Solving the Puzzles of Pediatric Disease

First 1,000 Days of Life study captures critical information

Inova Fairfax Hospital is serving as the headquarters of groundbreaking research that promises to revolutionize future medical care by personalizing the diagnosis, treatment and management of disease.

Led by internationally renowned scientists  and physicians at Inova Translational Medicine Institute (ITMI), the study will capture the genetic codes of 5,000 families over the next four years. About 1,000 families were enrolled as of early November 2013 in the Inova Fairfax County Longitudinal Study, launched in April 2012 and dubbed the First 1,000 Days of Life.

Each participating family must be pregnant and planning to deliver at Inova Fairfax Hospital. Genomic sequencing mapping out all 20,000 individual genes will be performed on mother, father and baby, along with grandparents and other family members when possible. Researchers hope to track the babies’ health and development for their first two years — and perhaps up to  age 18 — gaining understanding about genetic and environmental factors triggering disease.

“One of the really interesting aspects of this study is it’s not only looking at the mother-father-baby trio — that being the core trio —  but we’re also asking if grandparents are coming to the baby’s birth, so we can get them involved too,” says Kathi Huddleston, PhD, Director of Clinical Research for ITMI, explaining the high interest among participants.

Mapping Life’s Origins
Learn more about the  First 1,000 Days of Life study  at inova.org/1000days