How stress reactions during pregnancy may affect the placenta and pregnancy results
Stress reactivity and adverse placental and pregnancy outcomes
This project looks at how pregnant people's daily stress reactions—measured with heart rate, blood pressure, saliva cortisol, and mood reports—relate to placental changes and pregnancy outcomes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11299058 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, you'll wear devices that record heart rate variability and blood pressure, provide saliva samples for cortisol, and answer short mood surveys several day to capture real-life stress responses. Researchers will combine these intensive, personalized measures of physiological and emotional reactivity with information about past life stress. After delivery, your placenta will be examined and pregnancy outcomes will be recorded to see which stress-response patterns link to adverse placental findings or complications. The study aims to connect everyday stress reactions over the life course with how the placenta and pregnancy fare.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Pregnant people who are willing to wear monitors, provide repeated saliva samples, and complete brief daily mood surveys are the best fit for this work.
Not a fit: People who are not pregnant or who cannot comply with frequent monitoring, sample collection, or follow-up visits are unlikely to be eligible or to gain direct benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could help identify pregnant people at higher risk for placental problems so they could receive earlier monitoring or targeted support.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has linked dysregulated stress reactivity to cardiovascular risk in non-pregnant populations, but using intensive daily stress measures to predict placental or pregnancy problems is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, United States
- Northwestern University — Chicago, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kershaw, Kiarri N — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Kershaw, Kiarri N
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.