Pau-Chung Chen

Birth Cohort Consortium of Asia (BiCCA): Current Children’s Environmental Health Issues in Asia and Future Perspectives

Pau-Chung Chen, M.D., Ph.D.

National Taiwan University College of Public Health

National Taiwan University Hospital

Environment is an important factor influencing children's health, not only at early life but also may lead to adverse consequences on later health. However, children in Asia are facing both traditional environmental hazards and new pediatric morbidities. A collaboration platform of Asian birth cohort studies to promote children’s environmental health is warranted. The Birth Cohort Consortium of Asia (BiCCA) was co-established in 2011 by the principal investigators of three birth cohorts in Asia including the Taiwan Birth Panel Study (TBPS), the Mothers and Children's Environmental Health Study (MOCEH), and the Hokkaido Study on Environment and Children' Health (Hokkaido Study). The related information to environmental exposure and health outcome from participating cohorts has put on public. Up to date (October, 2017), BiCCA includes 27 birth cohorts with approximately 80,000 study subject that were conducted in 13 Asian countries. The geographical distribution of the cohort studies is uneven and assessment tools are diverse. Certain environmental neurotoxins have been identified, however, the exploration to critical environmental issues is not comprehensive. Targeted research collaboration is warranted and still ongoing. The BiCCA provide an information exchange platform for birth cohort in Asian countries. Multidisciplinary collaboration and state-of-art technologies application should initiate to identify specific regional environmental threats and improve the health of children in Asia.