The STORK dataset: Linked midwifery and delivery records of the mothers and index children in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC)

This data note describes the linked antenatal and delivery records of the mothers and index children of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) birth cohort study. These records were extracted from the computerised maternity record system ‘STORK’ used by the two largest NHS trusts in the study catchment area. The STORK database was designed to be populated by midwives and other health professionals during a woman’s pregnancy and shortly after the baby’s birth. These early computer records were initiated in the early 1990s, shortly before the start of enrolment to ALSPAC. At this time the use of electronic medical record systems such as ‘STORK’ was very new, the accuracy of the records has been questioned and little contemporary detailed documentation is available. Small sample spot checks on the accuracy of the information in ‘STORK’ suggests extensive missingness and differences against gold-standard fieldworker abstracted information in some variables; yet high levels of completeness and agreement with gold-standard data in others. Software code was created using STATA (StataCorp LLC) to transform the original CSV (comma-separated values) files into a cohesive and consistent format which was reviewed for data-completeness for its potential use in future research. The cleaned ‘STORK’ records provide health, social and maternity data from the very earliest period of the ALSPAC study in an easily accessible format, which is particularly useful when other sources of data are missing.