Denmark is facing a new advance in medical research with the development of a new digital register, called the Historical Medical Birth Register, supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. The register will contain data on almost four million Danes, taken from handwritten records in the Danish National Archives, covering the period from 1926 to 1973.
In the project, the midwives’ protocols will be digitized and linked to the Central Population Register (CPR), similar to our national register. The register will provide detailed information about birth, including factors such as birth weight, length and prematurity.
Jennifer Baker, Head of Research at the Center for Clinical Research and Prevention, and Jeppe Klok Due, Chief Consultant at the National Archives, are leading the project. Baker sees great potential in the database and says that it will give researchers access to a research resource with unprecedented detail.
According to National Archivist Morten Ellegaard, Denmark is uniquely positioned to develop a registry of this type and size, which can improve our understanding of public health.
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At Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen, previous research has already indicated a clear link between low birth weight and the development of type 2 diabetes and other health problems. Senior consultant Allan Vaag believes that the new birth register will provide significant opportunities to expand our knowledge of how birth weight affects health and disease in a lifelong perspective.
The project will also use artificial intelligence to digitize the old handwritten documents, a method that will be central to ensuring the quality of the final register.
The Historical Medical Birth Registry is expected to be ready by the end of 2028 and will be able to be integrated with other Danish registries, which will strengthen the foundation for medical research in Denmark. This project has the potential to revolutionize the understanding of how birth factors affect health across generations and can contribute to better public health management in the future.
