Each of the babies born in 2015 in Pelotas has a very important role so that the results of the 2015 cohort are representative of their generation.

With thirty years of research, the Pelotas Birth Cohort Program has already helped to reverse some of the country's major health problems.

When the first cohort began in 1982, malnutrition was the leading cause of infant mortality. The child mortality rate was very high. 36 children in a thousand died.

Government and health-related institutions undertook a series of actions designed on the basis of the research evidence to promote breastfeeding, prevent infant dehydration, and improve health care for the newborn.

The 2004 Cohort shows the positive results. Between 1982 and 2004, the average duration of breastfeeding jumped from three to seven months. Since then, child mortality rate has fallen by almost half, from 36 per thousand in 1982 to 19 per thousand in 2004.

Although great progress has been achieved, the Pelotas Birth Cohorts also reveal new public health challenges, such as premature births, cesarean births and childhood obesity.

The 2015 Cohort is a singular opportunity to assess the distribution and causes of major public health problems, pointing to new prevention and treatment strategies. With the beginning of the follow-up in the gestational phase, the new cohort will boost knowledge about the impact of the inherent factors during pregnancy and the first years of life on the development of the baby's health, with effects on the quality of life from childhood to old age.

More than answering to interviews during pregnancy and soon after the baby's birth, the mothers of the children in the 2015 cohort have given their addresses and opened their home door for researchers to monitor their children development. All the time spent by mothers and children themselves, and all the work that researchers do to keep tracking of thousands of families, is rewarded for producing results that improve the health of adults and children around the world.