How the pandemic affected mothers and young children in Black families
Prenatal to Preschool: The Impact of the Pandemic on Mothers and children, with a focus on syndemic effects on Black families
This project looks at how pandemic-related stresses shaped the health and development of pregnant people and their children up to preschool age, with attention to Black families.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Children's Hosp of Philadelphia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11090380 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From your perspective, researchers will follow moms starting around pregnancy and continue checking in through the preschool years to see how stress during the pandemic shaped moms' mental health, parenting, and children's early development. They will use questionnaires, clinical assessments, observations of parent-child interaction, and neighborhood or socioeconomic data to understand multiple influences. The team will combine these methods over time to identify patterns that link maternal experiences and environments to child neurodevelopment and mental health. The goal is to pinpoint families most affected so future supports can be better targeted and personalized.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are pregnant or recently postpartum women and their children through preschool age, particularly women from Black communities who experienced pandemic-related hardships.
Not a fit: People without young children, those outside the pregnancy/postpartum or preschool age range, or families not similar to the populations studied may not see direct benefit from this specific work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help create earlier, more tailored supports for maternal mental health and children's development, especially in Black families.
How similar studies have performed: Prior long-term studies have linked maternal stress to child development, but focusing on pandemic-era syndemic effects in Black families is a newer and less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
Philadelphia, United States
- Children's Hosp of Philadelphia — Philadelphia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Njoroge, Wanjiku Felicia Mbugua — Children's Hosp of Philadelphia
- Study coordinator: Njoroge, Wanjiku Felicia Mbugua
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.