The Story Behind the Study

The Story Behind the Study

Before it became a landmark longitudinal study, NCDS started as a simple idea. In this new multi-part series, we trace the origins of the study from its earliest spark to the decisions that shaped its future.
In this section

Part one: an idea is born

On a spring evening in 1955, Britain’s top medical minds gathered to confront a national crisis: how can we give babies the best start in life? Two researchers pitched a bold idea that paved the way for a national birth study.