Guangzhou Preterm and Term Birth Cohort Study

The Guangzhou Preterm-Term Birth Cohort (GPTBC) is a prospective observational study of how early-life nutrition, environmental exposures, and family factors relate to the health and development of preterm and term infants and their mothers. Mother-infant pairs are followed from birth to 24 months. Researchers use questionnaires and biological samples to study human milk, microorganisms in the infant gut, physical growth, development, and allergic diseases, and whether these relationships differ between preterm and term infants. Findings may inform nutrition and health strategies for infants born at different gestational ages.