Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study

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The Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) is a unique study where more than 90,000 pregnant women were recruited between 1999 and 2008. Some of the mothers have more than one child in MoBa and the last child was born in 2009. Over 70,000 fathers have also participated. We will hold contact with these families in the years to come, collecting further data through questionnaires.

Environmental contaminants may reduce immunity

Exposure to environmental contaminants during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of infections during the first three years of life and a reduced response to childhood vaccines. This is found in two studies from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

Caffeine is linked to low birth weight

Caffeine intake in pregnancy is linked to lower birth weight but not to preterm delivery, according to findings from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study. Caffeine from coffee, but not from other sources, is associated with slightly longer pregnancies.

Lower autism risk with folic acid supplements in pregnancy

Women who took folic acid supplements in early pregnancy almost halved the risk of having a child with autism. Beginning to take folic acid supplements later in pregnancy did not reduce the risk. This is shown in new findings from the ABC Study and Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study published in the Journal of The American Medical Association (JAMA).

Centre-based child care: Long hours do not cause aggression and disobedience

Spending many hours in centre-based child care does not lead to more aggression and disobedience in children, according to a new study using data from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa).

Better growth without acrylamide

Low levels of acrylamide in maternal blood give better foetal growth according to two recent studies from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). Most acrylamide intake comes from heat-treated food but it can also be found in tobacco smoke and in the environment.

Sweetened soft drinks linked to preterm birth

Sweetened (sugar-sweetened and artificially-sweetened) drinks may be linked to preterm birth, according to a recent joint study between Norwegian and Swedish researchers. It is important to prevent preterm birth since it may lead to early death, diseases in infancy and childhood as well as long-term disability.

Perfluorinated alkylated substances can cause reduced birth weight

Pregnant women with the highest blood concentrations of perfluorinated alkylated substances (PFAS) had children with lower birth weights, according to a new study from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). The findings support other studies on the adverse health effects of this group of environmental contaminants.

Longer pregnancy with physical activity

Moderate physical activity during pregnancy is associated with longer pregnancies, according to a new study from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). Pregnant women who were physically active 3-5 times a week had a 26 per cent reduced risk of premature birth. Previously, activity and exercise in the latter part of pregnancy were believed to initiate birth.

New markers for pre-eclampsia

Kynurenic acid is linked to pre-eclampsia, according to a new test of blood samples from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). Even before they developed pre-eclampsia, mothers had raised levels of kynurenic acid in their blood, which is formed when trytophan, an amino acid, breaks down.

Environmental pollutants: Reduced chance of pregnancy?

Perfluorinated compounds do not affect the chances of becoming pregnant, according to a new sub-study from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). Previous research had indicated a correlation between PFC levels in the blood and the time taken for women to conceive.