# Preterm Birth and Child Long-term Cardiometabolic Risk: Integrate Proteomics with Birth Cohort

> **NIH NIH R01** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $662,507

## Abstract

Abstract
Each year in the US, nearly a half million babies are born preterm ( <37 weeks of gestation). The
significance of preterm birth (PTB) extends far beyond this huge number and the neonatal period. PTB affects
~14% of Black babies, which is ~50% higher than for White babies. There is growing evidence that PTB puts a
child at significant risk for future cardiometabolic diseases, which are among the leading causes of death in the
US and disproportionately impact Black populations. While the mechanisms underlying PTB-cardiometabolic
risk remain largely unknown, we found that PTB was associated with differential maternal and cord circulating
metabolites, some of which have been implicated in cardiometabolic diseases in adults. This competing
renewal proposal aims to conduct a systematic investigation of the link between PTB and child long-term
cardiometabolic health and the underlying biological pathways. Such an undertaking is critically needed to
identify novel biomarkers for early risk assessment and targeted interventions to halt or reverse a PTB-induced
adverse cardiometabolic trajectory over the life course.
 Built on the scientific discoveries we have made during the current funding cycle, we will leverage the
rich resources of the Boston Birth Cohort (BBC), one of the largest and longest NIH-funded U.S. urban low-
income predominantly Black birth cohorts, with ~3,500 mother-child pairs who were enrolled at birth and
followed prospectively (at present, with a median follow-up of 13 years). This application will harness the
cutting-edge Olink technology for a precise and high-throughput assessment of >1500 circulating proteins in
BBC children at two time points (at birth and age 2 years). Our study design has been informed by a strong
scientific premise and compelling preliminary data, including a proteomics pilot study that demonstrated
feasibility, high quality of archived plasma samples and lab assays, and generated promising preliminary
results. Specifically, we aim to (1) Examine prospective associations of PTB with cardiometabolic outcomes
from birth to age 18 years using 3500 mother-infant pairs; (2) Identify differential plasma proteome profiles
between 500 preterm and 500 term children; (3) Assess joint associations of PTB and plasma proteome with
cardiometabolic outcomes of 1000 children; and (4) Integrate proteome with metabolome to gain a deeper
understanding of metabolic dysfunctions due to PTB and implications for subsequent cardiometabolic
outcomes using the same set of 1000 children. This proposal is strengthened by its prospective birth cohort
design and a life course framework; focus on an under-represented, under-studied, high-risk minority
population; and integration of proteomics with metabolomics data. By establishing PTB as an important early
life risk factor of future cardiometabolic risk and by identifying novel cord and early childhood predictive
biomarkers with long-term cardiometabolic implications, this study ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10387601
- **Project number:** 2R01HD041702-17
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Frank B Hu
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $662,507
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2001-09-24 → 2027-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10387601

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10387601, Preterm Birth and Child Long-term Cardiometabolic Risk: Integrate Proteomics with Birth Cohort (2R01HD041702-17). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10387601. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*