A discovery resource to enable research for decades.

The CHILD Cohort Study has already collected over 500,000 separate biological samples from participating parents and children, as well as dust from the home, at different time points in the study.

Biological sampling includes genetic material (blood, saliva) from the parents, cord blood, breast milk at 3-4 months, child peripheral blood at 1 and 5 years, viral swabs, meconium, and stool and urine at multiple time points. Multiple aliquots are generated from each sample type collected. These samples are initially processed in a laboratory then shipped frozen to a centralized liquid nitrogen facility.

Secure biological sample storage, with meticulous documentation, has been developed using a state-of-the-art facility in Hamilton, ON. Quality control is assured at all steps: obtaining the samples; immediate processing and aliquoting, with freezing at the recruitment site; transfer to the liquid nitrogen storage facility in Hamilton using vapour shippers with carefully maintained temperature control; labelling and documentation of all samples; and tracking their use when released for analysis.

For an overview of biological samples and biobanking in the CHILD Cohort Study, see Moraes et al. (Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, Nov 2014)

A discovery resource to enable research for decades.

The CHILD Cohort Study has already collected over 500,000 separate biological samples from participating parents and children, as well as dust from the home, at different time points in the study.

Biological sampling includes genetic material (blood, saliva) from the parents; cord blood and meconium; breast milk at 3-4 months; child peripheral blood at 1, 5 and 8 years; child viral and epigenetic swabs, saliva, stool, and urine at multiple time points; and child teeth. Multiple aliquots are generated from each sample type collected. These samples are initially processed in a laboratory then shipped frozen to a centralized liquid nitrogen facility.

Study samples collected:

  • Cord Blood
  • Mother breast milk
  • Mother venous blood (pregnant & non-pregnant)
  • Mother saliva
  • Father saliva
  • Father venous blood
  • Child venous blood
  • Child saliva
  • Child nasal swab (viral & epigenetics)
  • Child urine
  • Child meconium/stool
  • Child teeth
  • Home dust

Secure biological sample storage, with meticulous documentation, has been developed using a state-of-the-art facility in Hamilton, ON. Quality control is assured at all steps: obtaining the samples; immediate processing and aliquoting, with freezing at the recruitment site; transfer to the liquid nitrogen storage facility in Hamilton using vapour shippers with carefully maintained temperature control; labelling and documentation of all samples; and tracking their use when released for analysis.