Linking health, education and exposome data to understand neurodevelopment in the Born in Bradford cohort

The total environmental exposures an individual experiences (their exposome) influences their cognitive and neural development. This is especially prevalent during childhood, where critical periods of development occur. To understand whether a child is experiencing typical development, all children in England are assessed at the end of their reception year using the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP), measuring their school readiness, including communication, physical development, and social skills. Children who reach a “Good Level of Development” (GLD) are considered ready to progress successfully into Year 1.

Using securely linked education and health records from the Born in Bradford cohort, this study will examine whether children who do not reach a GLD are more likely to be diagnosed later with one of ten developmental or health conditions (e.g. autism, ADHD, motor difficulties, learning difficulty). The study will also investigate whether being born prematurely increases this risk, as preterm children may face additional challenges in learning and development. To understand the environmental influences on childhood neurodevelopment, the study will utilise exposome data to create a simplified “general exposome factor” (GEF), using the large datasets available from the cohort. This study will further explore if the GEF can predict cognitive development measures; GLD scores, cognitive performance, and neurodevelopmental disorder diagnoses. Finally, the GEF will be used to develop a map of Bradford that visualises how different exposomes are distributed, allowing identification of areas most vulnerable to neurodevelopmental deficits.

This research aims to identify early educational signals that indicate a child requires additional support prior to formal diagnosis, additionally using the GEF to identify geographical areas where these children are likely to be located. This project will contribute to the provision of more equitable support for children with emerging developmental needs across Bradford.