Project Viva is a ground breaking longitudinal research study of women and children. The goal of Project Viva is to find ways to improve the health of mothers and their children by looking at the effects of mother's diet and other factors during pregnancy on her health and the health of her child. The information we collect enables us to investigate, for example, the effects of diet on child development and obesity, how diet and the environment influence the development of asthma in children, and how a woman's pregnancy is affected lifetime experiences of racism or violence. These are just a few of the many things Project Viva is exploring, thanks to the dedicated women and their children who enrolled in the study. Project Viva is funded primarily by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the March of Dimes Foundation, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The origins of Project Viva go back over a decade. Dr. Gillman and his colleagues were intrigued by the notion, then just emerging, that what happens very early in life - even before birth - can have effects on the health of infants, children, perhaps adults too. They became particularly interested in how a woman's diet during pregnancy can affect the health of her children. To answer these questions, Dr. Gillman and his colleagues submitted an application for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to fund Project Viva.

Before Viva could get underway in full swing, a pilot study was needed to see if the proposed Viva enrollment strategy and questionnaires would work as designed. In 1998 we did this study. In February of 1999, the results from the pilot study showed that Project Viva was on the right track. We then got the financial support from the NIH, and we began enrolling pregnant women in April of 1999.

Since the pilot study, Viva moms and kids have provided a great deal of valuable information for Project Viva. In addition to yearly questionnaires about health and environment, moms and kids have participated in visits that involve blood draws, blood pressure readings, body measurements, interviews and developmental games. For more information about Project Viva, please visit the Milestones and Visit Information sections of our website.