Birth

The JA KIDS Birth Cohort Group consists of all the children born in all fourteen parishes across Jamaica. This phase of the study commenced on July 1, 2011 and ended September 30, 2011, with twenty-six (26) public and private hospitals participating. In total, 9,766 mothers and 3,413 fathers were enrolled in the Study. Eighty-seven percent (87%) of all mothers who delivered during the three-month period were enrolled in the study. During this phase of the study, questions were designed to determine how a mother’s health and environment may impact their baby’s health, growth and development. Specifically, each mother was asked questions about their health and well-being during their pregnancy, during labour and at delivery. They were also asked about their home, social background and any possible exposures to physical and chemical agents during pregnancy. Fathers were asked questions about how they felt about their relationship with the child’s mother and also about being a father. These questions were designed to determine how men viewed the importance of the fathers’ role and also how they felt fathers impacted the health, growth and development of babies. Both sets of questions were usually asked prior to the mother being discharged from the hospital after she had given birth.