Prenatal and early-childhood brain development and experiences
4/6 HBCD Prenatal Experiences and Longitudinal Development (PRELUDE) Consortium
['FUNDING_U01'] · CINCINNATI CHILDRENS HOSP MED CTR · NIH-11138762
Following thousands of pregnant people and their children through age 10 to learn how prenatal exposures and early-life experiences shape brain development.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_U01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | CINCINNATI CHILDRENS HOSP MED CTR (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (CINCINNATI, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11138762 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
You would enroll during pregnancy or soon after your baby is born and return for regular visits through the child’s first 10 years. The study combines safe brain measures (MRI and EEG) with developmental tests, questionnaires about health and experiences, physiological measures, and collection of biospecimens like blood or urine. All sites use the same protocol so data from 27 locations are pooled into a national resource for researchers. Participation involves multiple in-person visits, some remote assessments, and sharing health and exposure information.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are pregnant people willing to enroll during pregnancy or families with infants who can attend repeated study visits and provide health information and biospecimens.
Not a fit: People without pregnancy or young children, or those unable or unwilling to travel for repeated visits or to provide biosamples, are unlikely to benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could reveal early warning signs and modifiable exposures that help clinicians prevent or reduce harmful neurodevelopmental outcomes.
How similar studies have performed: Previous smaller birth cohort studies have linked prenatal exposures to later development, but this coordinated, large-scale, multi-site effort is novel in its size and scope.
Where this research is happening
CINCINNATI, UNITED STATES
- CINCINNATI CHILDRENS HOSP MED CTR — CINCINNATI, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: MERHAR, STEPHANIE L — CINCINNATI CHILDRENS HOSP MED CTR
- Study coordinator: MERHAR, STEPHANIE L
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.