Watch the full recording of the event
CHILD held its first national Town Hall on April 25th, 2026. Dozens of CHILD youth and parents attended this online event from all four sites across Canada.
During the session, CHILD staff and research leaders, together with NPEC families members, introduced the 16-year (16Y) visit, shared updates on CHILD research and initiatives, and answered questions.
“Thank you to all the families who joined us—it was lovely to connect with you!” commented event organizer Anitha Ithayalingam, manager of Knowledge Mobilization and Participant Engagement.
“We are so grateful for your interest and input. You made numerous suggestions in this discussion that we will definitely be acting on!”
Major points of discussion included:
- How the 16Y visits were co-designed with CHILD youth
- What’s new in the 16Y visit compared to past visits
- All about the new wearable: the Oura Ring
- Why stool samples are so important to the Study
A full recording of the event can be played above; a report summarizing the discussion can be downloaded here.
Internationally renowned CHILD breastmilk researcher Dr. Meghan Azad, who is also knowledge mobilization co-chair for the Study, hosted the event.
Dr. Charisse Peterson, CHILD Deputy Director; Elissa Brooks, CHILD Program Manager; Anitha Ithayalingam, mentioned above; and Dr. Fiona Brinkman, who oversees the CHILD database, represented CHILD staff and researchers.
From the National Participant Engagement Committee (NPEC), parents Aaron (Toronto) and Tasha (Vancouver), as well as youth participant Brynn (Toronto), summarized the 1-year feedback received by poll from CHILD participants.