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Table 5 Infant data and health assessment tool

From: The University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences (UZ-CHS) BIRTH COHORT study: rationale, design and methods

Exposure and data collection points (delivery=0 time point) 

Research visit (weeks)

0

1

6

10

14

24

36

48

72

96

a) Infant in utero exposures

1. HIV exposure in utero/ postpartum

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

2. Antenatal dysbiosis, microbiome

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

3. Congenital co-infections; HBV, HCV, CMV, syphilis

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

4. Alcohol exposure (foetal alcohol syndrome)

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

5. Food quantity and quality, antenatal diet, maternal BMI

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

6. Allergens, food, animal dander

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

7. Indoor pollution (paraffin stove cooking in one room/smoker)

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

8. Household factors water/sanitation (quantity/quality)/

✓

    

✓

   

✓

b) Delivery & Postpartum Data

1. Delivery date, gender, SGA, Apgar score, congenital abnormalities

✓

         

2. Weight, head circumference and length (MUAC from 6 weeks)

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

3. Infant morbidity, sick clinic visits, hospitalisations, atopic dermatitis

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

4. Infant mortality

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

5. EPI immunisation compliance

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

6. Any medication being taken

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

c) Infant developmental assessment tools

1. Denver tool

  

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

2. Mullen tool (neurodevelopmental sub-study)

     

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

d) Biological specimen collection

1. Cord blood

✓

         

2. Blood and dried blood spots

a) Vertical transmission of HIV, CMV, HBV, syphilis

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

b) EPI vaccine titres

  

✓

 

✓

  

✓

 

✓

c) Plasma immune activation biomarkers

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

d) Systemic plasma Inflammation biomarkers and trends

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

e) Endothelial dysfunction biomarkers

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

f) Immunometabolomics

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

g) Biomarkers of intestinal structure and function (permeability, microbial translocation)

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

h) Food allergens and atopic dermatitis sensitisation trends

✓

✓

      

✓

✓

i) Full blood counts and clinical biochemistry

  

✓

   

✓

  

✓

j) HIV viral load (in infected individuals)

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

k) Pathogen genetic diversity and Host infection genetics

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

  1. BMI body mass index, CMV cytomegalovirus, EPI The expanded program of immunisation, MUAC mid upper arm circumference, HBV hepatitis B virus, HCV hepatitis C virus, SGA small for gestational age