Research
Our original overarching goal in establishing the Maastricht Essential Fatty Acid Birth (MEFAB) cohort study was to investigate the extent to which early essential fatty acid status influences later development and health. This cohort is distinctive as the sole worldwide prospective mother-child cohort with comprehensive data on the plasma fatty acid composition of mothers at various points during pregnancy and at delivery. We conducted in-person visits with parents and children during early childhood, mid-childhood, and late childhood. Additionally, at young adulthood, we conducted an online follow-up evaluation.
Analysis of these observational data could help identify critical developmental periods during which dietary fat modulation has the potential to impact health later in life. It also provides valuable insights for updating intervention strategies related to prenatal nutrition.
Recently, the focus has shifted from essential fatty acid status to prenatal exposure to the built environment, encompassing factors such as pollution and green space, and their influence on development and health.
Collaboration policy
Collaboration can enhance research productivity. The MEFAB study group welcomes initiatives from external investigators or research groups who want to use the MEFAB data for specific research questions.
We ask from interested investigators to present a research proposal to the core group of MEFAB investigators. Given that research in MEFAB is ongoing, this approach ensures that we avoid scientific overlap between projects. The MEFAB study group, which meets once per month, then approves the proposal plan or requests changes before approval or rejects proposals on very rare occasions. Once the research proposal is approved, our data manager prepares and provides anonymized datasets with the variables required for analysis.
An overview of available information in MEFAB can be found in Data Inventory.
Investigators interested in collaborating and learning more about how to obtain data can contact one of MEFAB PIs Prof.dr. Maurice Zeegers or Dr. Marij Gielen.