional, prenatal, birth, and early-life exposures influence child health and development. As of 2019, 500 pregnant women from Northern Netherlands had been recruited. Recruitment was conducted from 2016 via healthcare providers, online platforms, and events, along with their partners and newborns. Unlike the main Lifelines cohort, which begins at age 8, Lifelines NEXT captures data from early pregnancy (from 12 weeks of gestation) through infancy. Fathers not already in Lifelines were newly enrolled and assessed using Lifelines protocols. Participants are followed intensively during pregnancy and the child’s first year, with biomaterials collected at 10 specific time points and questionnaires at 14 intervals ranging from monthly to quarterly. Long-term follow-up is ongoing and will continue through integration into the Lifelines study for long-term health tracking.

Recruitment is ongoing