Cohort Profile: The 1946 National Birth Cohort (MRC National Survey of Health and Development)

The first of the British National Birth Cohort studies aimed to address two health and social policy questions of importance in the years before the establishment of the National Health Service (NHS) in 1948. The first question, identified by the Royal Commission on Population, asked why the national fertility rate had been falling consistently since the middle of the 19th century. A proposed explanation was that the ‘medical and other costs associated with the birth of a baby may today be a serious deterrent to parenthood.’ 1 The second question asked ‘what was the national distribution and use of obstetric medical and midwifery services, and how far do they prevent premature and infant death, and promote the health of mothers and infants?’ 1