The Children Growing Up in Liverpool, C-GULL study, is tracking the health and wellbeing of children and their families in the Liverpool City Region.

We are collecting valuable information from 10,000 children and their families, starting in pregnancy and continuing throughout their lives. This type of study is called a longitudinal birth cohort.

C-GULL is the first dedicated birth cohort in Liverpool. We are inviting all women aged 16 and over, pregnant with their first child, being cared for at the Liverpool Women’s Hospital to take part.

We want to involve all women and partners, where appropriate.

Taking part is voluntary and you can change your mind and leave at any time.

If you decide not to take part - you will still receive the normal standard of care.

If you do decide to take part - you will be asked to sign a consent form.

You will be invited to visit the research Centre at Liverpool Women’s Hospital between 12-16 weeks and 32-36 weeks of your pregnancy. At each visit you will see a Research Midwife and be asked some questions, have some measurements taken and give a small sample of blood, urine and hair. When you have your child we will also like to take a sample of your placenta and some of the blood from your child’s cord.

Shortly after birth we will ask if we can measure your baby’s body composition using a special incubator, called a peapod. This does not take long and should not cause any pain or discomfort to your baby.

We will contact you again when your baby is 3 months old and again at 12 months of age. At 24 months we will invite you back to the Research Centre with your toddler so that we can catch up with you and see how your baby is growing and developing.

In the future we will invite you to take part in follow up assessments to discuss your child’s health and development. These assessments are voluntary.

We will also ask permission to request information from the NHS and other government departments.

All information and samples collected as part of the study will be stored legally and securely. If you withdraw from the study no further samples or data will be collected.

Taking part in this study will not put you or your baby at risk of harm and your normal maternity care will not be affected.

Taking part will mean that your child's development is tracked throughout their childhood, teenage years and beyond.

We believe that taking part in this study will help us to understand what can improve the lives and health of children and their families in the Liverpool City Region.

If you would like to take part or have any questions about this study - please contact a member of the research team.

We know the first months of life are extremely important for brain development.

Early development has been linked to mental wellbeing later in life.

We want to find out what influences this early development.

New research suggests that bacteria living in our guts might be important in shaping how our brains develop and that the milk we have as babies influences these gut bacteria.

So could some mental health problems be linked to what we eat and drink as babies?

For example, breast milk or formula, the solid foods we eat.

As part of Children Growing Up in Liverpool or the C-GULL Study, we are investigating the links between babies' food, gut bacteria, and how brains develop.

To do this, we will collect poo samples from babies and mothers and breast milk samples from those who are breastfeeding.

We'll make collection and return as easy as possible.

We'll provide clear instructions, simple to use kits, and online guidance.

Our support team will be available to give advice and to arrange a way to return the samples that suits you.

We'll also pay £10 for every sample collected.

Taking part is voluntary and you can leave at any time.

You can still be part of the C-GULL Study without providing these samples if you prefer.

If you'd like more information, please talk to a member of the C-GULL Research team or visit our website.