The Nela Study
The objective of the NELA Study is to investigate the impact of nutrition during pregnancy and early postnatal life on health outcomes in children of the Region of Murcia (Spain). The study is specially focused in the role of nutrition in the pre- and postnatal lifetimes in the respiratory health during childhood, as well as in the origin of asthma and allergy.
NELA is an epidemiological study funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness) and leaded by the Group of Research in Pediatrics at the Biomedical Research Institute of Murcia (IMIB). The study needs the voluntary participation of parents and children to accomplish its goals. The results will help to develop new recommendations to improve mother-child health at the population-level. The NELA team is composed by clinicians and researchers from the Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital and the University of Murcia.
Why is the NELA study needed?
Asthma is the most common chronic disease in childhood. The prevalence of asthma and allergy in children has increased over the past decades. Diverse lifestyle and environmental factors acting during the prenatal and early postnatal periods are responsible for the occurrence and increase of these health problems in the population.
Who participates?
The goal of the NELA project is to recruit 1000 mother-child pairs from Health Area I, VI and VII of the Region of Murcia.
When and where can you participate?
To accomplish the NELA objectives, the participating mother-child pairs will be followed and evaluated during several years after birth. The study plan is to follow the participants from week 20 of gestation to age 7 years. All the follow-ups will be conducted at the Virgen de la Arrixaca Hospital. A total of 7 visits of follow-up are planned: 20 weeks of gestation, 32 weeks of gestation, birth, 3 months, 18 months, and 4 and 7 years of age.
How can you participate?
Participation is voluntary. Information from mother-child pairs included in the study will obtained during the visits of follow-up through questionnaires, clinical examinations and biological samples. All the procedures will be conducted by trained professionals. Informed consent will be obtained from all the subjects. Participants can abandon the study at any stage. Data will be processed according to the laws on data protection (Ley 15/99), and confidentiality will be preserved.
What is participation worth for?
To understand the causes and biological mechanism involved in the origin of asthma in childhood is crucial for prevention and treatment.
The results of the NELA Study will help to improve current recommendations on nutrition during pregnancy and the early lifetime. Furthermore, new recommendations for an adequate the child development and health will be proposed.
NELA will obtain a unique collection of biological samples, which will be used in future research projects with the main objective of understand the causes and mechanism involved in the origin of asthma and allergy, as well as other endpoints of mother-child health.
Where can you get more information?
For any additional information on the project you can contact with us at this telephone number: (+34) 722564515.
