What is the study about?
Are you interested in finding out how our microbiome (the DNA of all the ‘bugs’ that live on us and in us) can impact on pregnancies and breastfeeding, in both good and bad ways? Did you know that what you eat, who you date, your physical activity, living environment, and even your ethnicity impacts on your microbiome?
We are currently recruiting people planning a pregnancy for The MothersBabies Study, a world-first pre-pregnancy study looking to uncover how a person’s microbiome changes from pre-pregnancy, throughout pregnancy, up until their child’s 5th birthday, so that mums and bubs the world over may have the healthiest start to life.
Your involvement will for approximately 6-7 years, which includes pre-pregnancy assessment, pregnancy, and 5 year follow up once baby is born. This study is entirely observational, and there is no treatment involved. Your study participation can be either digitally or in-person at a HREC-approved site. You will be informed at time of pre-screening which option you have access to.
Information we ask you provide
At each visit (pre-pregnancy, during pregnancy, and after your child has been born), we will also be asking you to provide information about your diet, in the form of a food diary, so that we can determine if there is a relationship with what you eat, and the effect it has on your microbiome. We will also be documenting your physical activity, by form of a questionnaire, sleep and environmental exposures, impact of COVID-19, record your vital signs, and conduct a body composition.
Information we collect on your child
Once your child is born, we will ask you to collect samples for their microbiome analysis, including stool sample, urine sample, oral swab, and skin swab. We will also collect information on their length, weight, head circumference, general health, wellbeing, mode of feeding, and medications/immunisations. This information can be obtained from your child’s My Personal Health Record (the Blue Book), that you receive when they are born, or collected by a researcher at in-person visits. From 12 months of age, your child will also have their diet assessed using the EPOCH Dietary Questionnaire, their physical activity and screen time assessed using the Movement-Behaviour questionnaire, and we also evaluate sleep quality using the PROMIS Sleep Health Survey.
To take part in The MothersBabies Study, you must:
- be a biological female currently living in Australia
- at least 18 years old
- planning to fall pregnant in the next 12 months (but not currently pregnant)
- be available for the duration of the study (which is approximately 7 years, depending on when you fall pregnant).
You must also be happy to supply us with the following items every 3 months:
- Microbiome samples (stool sample, urine sample, skin, oral & vaginal swabs for mum | stool sample, urine sample, oral & skin swabs for baby)
- Blood sample (clinician collected)
- Diet records using a food diary which we provide to you
- Physical activity surveys
- General health and wellbeing
- All medications currently being used
- Height, weight & waist circumference
- Vital signs
We provide you with everything you will need to obtain these assessments, and your blood test is conducted at a collaborating pathology provider or study site.
