Project description
Integrating knowledge and research on preterm births
Between 1 % and 2 % of babies born in Europe are classified as infants born very preterm (VPT) (i.e. before 32 weeks of gestational age) or with a very low birth weight (VLBW) (i.e. less than 1 500 grams). These infants are exposed to various health and developmental risks which can negatively impact their overall health, with increased risk of cerebral palsy, visual and auditory deficits as well as cognitive impairment. The EU-funded RECAP preterm project proposes to develop a platform for supporting detailed studies on various factors related to VPT/VLBW populations that cannot be easily explored in national cohorts. Its diverse representation will also support research and innovation through data integration.
Objective
The project’s overall aim is to improve the health, development and quality of life of children and adults born very preterm (VPT, < 32 weeks of gestation) or very low birth weight (VLBW, < 1500g) – approximately 50 000 births each year in Europe – by establishing an ICT platform to integrate, harmonise and exploit the wealth of data from 20 European cohorts of VPT/VLBW children and adults and their families constituted from the early 1980s to the present, together with data from national registries.
VPT/VLBW births have higher risks of cerebral palsy, visual and auditory deficits, impaired cognitive ability, psychiatric disorders and social problems than infants born at term and account for more than a third of the health and educational budgets for children. They may also face higher risks of non-communicable disease as they age. There is emerging evidence of reduced mental health, quality of life, partnering, family life and employment chances and wealth in adulthood.
The platform will enable stratified sub-group analyses of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, neonatal complications, and otherwise rare medical conditions that cannot be studied in national population cohorts. The broad temporal, geographic, cultural and health system diversity makes it possible to study the impact of socioeconomic and organisational contexts and determine the generalisability of outcomes for VPT/VLBW populations.
The RECAP platform creates a value chain to promote research and innovation using population cohorts, beginning with the integration of VPT/VLBW cohorts to the translation and dissemination of new knowledge. It will be based on a sustainable governance framework, state-of-the art data management and sharing technologies, tools to strengthen research capacity, a hypothesis-driven research agenda and broad stakeholder participation, including researchers, clinicians, educators, policy makers and very preterm children and adults and their families.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Topic(s)
Funding Scheme
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
2595 DA Den Haag
Netherlands
See on map
Participants (20)
CV4 8UW COVENTRY
See on map
75654 Paris
See on map
4050 290 Porto
See on map
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
Participation ended
See on map
4200 465 Porto
See on map
LE1 7RH Leicester
See on map
00271 Helsinki
See on map
81379 Munchen
See on map
7491 Trondheim
See on map
17177 Stockholm
See on map
53127 Bonn
See on map
00014 Helsingin Yliopisto
See on map
00165 Roma
See on map
3400 Hillerod
See on map
35037 Marburg
See on map
51005 Tartu
See on map
2000 Antwerpen
See on map
82256 FURSTENFELDBRUCK
See on map
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
33820 TAMPERE
See on map
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
3521 AL Utrecht
See on map
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.