The EDEN study is the first French cohort study on the pre and early postnatal determinants of child health and development.

The study aims to better establish the importance of early determinants of individual health, especially the nutritional, environmental, biological and social factors influencing health during childhood and adulthood.

For some decades, it has been more and more obvious that exposures and events occurring before birth or during the first years of life can impact on long term health, even if they do not immediately affect health. The best-known example is the increased risk of cardiovascular disease in adults with low birth weight.

EDEN is a longitudinal study that follows children as early as the second trimester of pregnancy until 5 years of age. Data are also collected from their mother and father, with clinical examinations, and there is a large collection of stored blood samples.

EDEN is not only a large scientific study which will allow the identification of risk factors and the understanding of mechanisms, it will also enable the identification of at-risk mothers, and therefore be able to give recommendations for a more appropriate follow-up during pregnancy, to reduce health inequalities in infants.

EDEN is a study involving a number of INSERM groups specialized in epidemiology and obstetricians, and is in collaboration with paediatricians from the Nancy and Poitiers Universities.