BLOOMS study
About the BLOOMS study
Every year, over 50,000 babies in the UK spend time in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) because they are born early, small, or with health complications. These babies often face a greater risk of complications later in life – including problems with physical health, mental health, learning, and development. Around 30% of children who were in a NICU do not meet national learning goals by the time they start school at age five.
BLOOMS (Babies’ Longitudinal Outcomes, ‘Omics, and Milestones Study) is a new research project designed to understand how we can better support these children as they grow. We are following 1,000 babies who received care in NICUs in Cambridge, Norwich and Luton, along with their parents. This will allow us to explore how genetics, environment, and early life experiences predict and shape future outcomes.
Aims of BLOOMS
The aims of the study are to:
- Improve how we use information, including clinical, biological and genetic factors, to identify children who could benefit most from learning support
- Discover early warning signs (biomarkers) that could help doctors and teachers provide support before problems become serious.
- Understand the root causes of poor health and developmental outcomes – so we can work to prevent them.
By identifying the children most at risk and learning how to help them sooner, BLOOMS aims to give every baby who started life in intensive care the best chance to grow, thrive, and reach their full potential.
Find out more
You can find out more about BLOOMS in this article on the University news site.