By collecting DNA samples from babies at the start of the study, Generation New Era can provide new scientific insights into the relative importance of genes and other factors in relation to children’s growth and development in the early years, and throughout their lives.
Collecting DNA samples from babies at this age is a first for national studies like this in the UK. In other similar national studies where DNA samples have been collected, this has been done when the study members were teenagers or adults.
Generation New Era is also one of the only studies of its kind to collect samples from biological mothers, fathers and children. Doing this when children are babies mean that we are able to include as many biological mothers and fathers as possible, including those who do not live with their child’s other parent. This makes the genetic information available for research in Generation New Era as complete and inclusive as possible.