Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Research into the developmental origins of, and lifecourse influences on, health and disease has a significant gap: infections. Clinical and subclinical infections are nearly universal in early life and can induce structural and functional changes in developing organ systems with life-long consequences. Emerging evidence links common childhood infections-such as Epstein-Barr virus, Cytomegalovirus and Helicobacter pylori-to so-called non-communicable diseases ranging from respiratory to neurodevelopmental and cardiometabolic diseases. Identifying infectious determinants of non-communicable diseases offers substantial opportunities for prevention and early intervention. We describe a newly developed infectious data resource within the EU Child Cohort Network, designed to enable triangulation of evidence on the impact of early life infections on children's health and long-term trajectories of disease. The network established in 2017, currently brings together 37 pregnancy and childhood cohorts from 16 predominantly European countries and follows over 300,000 children and their families from pregnancy through childhood and, in many cohorts, into adulthood. Cohorts include a comprehensive set of harmonized variables covering health and disease phenotypes (cardiometabolic, respiratory, and mental) that are also well-established early indicators of later-life non-communicable disease risk. Building upon this, we present here the extensive infections data available in the cohorts ranging from questionnaires and registries to serological measurements for more than 20 pathogens. Harmonizing and integrating infection data within the EU Child Cohort Network supports a shift from viewing infections solely as causes of acute disease towards recognising them as integral components of the early-life exposome and potential determinants of lifelong health trajectories.
Source: European Journal of Epidemiology
Authors: Marianna Karachaliou, Manolis Kogevinas, George Davey Smith, Anne-Marie Nybo Andersen, Demetris Avraam, Henrique Barros, Sunil Bhopal, Nicklas Brustad, Mariona Bustamante, Klaus Bønnelykke, Marie-Aline Charles, Payam Dadvand, Carlota Dobaño, Marie-Noëlle Dufourg, Mireia Gascon, Fergus Hamilton, Tarik Karramass, Aitana Lertxundi, Sabrina Llop, Per Magnus, Susana Santos, Lill-Iren Schou Trogstad, Nic J. Timpson, Martine Vrijheid, Tim Waterboer, Marieke Welten, John Wright, Lucy Pembrey, Liesbeth Duijts, Vincent W. V. Jaddoe
Institutions: University of Crete, Erasmus MC, Erasmus MC - Sophia Children’s Hospital, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, University of Bristol, NIHR Bristol Biomedical Research Centre, MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Copenhagen, Universidade do Porto, Institute of Public Health, University of Porto, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bradford Institute for Health Research, Gentofte Hospital, Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Inserm, Université Paris Cité, Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Centre de Recherche Épidémiologie et Statistique, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Infecciosas, Institut Universitari d'Investigació en Atenció Primària Jordi Gol, North Bristol NHS Trust, University of the Basque Country, Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, Universitat Jaume I, Universitat de València, Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunitat Valenciana, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, German Cancer Research Center, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,690
Awards: G1074817112, G1723930884, Dynamic longitudinal exposome trajectories in cardiovascular and metabolic non-communicable diseases, Early-life stressors and LifeCycle health, G416280049, Advancing Tools for Human Early Lifecourse Exposome Research and Translation, Mendelian Randomisation, A federated FAIR platform enabling large-scale analysis of high-value cohort data connecting Europe and Canada in personalized health, G681516181, G7876645924, G8383967617, G8531345561
OpenAlex ID: W7203778402