Understanding Stress, Social Support, and Preterm Birth
Stress Phenotypes and Preterm Birth: Immune and Energetic Cellular Dysregulation and the Preventive Effect of Social Support
This work explores how stress and social support during pregnancy might affect a woman's immune system and energy levels, which could lead to preterm birth.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-10795674 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Preterm birth affects many women and babies, leading to serious health issues for both mothers and children, including conditions like ADHD. We know that stress and past childhood trauma can increase the risk of preterm birth, and these risks are much higher for Black women. This project aims to understand how these experiences are biologically 'remembered' in the body, specifically by looking at mitochondria and the immune system. We hope to discover how social support might protect against these effects and help prevent preterm birth.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for related future studies would be pregnant women, particularly those experiencing stress or with a history of childhood trauma, and especially Black women due to existing health disparities.
Not a fit: Patients who are not pregnant or are not at risk for preterm birth would not directly benefit from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new ways to predict and prevent preterm birth, improving health outcomes for mothers and their babies.
How similar studies have performed: Previous attempts to find biomarkers for preterm birth have not been successful, making this approach to understanding intergenerational risk and biological embedding quite novel.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Columbia University Health Sciences — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Monk, Catherine E — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Monk, Catherine 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.