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the Dutch Famine Birth Cohort Study

Hungerwinter Study

The Study

The Dutch famine, or Hungerwinter, started in November 1944 carried on until liberation in May 1945. Rations were as low as 400-800 calories a day; less than a quarter of the recommended adult caloric intake.

 

The Hungerwinter

Babies that are small at birth are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease and diabetes in later life. We don’t know much about the role of maternal diet during pregnancy on the baby’s health.

 

Why the study?

We have been able to trace the antenatal and maternity records of babies born at the Wilhelmina Gasthuis in Amsterdam between November 1943 en February 1947: they form our cohort.

 

 

The Cohort

We focus on diabetes and cardiovascular disease. We are also trying to find out more about the mechanisms responsible for these diseases in people exposed to famine in utero.

 

What do we study and why?

Academic Medical Centre

Department Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics

PO Box 22660, 1100 DD, Amsterdam

The Netherlands

 

Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam

The Netherlands

 

 

 

 

Address

Phone:                 ** 31 20 5666934

E-mail:                 r.c.painter@amc.uva.nl

                          t.j.roseboom@amc.uva.nl