1,000 newborn samples collected for The Generation Study at UHB
Published on 15/10/2025
Research colleagues at UHB have recently reached a recruitment milestone in a national study aimed at identifying rare conditions earlier in newborns.
The Generation Study, led by Genomics England in partnership with NHS England, has been running since 2024 and aims to screen 100,000 newborns across the country for over 200 genetic conditions by 2027.
In the UK, all newborns are offered a blood spot screening test around day five of life, which checks for nine conditions as part of standard care. The Generation Study is exploring how an additional screening approach could be used alongside this existing test.
By detecting treatable conditions shortly after birth, rather than waiting for symptoms to appear later in childhood, the study enables families to access the right support, monitoring, and treatment from the NHS much earlier.
Parents who wish to take part can contact the team during pregnancy. Once enrolled, a blood sample will be taken from the umbilical cord shortly after birth, causing no discomfort to the mother or baby.
Families will receive the results within a few months, and the baby’s sample, digital DNA files, and parents’ antenatal data will be securely stored in the National Genomic Research Library.
At UHB, Good Hope, Heartlands, and Solihull Hospitals are all participating in the study. After opening to recruitment in August 2024, the team at UHB has recently reached a milestone of 1,000 newborn samples.
To celebrate this milestone, our research colleagues visited the delivery suites at Heartlands and Good Hope Hospitals to thank the clinical team for all their hard work.
Laura Thrasyvoulou, Senior Paediatric and Midwifery Research Nurse, said: “We would like to take the time to thank every member of the clinical team who have contributed towards the collection of The Generation Study samples. We appreciate this is an extra task in your already busy environment. Your work to collect samples is contributing to the improvement of the lives of future generations. Keep up the good work!”
If you are pregnant and interested in taking part in this study at one of our three recruiting hospitals – Heartlands Hospital, Good Hope Hospital or Solihull Hospital, visit the link below. A member of the study team will then be in contact with you.
