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RecruitingNCT03633162MGBIGUpdated Sep 16, 2026

Maternal Grandmothers in the Born in Guangzhou Cohort Study

An observational study in Hereditary Transmission, Immune Development and Childhood Obesity, sponsored by Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center. Recruiting at 1 site in China. Open to female participants aged 36 Years to 100 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-16.

Sponsored by Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Retrospective
Enrollment
5,000
Ages
36 Years to 100 Years
Sex
Female
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Study summary

The MGBIG is a study exploring cross-generational effects in 5000 women and their children and grandchildren located in Guangzhou, China. Its initial aim is to facilitate research on understanding the interplay between genes and environmental factors on disease etiology and on explaining the cause of the disease from the perspective of "grandmother-mother-child" heredity. Data are collected regarding environmental exposures, lifestyle, and social support on grandmother from birth to old age. Biological samples including blood and tissue samples are collected.

Read the detailed description

It was previously believed that heredity strictly follows Mendel's laws, but recent studies have found that through placental material exchange, mammals may transfer maternal immune-related factors vertically, thus promoting the protection of "non-heredited maternal antigenic traits". Thus, the transmission of reproductive information across generations is realized. Since the unusual genetic pattern of the X chromosome, grandmother's influence may be gender specific. Since grandchildren were usually took care by grandparents in China, it could be achievable to attach and recruit maternal grandmother together with mother and children. Cohort including three generations of women is rare in Asia at present. In the MGBIG, extensive information including demographic characteristics, lifestyle, history of diseases, mental health, and behaviors is collected from the participants. Longitudinal follow up and surveillance of common chronic diseases are also to be conducted. The MGBIG intends to recruit maternal grandmothers to study the effects of maternal genetic and environmental exposure on the health of their children and grandchildren.

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Conditions studied

  • Hereditary Transmission
  • Immune Development
  • Childhood Obesity
  • Host and Microbiome
  • Neurodevelopment

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Keywords

  • Maternal Grandmother
  • Genes
  • Immune
  • Cohort
  • Child development
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Who can participate

Ages eligible
36 Years to 100 Years
Sexes eligible
Female
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

All maternal grandmothers of the children in the Born in Guangzhou Cohort Study (BIGCS) would be recruited.

Inclusion criteria

  1. Maternal Grandmother' grandchildren delivered in Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center
  2. Baseline information of maternal grandmother's daughter during pregnancy available

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Significant cardiovascular abnormalities
  2. Intelligent obstacle, intellectual disabilities or gawkish condition
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Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Retrospective
Enrollment
5,000 participants (estimated)
Patient registry
No
Biospecimen retention
Samples with dna
05

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Haplotypes transfered by non-inherited maternal antigens from maternal grandmother to female offspring

    Assessed by analyses of MHC haplotypes, HLA haplotypes, and levels of non-inherited maternal antigens of mother and offspring, and pregnancy complication of maternal grandmothers and mothers

    Time frame: From the date of her daughter get pregnant until the date her grandchild/grandchildren is/are given birth

Secondary outcomes

  1. Serum levels of Inflammatory factors at grandchildren's birth and early neonatal life

    Assessed by analyses of IL-1, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, etc.

    Time frame: At the birth date of her grandchild/grandchildren, at the date 42 days after the birth of the certain grandchild/grandchildren

  2. The prevalence of eczema of grandchildren

    Assessed by self-reported time of onset and electronic medical record

    Time frame: At the age of 6 weeks, 6 months, 1year, 3 years, 6 years, 12years and 18years of grandchildren

  3. The incidence of asthma of grandchildren

    Assessed by self-reported time of onset and electronic medical record

    Time frame: At the age of 6 months, 1year, 3 years, 6 years, 12years and 18years of grandchildren

  4. The prevalence of Allergic rhinitis of grandchildren

    Assessed by self-reported time of onset and electronic medical record

    Time frame: At the age of 6 months, 1year, 3 years, 6 years, 12years and 18years of grandchildren

  5. The prevalence of Food allergy of children and grandchildren

    Assessed by self-reported time of onset and electronic medical record

    Time frame: At the age of 6 months, 1year, 3 years, 6 years, 12years and 18years of grandchildren

  6. Changes of body composition of grandchildren

    Body composition is assessed using Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry

    Time frame: At age of 3 years,6 years, 12years and 18years

  7. Changes of bone density of grandchildren

    Bone density is assessed using Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry

    Time frame: At age of 3 years,6 years, 12years and 18years

06

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center
    Guangzhou, Guangdong 510623, China
    Recruiting
07

References and documents

Publications

  • Qiu X, Lu JH, He JR, Lam KH, Shen SY, Guo Y, Kuang YS, Yuan MY, Qiu L, Chen NN, Lu MS, Li WD, Xing YF, Zhou FJ, Bartington S, Cheng KK, Xia HM. The Born in Guangzhou Cohort Study (BIGCS). Eur J Epidemiol. 2017 Apr;32(4):337-346. doi: 10.1007/s10654-017-0239-x. Epub 2017 Mar 20. PubMed 28321694 ↗
  • Kinder JM, Jiang TT, Ertelt JM, Xin L, Strong BS, Shaaban AF, Way SS. Cross-Generational Reproductive Fitness Enforced by Microchimeric Maternal Cells. Cell. 2015 Jul 30;162(3):505-15. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2015.07.006. Epub 2015 Jul 23. PubMed 26213383 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

08

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03633162
Lead sponsor
Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center
Collaborators
Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, University of Birmingham
Responsible party
Xiu Qiu (Director of the Born in Guangzhou Cohort Study, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center) — Principal investigator
First posted
Aug 16, 2018
Start date
May 21, 2018
Primary completion
Dec 31, 2038 (estimated)
Completion
Dec 31, 2038 (estimated)
Last update
Sep 16, 2026

Study contacts

Xiu Qiu, PhD
Contact
qxiu0161@163.com
0086 20 38367160
Xueling Wei, MS
Contact
xueling.wei@bigcs.org
0086 20 38367159
Xiu Qiu, PhD
principal investigator · Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, China

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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