Victorian babies born after Covid pandemic to be examined in groundbreaking study

Children born in the post-Covid baby boom can now join a world-first Victorian study to be tracked from birth to old age to determine the effects of the pandemic.

Saada Houli will allow her daughter, Mya, to take part in the Victorian government’s Gen V study. Picture: David Geraghty

Babies born during the post-Covid baby boom will be examined as part of the next phase of a groundbreaking Victorian study.

The state government has issued a call-out for new parents of children born in Victoria between October 2021 and October this year to sign up to the Generation Victoria study.

The project, which is the world’s first and only study to examine the first post-Covid generation, will track babies from birth to old age and investigate every aspect of their health and wellbeing.

By taking samples such as breast milk and saliva, researchers hope those findings will provide crucial answers to complex health issues including asthma, allergies, obesity, and mental illness in children.

Murdoch Children’s Research Institute professor Melissa Wake says for the first time ever, the study will aim to identify the impacts of Covid on babies conceived after the pandemic.

Murdoch Children’s Research Institute professor Melissa Wake said for the first time ever, the study would aim to identify the impacts of Covid on babies that were conceived after the pandemic.

Professor Wake said there are “so many questions that can be answered” by providing insights into how genetics, environment and other factors impact the health of young Victorians.

“There’s questions that might be specific to Covid itself, such as the impacts of long Covid which we simply do not know yet. Nobody really has any ideas of how that will affect society,” she said.

“We can also look at these kind of seismic changes that have happened through Covid … so researchers over the coming years will be able to look at how those social, health, policy and economic changes actually really impact on families, which will be incredibly important for this generation but also incredibly important scientifically.”

Saada Houli will allow her daughter, Mya, to take part in the Victorian government’s Gen V study. Picture: David Geraghty

Parents are contacted between four to six times each year to provide anonymous and confidential information and updates about their child’s progress and general health.

Participant Saada Houli enrolled her two-week old daughter Mya into the program.

“We always complain about all these issues that we have with our children … if you really don’t want your child to experience this then you have to be part of the solution,” she said.

“If you’re breastfeeding or if you’re giving the bottle, you’re on the phone anyway so you might as well do something beneficial.”

Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas said the program was vitally important in shaping the future for all Victorians.

“As one of the world’s largest medical research initiatives ever — this groundbreaking work will be used by health experts, researchers and policy makers for decades to come,” she said.

“The more we understand about the health of our youngest Victorians and how the world around them effects their health — the better we will be able to deliver the health care they need in the future.”