Background

JA Kids is Jamaica’s second birth cohort study and includes every baby born in Jamaica between July 1, 2011 and September 30, 2011.  These babies are very special babies who we will follow through their lives.  Our first birth cohort study took place 27 years ago in 1986 [1] and we last saw the children from that study when they were 21 years as young adults.

The JA Kids 2011 Birth Cohort Study is designed to identify risk factors associated with poor maternal and birth outcomes. We are collecting primary, longitudinal data on the physical and emotional wellbeing of parents and their children in Jamaica, beginning with the first 2 years of the child’s life. It is expected that this study will have a significant impact on policies, programmes and interventions for children and the public and ultimately improve the health and well-being of Jamaica’s children by impacting health and education policy.