The HBCD Study will enroll approximately 7,500 participating families from across the United States and follow them and their children through early childhood. The researchers want to understand how the brain develops and is affected by exposure to substances and other environmental conditions during pregnancy and after the baby is born. Researchers will collect information during pregnancy and through early childhood, including:
- Pictures of the brain
- Growth measurements
- Samples of blood (birth parent), urine and saliva (birth parent and child)
- Medical and family history
- Information about their social, emotional, and cognitive development
The HBCD Study, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, is being conducted by researchers across the country. You may be eligible to participate at a study site in your area. This study will help us understand how to support healthy futures for generations of children to come.
