Understanding and preventing severe complications during and after pregnancy
Building a causal pathway framework to identify interventions to prevent severe maternal morbidity
This research aims to understand why severe complications happen during and after pregnancy and find ways to prevent them for pregnant women across the United States.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11132882 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The United States faces a serious challenge with maternal health, as more women experience severe complications during and after pregnancy than in other high-income countries. While some past efforts have looked at medical factors, this project believes that social factors and access to care also play a big role. We are creating a unique dataset from millions of births across six states to explore how community resources, healthcare access, and other health-related factors contribute to these risks. By understanding these connections, we hope to identify practical steps that can help improve maternal health outcomes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This research is focused on understanding factors affecting all pregnant women, particularly those at risk for severe complications, rather than recruiting individual patients.
Not a fit: Patients not currently pregnant or those without risk factors for severe maternal morbidity may not directly benefit from the immediate findings of this population-level data analysis.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new strategies and policies that reduce severe maternal complications and improve the safety of childbirth for many women.
How similar studies have performed: While prior research has focused on clinical factors, this approach is novel in its comprehensive look at social and healthcare access determinants of severe maternal morbidity.
Where this research is happening
Stanford, United States
- Stanford University — Stanford, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Carmichael, Suzan L — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Carmichael, Suzan L
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.