Southampton Women's Survey

Summary of cohort

The Southampton Women’s Survey (SWS) is a prospective cohort study of mothers and their children. The cohort began as a study of non-pregnant women aged 20-34 years registered with a general practitioner in Southampton between 1998 and 2002 [121].

A total of 12,583 women (75% of all women contacted) were interviewed. A sub-group of women who did not become pregnant were followed-up two years after their initial interview (n=94) [122].

Women who became pregnant after the initial interview were invited to take part in the pregnancy phase of the survey at Southampton Princess Anne Hospital at 11-, 19- and 34-weeks gestation.

By the end of 2007, 3,158 singleton live babies had been born to these women [123]. To date, these babies have been followed up with home visits at 6 months, 1, 2, and 3 years of age.

Due to the study design, the data from the children are collected over a range of years (i.e. the children are followed up at a particular age, not a particular year). A sub-sample of children were examined at 4 years, 6-7 years, 8-9 years, and 11-13 years of age.

A COVID-19 study was carried out in 2021 which collected data from the women and children (aged 12-21-years) on health and wellbeing and lockdown-specific pressures [124].

The initial aim of the study was to examine maternal factors affecting foetal growth. This goal has widened to include the effects on post-natal and early childhood growth. Diet and body composition have been the main focus of this study with additional information such as physical activity, lifestyle and social circumstances also being collected [121].