Australian scientists to track 160,000 infants lifelong health

SYDNEY, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Australian scientists will track the lifelong health and wellbeing of more than 100,000 infants in a world first study.

The Generation Victoria (Gen V) study, announced by the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute (MCRI) on Thursday, will see all 160,000 children born in Victoria 2020 and 2021 invited to participate.

Data collected will be collated with existing health statistics to establish a state-wide database.

Melissa Wake, Gen V project leader, described 41.5 million U.S. dollars study as groundbreaking.

"It will mean we're able to connect up the fantastic state wide services and data sets in place in Victoria, and in doing so provide improved personalized support, as well as targeted preventions and care for children and families," Wake said in a media release on Thursday.

"This is the first time this kind of data has been bought together at a state-wide level anywhere in the world. By doing this, we'll be enabling solutions to diverse issues like obesity, allergies, infection, social exclusion, poor mental health and learning and other chronic health conditions."

Researchers will spend the next two years collating existing data from childhood health checks among other sources before beginning to study the infants in 2020.

The Victorian government has given 1.5 million U.S. dollars to the project, an investment Health Minister Jill Hennessy said was a testament to the state's commitment to medical research.

"Victoria is a prime location for the project because of its world-renowned medical research facilities and universities," Hennessy said.

"Our focus is on studies like Gen V that emphasise prevention as well as treatment to ensure better outcomes for Victorians."

In addition to the MCRI, researchers from the Royal Children's Hospital and Melbourne Department of Paediatrics at the University of Melbourne will also work on Gen V.