Predicting pregnancy and newborn iron-deficiency risk linked to stress during pregnancy
Official title: Machine learning methods to assess risk for prenatal and neonatal iron deficiency anemia from maternal stress exposure
Funded at Northeastern University · NIH-11163567 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses computer models to predict which pregnant people and their newborns might develop iron-deficiency anemia after stress during pregnancy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northeastern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $241,749 |
| NIH project number | 5R00HD109373-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11163567 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be pregnant people—especially in the third trimester—and their newborns, particularly when the mother experienced significant psychosocial stress during pregnancy.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not pregnant, or whose iron status and pregnancy outcomes are unrelated to psychosocial stress, are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
From my point of view, researchers will combine health records, questionnaires about stress, and biological measures from pregnant people and newborns to find patterns. They will use machine learning to link maternal psychosocial stress, inflammation and hormone signals, and iron tests to see who is most at risk. The team may analyze blood markers and other samples and could use existing cohort data to train their models. The goal is to spot high-risk pregnancies earlier so doctors can try targeted prevention or monitoring.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help identify pregnant people and newborns at high risk for iron-deficiency anemia earlier so they can get preventive care or closer monitoring.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has linked maternal stress to infant iron problems, but combining behavioral and biological signals with machine learning for prediction is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Northeastern University
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Reid, Brie M — Northeastern University
- Study coordinator: Reid, Brie M
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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.