During the period 2017–2021, The Mutaba'ah Study is recruiting 10,000 pregnancies at approximately 12 weeks of gestation from hospitals and clinics in Al Ain city. For each mother/newborn pair, an initial dataset is collected including anthropometric, physiological and biochemical measurements, medical interventions, circumstances of pregnancy, delivery details and neonatal and perinatal growth and health using a combination of questionnaires, interviews and medical record extractions. This baseline data is the starting point from which the children will be followed up and re-surveyed at intervals throughout their life course until the age of 16 years, to explore how familial, socioeconomic and lifestyle factors interact with genetic and environmental factors to influence health outcomes and achievements later in life.

The detailed methodology of the study is described in the published protocol.