IJPDS International Journal of Population Data Science

The Mother and Infant Research Electronic Data Analysis (MIREDA) partnership is revolutionising child health research by harmonising regional United Kingdom (UK) birth datasets into a single all UK Birth Cohort.

This initiative will enable researchers to directly compare data from different regions, offering valuable insights into maternal and child health across the UK. By integrating diverse regional data, the dataset can examine interventions in different regions to find out what works best for optimum maternal and infant health, and how best to support child development from birth through primary school.

‘Maternal and Infant Research Electronic Data Analysis (MIREDA): A protocol for creating a common data model for federated analysis of UK birth cohorts and the life course’, published in the International Journal of Population Data Science (IJPDS), presents The MIREDA partnership. It includes expertise from Health Data Research (HDRUK) data scientists from Swansea University, the University of Edinburgh, King’s College London, the University of Nottingham, the University of Birmingham, and the Bradford Institute for Health Research to use existing health data. This collaborative effort seeks to overcome the limitations of traditional birth cohort studies, which often require direct recruitment and so are limited to the experience of only the engaged people at a specific recruitment period. In addition, they can only give a snapshot in time rather than rolling data collection. MIREDA addresses these issues by using anonymised, routinely collected electronic health and administrative data thereby creating a live, ongoing resource.

MIREDA standardises and aligns data from Born in Wales, Born in Scotland, Born in Bradford, Born in South London (eLIXIR) and clinical practice research (CPRD). This enables a more comprehensive analysis of child health. Harmonisation allows researchers to compare data from diverse populations and evaluate how factors, such as differing health policies, clinical practices and cultural differences, impact maternal and child outcomes.

The goal of MIREDA is to provide a robust, UK-wide resource that can support the development of interventions and policies aimed at improving children's health and wellbeing. By bringing harmonising data across the UK, MIREDA will uncover new insights and drive advancements in child health research.

As MIREDA progresses, its comprehensive and up-to-date data promises to yield invaluable insights, leading to better-informed policies and interventions. This initiative is poised to enhance the health and development of children across the UK, offering a new level of understanding and potential for future improvements in child health research.

Michael Seaborne, Senior Research Analyst at MIREDA, highlights the significance of this project: “By creating a standardised, dynamic dataset that spans multiple regions and time periods, we are setting the stage for groundbreaking discoveries in child health and development. This resource will empower researchers to make meaningful comparisons and drive improvements in children’s wellbeing nationwide.”

 

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Mike Seaborne MPharm MRes, National Centre for Population Health and Wellbeing Research, Swansea University

Seaborne, M., Jones, H., Cockburn, N., Durbaba, S., González-Izquierdo, A., Hough, A., Mason, D., Sánchez-Soriano, C., Orton, C., Méndez-Villalon, A., Giles, T., Ford, D., Quinlan, P., Nirantharakumar, K., Poston, L., Reynolds, R., Santorelli, G. and Brophy, S. (2024) “Mother and Infant Research Electronic Data Analysis (MIREDA): A protocol for creating a common data model for federated analysis of UK birth cohorts and the life course”, International Journal of Population Data Science, 9(2). doi: 10.23889/ijpds.v9i2.2406.