Throughout your pregnancy we would like to collect blood, urine and saliva (spit) samples from you on three occasions during your pregnancy for research.

How many samples would we like to take?

• We would like to take one of each kind of sample (blood, urine and spit), on three occasions during your pregnancy.

Are these samples taken as part of my regular pregnancy care or are they extra samples that I will have to give?

• We will try wherever possible to ensure that your blood and urine samples for the study are taken at the same time you would have your regular blood and urine samples taken. This means that we would just take a little extra sample for the study at the same time your usual pregnancy samples are taken. However, we might not always be able to line these up and so there may be times where our researchers may ask you for extra samples that are only for the study.

• All spit samples are extra samples that wouldn’t normally be collected as part of your pregnancy care.

Who takes my blood, spit and urine samples?

• Our study research assistant/health workers are professionally trained in collecting biological samples (blood, urine and spit) and can take your samples at your next study appointment.

Throughout your pregnancy, and with your permission, we will access your medical records to get data from ultrasounds that you had as part of your normal pregnancy care.

If you are referred to a specialist Obstetrician and Gynaecologist during your pregnancy, as part of your normal pregnancy care, we might ask to take extra measurements of your baby’s kidneys for the study.

At each of your pregnancy study appointments we may ask you to complete a number of surveys.

These may be about:

• Stressful life events and how bad these can be 

• Discrimination

• What you are eating 

• Smoking

• Mental health

• Health and health history

• Demographics (things like income, employment, and education)

When will I do these surveys?

You will be given the chance to do the surveys online at home or in person with the study research assistant/health worker.

Are these surveys a part of my regular pregnancy care or are they extra surveys that I will need to complete?

• Some of these may be done as part of your normal pregnancy care and we will ask your permission to access your medical records so that we can get your answers from there and you aren’t asked the same questions twice.

  • These might include surveys that ask about: mental health, smoking, health and health history and demographics.

• Some of the surveys will be extra surveys specific to the study and wouldn’t normally be asked during your pregnancy care.

  • These might include surveys that ask about: stressful life events and how bad these can be or about what you are eating.

With your permission our team will access your medical records so that we can find out some things about your current pregnancy and delivery as well as past pregnancies.

This is so that we don’t have to repeat surveys, tests or measurements you have already completed as part of your normal pregnancy/health care.

These are things like:

• Your number of previous pregnancies

• If you have had a miscarriage/ delivered a baby early/ had a stillbirth/ delivered a baby with a low birthweight

• Your weight and blood pressure during pregnancy 

• If you have gestational diabetes in your pregnancy 

• Ultrasound measurements

• Pregnancy test results 

• Kidney function results

• Survey results (mental health, smoking, health and health history and demographics surveys)

• Smoking status

• Your baby’s birthweight, gender, length and head size at birth

• Information about the type of labour you had

• Any other health problems