Anyone else's kids research guineapigs?

[Posey]

My dd (7) has been involved in 2 lots of research over the long term.
1st one started when I was pregnant and is looking into obesity in children. Involved blood tests plus weight etc and medical history of me and dh. Then dd when born was weighed, measured and had those pincer things for measuring fat. She goes back every year and has the same measurements taken.

The 2nd we've been doing since she was 15m. Its comparing over the long term children conceived naturally and those by IVF. They're very in depth assessments, looking at physical and mental development. Also asked loads of questions about me and dh, our backgrounds, health, brains...

We all like doing these things and wonder if anyone else is involved with similar things.

Took DS2 to the visual psychology department at UCL when he was three months. Had the wires and pads taped to his head and watched dots on a screen and they tood pictures off his retina.
They were keen on getting DS1 in as they were also doing a study on kids his age but somehow I didn't think he would be quite so compliant.

That sounds fascinating Posey, are you privvy to their findings?

Ds has taken part in two experiments, one at the age of 18 months on language development and one at 3 on problem solving.

I'm a research guineapig. I have been involved in tests since I was born - the National Child Develepment Bureau send interviewers to see me every few years and I have regular medicals too. They have followed me through umpteen changes of address.

I took ds to the babylab at Birkbeck when he was about 4 months old; they do research on child development. Once they've got your details they call you back when they want children of that particular age.
They wanted to see brain activity in babies when they are looking at objects that someone else has looked at v. objects that someone else has looked away from. They know babies prefer looking at things that other people have looked at (makes sense, indicates the object is significant in some way) so we sat in front of a screen with images projected onto it while ds was wearing an EEG hat that showed what was going on in his head. Then they borrowed him for another experiment also to do with images but can't remember what exactly. Quite entertaining but bless him, he was really knackered afterwards; must have been intense concentration for him. I got a polaroid of him wearing his hat and a certificate saying 'I'm a baby scientist' which was cute. I'll definitely go back if we get called again, although we've moved house so a bit more difficult to get there.

DS2 is part of a huge study run by Oxford and London Universities researching the possible effects on development of different childcare choices. They are following 1000+ babies from birth onwards. We have had questionnaires every 6-12 months, and visits/observations every year or so. They even came up to visit us in Cumbria after we'd moved house.

That sounds interesting Roisin, are they still recruiting or have they got everyone they need? Ds doing very well at nursery but you always wonder...

Suzy - we've not had any stuff back from UCH which is the obesity one.

The other is at the Royal Free and yes we get bits and bobs of feedback but so far nothing beyond "its all very interesting"! We just had a letter asking us if we'd be interested in carrying on for longer so they must have more funding.

Tigermoth, they must be really pleased with you keeping it up so long. People generally drop out after a year or 2 (apparently) and its even harder in London because so many people move as their children statrt growing up.

We're both Psychologists by training and DH still is by trade so DD is regularly dragged in to be a "control". That said I'm very careful what studies i let her do, nothing that might end up in the Daily Mail!

Eddm - the study we are on is not now recruiting. I think their youngest 'babies' are now about 3.5. I'll be very interested to see the results, when they start publishing the final findings.

dds have done all sorts - control in a study on how autistic children compute the visual information in people's faces (babylab); some perception of movement on a screen at UCL; how children respond to novel sounds/words etc. even have a t-shirt saying I'm a baby scientist...talk about pushy mum