EPICure@19 checks health of premature babies born 19 years ago

EPICure, a series of longitudinal studies following the health of children who were born extremely prematurely, is announcing a new survey to assess the health of participants born 19 years ago. The EPICure studies are long term, population-based studies into the effect of extreme preterm birth on developmental outcomes across the lifespan and involve a national cohort of births. The studies began to follow children born between 22 and 25 weeks of gestation in the UK and Ireland back in 1995. These children were followed up at 2, 5, 6, 11 and 16 years of age, with EPICure@19 set to be the next phase of this study. For EPICure@19 every member of the cohort who turns 19 during the next 15 months is being invited to take part in the new study, which is based at UCL and funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC). In this exciting new study the EPICure team aims to assess the medical and social outcomes for this important group of young people, a unique cohort of births that has helped increase our understanding of the effects of birth and medical care during the newborn period on growth and development. This new study will enable us to understand how premature babies are affected by the changes that occur over the teenage years.