The Neuro (Brain) Development Study

Neuro (Brain) Development Study

This study is actively enrolling participants and is expected to continue until 2027

What is the Alberta BLOOM Neuro (Brain) Study ?

Keywords: Observational clinical study, neurodevelopment, brain development, microbiome, health, infants born preterm.

Neurodevelopment describes how the brain grows and changes. When babies are born preterm, the way their brain grows and changes is different. Understanding how the brain of babies born prematurely develops is important because it can impact how they think, learn, and act. Many things can play a role in these changes, like the gut microbiome . This refers to the community of living microorganisms, like bacteria, that live in the gut.
This study aims to understand how the gut microbiome of babies born preterm impacts their development. The Neuro (Brain) Development Study is an important part of the Alberta BLOOM research initiative. It is an extension of the ongoing BLOOM PCS study, which you may or may not be a part of.

What is being studied?

We are studying how the gut microbiome impacts child development.

Who can be part of the study?

The study participants will include:
Past and current participants in the Alberta BLOOM studies, such as the BLOOM Premature Child Study, BLOOM-PTN, and BLOOM-LTFU.

582 children born preterm will take part in the Neuro (Brain) Development Study.

What will my and my child's participation in the study involve?

All participating children will be in the study until they are about 5.5 years corrected age. During this period, we will ask parents to complete online questionnaires.

See What is collected & why for more information about what information will be collected.

What is collected, how & why?

Parents/Guardians will complete two Ages and Stages Questionnaires® at each stage. The number of questionnaires to complete will depend on the age at which their child joins the study. Please see Timeline for details.

The Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) will inform parents and our team about how children are growing in areas like talking, moving, using their hands, solving problems, and social skills. It shows their development path but is not meant to diagnose any conditions. Parents will be able to keep the results from the questionnaires for their records.

We will also ask for consent to:
i. Access the participating child’s and their birth parent’s health records.
ii. Access information and samples from other BLOOM and affiliated studies they may have participated in.

Why are we asking?

Information from other BLOOM studies will help us learn more about how a child’s gut microbiome develops. We will review health records to gather details on medical conditions, medications, procedures, pregnancy, and birth history. This information helps us understand how these factors affect the gut microbiome and neuro (brain) development of these children.

Where will the study take place?

Parents/Guardians will receive an email with a link to the online questionnaire. They will be able to complete the questionnaire online at home. The number of questionnaires to complete will depend on the child’s age when they join the study. Please see Timeline for more details.