What if the families you worked with had the opportunity to provide information that will improve maternal-infant health? How would it be if they had the power to influence and improve the future of healthcare for pregnant people across the United States? What if, by simply tracking their pregnancy, each of them could help disprove common pregnancy myths and re-create what we know about pregnancy? Lamaze International is proud to partner with the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and other organizations to support the PregSource research project. PregSource asks pregnant people questions about their health and allows them to track and share their everyday experiences using a free, confidential website. The data captured by the site will help inform health care for future parents and their babies. Lamaze International is built on the foundations of evidence and best practice. This opportunity is invaluable in helping researchers to obtain information that can be directly applicable to improving outcomes and building on best practice for future pregnant families.
This unique initiative aims to build a more complete picture of day-to-day pregnancy by collecting data directly from pregnant people. The information obtained from participants will be aggregated (no one will be linked to the information they provide) and ultimately lead to strategies for improving obstetric care.
PregSource data will help answer important questions, such as:
- What are the patterns of weight gain during pregnancy, and how do they affect maternal, fetal, and infant health?
- How do other factors - such as medication use, diet, and exercise - change over the course of the pregnancy?
- How do people with particular challenges, such as physical disabilities or chronic diseases, experience pregnancy and new parenthood?
The project uses confidential online questionnaires and health trackers to chart participants' weight, sleep, mood, morning sickness, and physical activity over time. Participants' data are collected for research purposes only, and identifiable information is kept anonymous and secure. Because it is a government-funded research project, PregSource will not sell or share participants' personal information with any group, and participants will not be exposed to ads or other marketing tactics.
PregSource also allows participants to:
- Share updates with their health care provider
- Compare their experience with pregnant people around the nation
- Get expert health information from trusted sources
PregSource is open to any pregnant person age 18 to 70. There is no fee to join and participants are not paid for participating. All of the information provided to PregSource will be maintained in a secure database, and any information that could identify an individual will not be shared without their express written consent unless otherwise required by law. De-identified data (information where all personal identifiers such as name, address, and email have been removed) will be made available to researchers in the hope that analyses of these data will lead to research advances to improve health for pregnant people.
Join Lamaze International in supporting an initiative to help shape the future of obstetric care. Encourage your pregnant families to join PregSource. Please share this post with your families, or consider including information in your class newsletters and handouts. Here is a flyer that you are free to use and distribute as well. Look for an interview with the principal investigator on the PregSource project next month as we learn more about this exciting research opportunity that pregnant families can join.