The study used information from records of births – birth registration records and/or health records – held by government departments and agencies to invite you to the study. In England, Wales and Scotland, the study used birth registration and health records. In Northern Ireland, the study used health records only. Birth records are the information recorded when you registered your baby’s birth and obtained their birth certificate. Health records of births is the information recorded by the NHS when your baby was born. Health records are also used to obtain up-to-date addresses.
The study also uses information from health records about deaths and moves out of the UK so that people who have died or moved out of the country are not invited to take part.
These records were used as they are a representative and inclusive list of all babies who are born. The organisations who hold these records provided your name, address and additional information about you and your baby. This has been approved by special committees in each country to allow this.