Follow-up of the first national birth cohort: findings from the Medical Research Council National Survey of Health and Development.

The medical work of a 40 year birth cohort study is described in order to show the continuing associations of childhood factors with later life health, behaviour, illness and survival. Comparisons with the health of children born at later times show the importance of a sensitive monitoring of changes in child health. A summary of work on social and psychological topics is also given, together with a complete list of publications from the study.