how:

The study team recruited all 1142 babies born to mothers resident within the city of Newcastle upon Tyne in May and June of 1947 into the study (less than 0.5% of families refused to participate). The study members had a red spot placed on their GP record to identify them as being in the study and subsequently were known as "Red Spot Babies".

In the first year information was collected in a variety of formats:-

• Antenatal charts (showing information relating to pregnancy and delivery)
• Midwife report (charting progress and observations in the first 14 days)
• Hospital records (if a visit had to be made to a hospital)
• Health visitor book. Health visitors were recruited to collect information over and above any information that would have been collected in the normal course of events. The book was designed specifically for the study and allowed the health visitors to record everything they saw on their visits. This included information on feeding, sleeping, siblings, household income, state of the home, parenting etc.
• Photos. An archive of photos was collected giving a wealth of picture evidence. These pictures cover children playing in the street, pictures depicting standards of housing, pictures of the research meetings (held every Saturday morning), pictures of the health visitors in the families' houses.
• Housing survey. A survey was commissioned by Newcastle City Council which surveyed every household of a red spot baby and reported on the quality and standard of it.

The areas of collection broadly covered health, social issues, parenting (mothers only!), income and family support.