Understanding health differences that begin before birth across several sites
Advancing understanding of health disparities beginning before birth: A multisite study
This project looks at how daily pregnancy stress and partner support relate to mothers' and newborns' health for people enrolled in their second and third trimesters.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Georgia State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11109556 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, you would complete two-week daily diaries about stress during each trimester and wear or attend sessions for heart-rate and heart-rate-variability measurements later in pregnancy. The team will record both maternal and fetal physiological signals in the third trimester and test newborn neurobehavior within 48 hours after birth. Researchers will also conduct interviews to hear about your pregnancy experiences and how partner behaviors or coping strategies helped or did not help. Data will come from multiple clinical sites to compare experiences across different communities.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who are currently pregnant in their second or third trimester and willing to complete daily diaries, physiological monitoring, and post-birth assessments are the ideal participants.
Not a fit: People who are not pregnant, are only in early first trimester, cannot complete daily diaries or attend site visits, or need immediate clinical treatment for pregnancy complications are unlikely to benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: This work could reveal how daily stress and partner support affect preterm birth and newborn health, guiding ways to reduce disparities before and shortly after birth.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has connected prenatal stress to preterm birth and low birth weight, but collecting daily biological measures and combining them with partner-behavior and qualitative data is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Atlanta, United States
- Georgia State University — Atlanta, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Carter, Sierra E — Georgia State University
- Study coordinator: Carter, Sierra E
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.