Along with proud parents, mum Lisa Patel and dad Bahadur Singh, Born in Bradford is celebrating the arrival of Ambar Sodi.

Ambar was born at Bradford Royal Infirmary on February 3, weighing 6lb 7oz.

Her parents knew she would be very important to them – but did not realise that she would also be significant for the Born in Bradford health research project.

For Ambar is the 10,000th BiB baby to be born since the project started signing up mums in March 2007.

It is a joint project spearheaded by Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; NHS Bradford and Airedale; and the University of Bradford.

Drawing upon the experiences of its cohort of families, the Born in Bradford team has started many powerful research studies, which will tell doctors more about every aspect of our community’s health, ranging from the most common conditions to some of the most rare.

This work includes projects which will equip Bradford researchers with vital information about childhood obesity, kidney disease, allergies and infections; sudden infant deaths, such as cot deaths, and many other conditions To mark the latest milestone, Ambar was captured on film by Bradford-born photographer Ian Beesley, BiB’s artist-in-residence.

“Our original target was to recruit 10,000 families,” said BiB programme manager Dr Pauline Raynor. “The response from parents has been so positive that we have decided to go on recruiting until the end of the year when we will have around 13,500 babies in the cohort.”

“The project has captured the support and imagination of the Bradford community and recruitment rates remain very high at more than 80 per cent. We are grateful to the community for this endorsement of what we are hoping to achieve, for present and future generations.”

Lisa is a ‘Brummie’ by birth, but she was pleased to be asked to sign up for the project and glad that her family could make a difference for other families in Bradford. She said: “The project sounded so interesting when it was explained to me. I am glad to join in with something that will benefit my grandchildren.”