KOALA is an acronym (in Dutch) for: Child, parents and health: lifestyle and genetic constitution.

In this birth cohort study more than 2500 children born between the years 2001 en 2003 are being followed from pregnancy into adulthood, together with their families. Most of the participating families are living in the south of the Netherlands

The study addresses two major themes:

A unique feature of the KOALA-study is the enrichment with families with alternative lifestyles including biologic food choice and anthroposophic philosophy. This facilitates the study of a broad spectrum of factors that influence child development and health. The study combines both social science and biomedical approaches, including biomarker and genetic studies. 
Publications (PubMed)

Collaborative research

The KOALA-study is open for collaborative research. Information on the availability of data and biobanked biosamples, the conditions for their use, and contact information can be found at www.birthcohorts.net/birthcohorts/birthcohort/?id=143