Born and Bred in Doncaster (BaBi-D) research study celebrates recruitment of 1,000th participant

Local parents are invited to participate, with the study tracking relevant data to support their children from pregnancy through to childhood and into adult life.

Following the success of the Born and Bred in Bradford programme, it is hoped that the data provided from this cohort study will help participating organisations in gaining a better understanding of what local families want and need from healthcare services across the borough, ensuring locally commissioned services are inclusive, with consideration of additional research for further understanding and improvement for people in Doncaster and beyond.

Julie De Jonquieres, who has been serving as a Bentley based Community Midwife for over two years, recruited the 1,000th participant to the study.

Speaking about the achievement, she Julie said: “Within my role, I recognise the central importance in identifying areas for improvement and addressing inequalities for our local families.

"The parents of Bentley have shown tremendous enthusiasm in signing up for the study, appreciating the potential positive influence the research could have on future communities and generations.

“I feel genuinely privileged to be part of the team supporting Babi-D and I genuinely believe it will have a real positive impact on the delivery of healthcare for local people in the future.”

Data obtained through the study can help local health organisations explore topics around health inequalities and determine measures to address these areas of concern.

This includes whether there are relationships between things that happen in pregnancy and children’s future health, if children in some areas are more likely to get asthma than children in other areas, and how our genes affect our health and lives as we grow up.

Dr Sam Debbage, Director of Education and Research at DBTH, said: “We want to ensure this research study reflects the requirements and concerns of the our local community area.

"Therefore, we are keen to hear from our community local citizens and welcome your thoughts on any research topics you would like the programme to explore. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with the team to share your ideas give your suggestions and help us to continue to make a huge success of Babi-D!”

Taking part in BaBi-D is voluntary and participants are free to withdraw at any time. This research, like every research project undertaken, is checked to make sure it meets the highest scientific and ethical standards. You can find out more about the study, or provide the team with your research ideas, on the dedicated Born and Bred in Doncaster website: www.dbth.nhs.uk/babi-d

In late May and June, the Trust hosted a number of ‘Teddy Bear’s Picnic’ events across Doncaster for people to find out more about the study. The events were aimed at families with children aged 0-3 years old, with lots of activities for the whole family, including a picnic for the little ones.

Sharing in with the sunshine and good weather, the events were a success, attracting over 100 attendees.