FAQ

Participating in the Maternal Health Study 

 

1. What will my participation in the study look like?

  • We will ask that you fill out two surveys: one at the start of your enrollment and one approximately 1-2 months postpartum.
    • At the start of your enrollment, you will fill out a brief 10-15 min survey about your mental and physical health, as well as information about your environment.
    • At 1-2 months postpartum, you will fill out a 5 min survey about your mental health, access to resources, and your baby’s health.
  • We will also follow up with an optional 30-min phone interview to get more in depth information about your experiences with your current pregnancy.
  • We will collect blood samples from you during your second trimester doctor’s appointment at Cottage Hospital and again at labor. These two blood samples will be collected during your visits. No additional appointments will be required. Blood samples will be used to examine mom’s and baby’s genetic material (DNA) as well as other important health indicators.
    • At your second trimester doctor’s appointment, the nurse will draw one extra tube of blood for the study.
    • At labor, the nurse will draw one tube of blood from the umbilical cord. This will not cause the baby any pain because cord blood is collected after the umbilical cord has already been cut.
  • Click here to view our study consent form

 

 

2. How can my family be involved with the study?

  • Because DNA is inherited from both parents, we are interested in understanding if there is intergenerational transfer of DNA from other relatives. Close relatives (i.e., your children, birth mother, partner, and/or siblings) can be involved in the study!
  • If close relatives are interested in participating, we will reach out to them to provide more information. They will only have to provide us with a saliva sample. Children under 18 years old will need parent consent.
  • Saliva collection is quick, painless, and can be completed at home.
  • We will provide the saliva kits free of charge, including free return shipping to send the saliva sample(s) back to our lab.
  • Click here to view our saliva sample consent form - this form will be used for all participants over the age of 18 who provide saliva samples
  • Click here to view our representative saliva consent form - for legally authorized representatives of saliva sample providers under the age of 18

 

3. Will I get paid for my participation?

  • Yes! You will receive up to $50 in electronic Amazon gift cards emailed to you. You will receive $25 after you’ve completed the first blood draw and the other $25 after completing the optional phone interview.

 

4. Will this cost me anything?

  • No, participating in the study will cost you nothing.
  • You also will not have to schedule any additional medical appointments.
  • If any close relatives want to participate in the study, we will mail them an easy-to-use saliva collection kit and a return envelope free of charge.

 

5. What if I am already over 20 weeks into my pregnancy?

  • If you are already past 20 weeks of pregnancy, you are still able to enroll in the study. In this case, you will be asked to complete the survey/ phone interview and will provide only one blood sample at labor.

 

6. How do I know if I am eligible to participate?

  • All pregnant individuals who plan to give birth at Cottage Hospital are eligible to enroll.
  • Any close biological relatives of the mother or baby are eligible to provide saliva samples. This includes aunts, uncles, grandparents, and even the sperm or egg donor (if applicable).

 

7. How will you use my data?

  • Your biological data will be de-identified and stored indefinitely. This data will only be used for the purposes of the study goals- analysis for genetic contributions to mom’s and baby’s health.
  • Cottage Health professionals will de-identify your data, so no personal identifying information will be made available to the researchers.
  • Please refer to the consent form for more detailed information

 

8. I am not a woman. Can I still enroll?

  • Yes! We acknowledge that women are not the only people who can become pregnant. We welcome all pregnant people in our study, including people of all gender identities