DP3 Study

STUDY BASICS

Are you in your first trimester of pregnancy? Are you planning to deliver at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital? You may be able to participate in an observational research study to help understand the factors that contribute to a healthy pregnancy. Study visits will overlap with your prenatal appointments, delivery, and postpartum care. Compensation is provided.

STUDY PURPOSE

During pregnancy, many factors can impact the health of a mother and her child. The purpose of this study is to learn more about changes that occur in a woman’s body during pregnancy and to better understand what contributes to a healthy pregnancy. We want to learn about factors that could affect you and your baby's health. Women can have high blood pressure during pregnancy ("preeclampsia"), give birth early ("preterm labor"), or the baby may be too small ("fetal growth restriction").  We hope that the findings of this study will lead to better ways to identify, prevent, and treat health conditions affecting women and children in the future.

COULD THIS STUDY BE RIGHT FOR YOU?

• Women aged 18 and up
• Currently in the first trimester of pregnancy
• Pregnant with only one baby
• Plan to deliver at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA, or Magee-Womens, UPMC Hamot in Erie, PA

WHAT PARTICIPANTS CAN EXPECT

Participants will take part in the study throughout their pregnancy and delivery (every 8 weeks over 9 months). During the in-person study visits, which can be coordinated with prenatal appointments, participants will provide blood, urine, and hair samples. Outside of study visits, participants will wear a Fitbit activity tracker, use a home-monitor for environmental information, self-collect vaginal and stool samples, and complete questionnaires. After delivery, placenta and umbilical cord blood samples and samples of your infant’s first bowel movement, which would otherwise be discarded, will be collected.