Big Baby 2 Up
About Big Baby 2Up
24-month infant follow-up, as part of The Big Baby Trial
The Big Baby Trial was designed to investigate if early induction of labour reduces the incidence of shoulder dystocia in cases of suspected fetal macrosomia (a baby over the 90thcentile on the fetal growth chart).
As The Big Baby Trial was getting underway, evidence emerged linking some cognitive deficits (for example, the development of reading and language skills) in babies born one or two-weeks from full term, but it is not known whether this affects bigger babies in the same way.
The Big Baby 2 Up sub-study assesses cognitive and language function of babies born to women who took part in The Big Baby Trial when they reach 24-months of age. This will be assessed via the PARCA-R (Parent Report of Children’s Abilities-Revised) questionnaire.
It is important that pregnant women, their partners, midwives and obstetricians have evidence-based information to be able to discuss and make informed decisions about the timing of birth if their baby is predicted to be above the 90thcentile on fetal growth chart and balance the risk of stillbirth, shoulder dystocia, maternal and neonatal morbidity, and babies longer-term cognitive function.
Women who took part in The Big Baby Trial and gave their consent to be contacted about participation in further research will be approached.
More information about the 'Parent Report of Children's Abilities-Revised' (PARCA-R) questionnaire can be found at:PARCA-R (University of Leicester's website)Link opens in a new window.
Research Questions
Primary research question
- In babies with suspected macrosomia antenatally, does near-term delivery effect non-verbal cognition and language development, as measured by the Parent Report of Children’s Ability-Revised (PARCA-R), at 24 months?
Secondary research questions
- In infants with suspected macrosomia does induction at 38+0 - 38+4 weeks, when compared to expectant management, affect cognitive function (non-verbal cognition; language development) at 24 months?
- In babies with suspected macrosomia does gestational age at the time of birth, weight centile, mode of delivery (normal vaginal delivery, assisted delivery, caesarean section (elective / emergency)) and exclusive breast feeding predict cognitive function at 24 months?
- What are the costs and health consequences of near-term delivery in macrosomic babies?
Sample Size
1500 participants.
Contact Us:
If you have questions about the Big Baby 2Up study, please contact the trial team:
New Paper from the BigBaby2Up Team:
Zhao, X., Poskett, A., Stracke, M., Quenby, S., & Wolke, D. Cognitive and academic outcomes of large-for-gestational-age babies born at early term: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Acta Obstetricia Et Gynecologica Scandinavica,n/a(n/a).https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/aogs.15001