My Child is in Children of the 90s

We have a winner!
Congratulations to Jasmine and family for winning our 'Name the Robot' competition.

COCOBOT received by far the most votes in our facebook vote, and is the new name of Children of the 90s new DNA robot.

Cocobot is a very important part of our work, without it our lab technicians would spend an incredible amount of time preparing DNA samples to be used by researchers.

Thank you to everyone who submitted name suggestions, and for all those that voted.

The office is now closed and will reopen on Thursday 3 January 2019.
If you do need to get in touch, please send us an email ([email protected]) and we will get back to you as soon as we can in the New Year. Merry Christmas!

Are you a Children of the 90s dad? Would you be happy to chat to BBC Radio Bristol about taking part in the study? We’ll be highlighting the importance of dads in our research on Saturday 16 June as part of Dr Phil Hammond's Father’s Day special, and would love to hear from you if you'd be willing to share your experience. If that sounds like you, please message us here, and we’ll be in touch with more details. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p001d79q

BBC Radio Bristol - Phil Hammond Join Dr Phil Hammond for your weekly dose of health and happiness.

After analysing the food frequency questionnaires that more than 11,000 of you completed while pregnant, researchers at University College London have found that one in three women feel out of control over the amount they eat when pregnant. These children are then at greater risk of obesity later in life, highlighting an urgent need for better support for mothers-to-be experiencing loss of control eating: http://bit.ly/2xFPBnj

Just a quick post to let you know that we will be closed between Friday 22 December and Wednesday 3 January. If you do need to get in touch, please send us an email ([email protected]) and we will get back to you as soon as we can in the New Year. Merry Christmas and happy holidays everyone!

Do women going through the menopause need more support in the workplace? Dr Vanessa Beck, who spoke at last Saturday's Great Menopause Event, told BBC Radio Bristol how organisations should be ready to consider a range of measures to improve quality of working life for female employees. http://bbc.in/2Aqjrg5 (interviews at 00:35 and 1:37 in)

Following last weekend's sell-out Great Menopause Event, organiser Dr Isabel de Salis spoke to BBC Radio Bristol about the importance of breaking the silence around menopause, and the need for more specialist support services in Bristol. http://bbc.in/2A0wLar (around 1:17 in)

Did you see yesterday's headlines about indulgent grandparents? More than 50 studies were included in the review, including data you've kindly given us showing that 44 per cent of children are now regularly cared for by grandparents, for an average of 10 hours a week.

Grandparents risk harming health of grandchildren by giving too many treats, say health experts Grandparents are inadvertently exposing their grandchildren to cancer by giving them too many treats and allowing them to loaf around, public health experts have warned.

What is epigenetics? Yesterday, on BBC Radio 4, Professor Caroline Relton explained how your data is helping scientists explore whether stress and other environmental factors can be passed down through generations, affecting our genetic make-up. Catch up at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09drjb7 (from 23:45 minutes in)

Anger and deprivation, Start the Week - BBC Radio 4 Francine Stock with Nico Muhly, Ivo van Hove, Darren McGarvey and Caroline Relton.

To mark , we want to thank you again for all the information you've given us that is helping researchers understand how what we eat can have an impact not only on our health, but also the health of future generations. For example, earlier in the year, your data helped scientists discover a possible link between high sugar intake during pregnancy and an increased risk of allergy and allergic asthma. Read more: http://bit.ly/2xFKFKv

Menopause can be a major life event, but one that isn't often discussed openly. Now, to challenge that silence, organisations across Bristol are hosting a free event (Saturday 18 November, 9 am to 1 pm), offering women the chance to learn more about menopause from clinicians, researchers, and each other. Find out more, and reserve your place, at: http://bit.ly/2xQaffn

Our Menopauses... The Great Menopause Event! Our Menopauses: The Great Menopause Event run by the University of Bristol, Bristol City Council, and Bristol Women’s Commission. Menopause can be a major event in people’s lives but is often an unshared process in our society. Some of us can really struggle with difficult symptoms and life events,…

Could the amount of meat we eat have an impact on our mental health? Scientists have been using your data (thank you!) to look at whether a vegetarian diet could result in nutritional deficiencies that leave us more at risk of depression. http://wb.md/2hHGirR

Vegetarianism Linked to Depression A new study from the National Institues of Health suggests that men who are vegetarians or vegans are at greater risk for depression than their counterparts who eat meat.

Lots of you have given us your blood for our research over the past 26 years. So, this Wednesday, to say thank you – and to give something back to the people of Bristol – we’re donating our blood to NHS Blood and Transplant at Southmead. If you work there, please do stop by between 12.45 pm and 2 pm to say hello – we’d love to see you. If you can’t make it, please still show your support by tagging us here ( Children of the 90s and NHS Blood Donation ) and checking back for our donor pics later in the week!

Calling all runners!

We are coordinating a Children of the 90s team for the Bristol Half Marathon which is taking place on Sunday 17 September. Some of our staff will be running and we would love for you to join us!

https://www.greatrun.org/great-bristol-half-marathon

If you are interested in joining our CO90s team, please email us at [email protected]. Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis and we will cover the registration fee.

Runners must be prepared to:
• Have a photo taken with the team (before and/or after the race)
• Wear a branded CO90s T-shirt which we will provide
• Wear a red wig (this is optional!)

We look forward to hearing from you!

Best wishes,
Hannah & Kate

Three cheers for Jean Golding!

Our founder, Professor Jean Golding OBE, is receiving an honorary degree from University College London today, in recognition of her 'pioneering work in longitudinal population studies'.

She said:

‘I consider this an honour, not just for me, but for the many participants and members of staff that contributed to the many studies I have been involved with, especially those in Children of the 90s.’

That means you, so give yourself a clap on the back for the amazing contribution you have made to Children of the 90s research!

We’re delighted to announce that Professor Debbie Lawlor, one of our senior scientists, and the person in charge of our research with mums and COCO90s was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s birthday honours list. Read the full story here: http://www.bris.ac.uk/alspac/news/2017/debbie-lawlor-cbe.html

2017: Debbie Lawlor CBE | Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children | University of Bristol Debbie Lawlor, Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Bristol, has been awarded a CBE for her services to social and community medicine research in the Queen's Birthday Honours, which recognises the achievements of a wide range of extraordinary people across the UK.

Men's Health Week

Did you know it was Men's Health Week?

If your son hasn't been to the Focus@24+clinic yet, please ask them to get in touch. We've still got availability, including some later appointments for next week, so this may be the perfect time to book an appointment!

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/alspac/participants/focus24/

We'd really like your help please...

Do you work for a large organisation within Bristol and the surrounding areas? If so, you may be able to help us.

We are trying to get in touch with some of our research participants that we have lost contact with over the years. As you may work with one of the big employers in the area, we think they may work with you.

Would you be able to help us identify someone within your work place who coordinates the internal communications channels (i.e. company wide emails and newsletters) and who might be willing to help circulate our message?

We have prepared some text and a flyer which we can provide to you and your organisation for newsletters, noticeboards etc.

If you think you may be able to help, please email us at [email protected]

We'd be very grateful for any help you can offer us, thank you ever so much!

World No To***co Day

Today is World No To***co Day. We do a lot of research on the effects of smoking, thanks to all the information our participants have given us.

Most recently we have found that grandmothers who smoked during pregnancy may have granddaughters at higher risk of autism.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/04/27/grandmothers-smoked-pregnancy-may-have-triggered-autism-grandaughters/