Can you tell me more about the study? 

We are conducting a study that seeks to understand how the mental and physical well-being of pregnant people and their babies is affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The results will help to better understand and improve the well-being of future parents and pregnant people during this time of uncertainty, stress and anxiety. Participants are asked to complete questionnaires at various times during pregnancy, after childbirth and during their baby's first few years of life.

This study was approved by the University of Calgary Joint Health Research Ethics Board, Ethics ID REB: 20-0500. If you have any further questions, please message us at your convenience and we will get back to you as soon as possible.  

What does the study involve? 

Participants are asked to complete questionnaires at several timepoints during pregnancy, after delivery, and in the first few years of their baby’s life. The initial questionnaire requires 30 - 40 minutes to complete and the follow-up questionnaires require about 15-20 minutes to complete. These follow-up questionnaires ask about their experience of pregnancy during COVID-19, mental health, coping and resiliency, delivery, and your child’s health and development. We launched the 2 year postpartum questionnaire in May 2022.

In optional follow-up studies, we are also collecting biological samples, such as hair and saliva in order to learn more about the ways that stress affects biological indicators of stress in pregnant people and their babies.   

Who can participate?

We have closed general recruitment and are no longer enrolling new participants into the study.

When was the study launched? 

We launched this study in April 2020, near the beginning of the pandemic in Canada. As we have been gathering data throughout the pandemic, we hope data collected will help us better understand the experiences of future parents and pregnant people during this time of uncertainty, stress and anxiety. 

What are the results of the study so far? Where can I find the final results when they are published? 

You can read about the findings of this study at www.pregnancyduringthepandemic.com/publications, where we will be sharing updates on our results. We will also be sure to share them to our social media accounts.  

I have questions about my pregnancy or about COVID-19. Can you answer them? 

Unfortunately, we can only offer information about the study and cannot provide medical advice. We recommend you speak to your physician about any questions or concerns you may have about the health of you or your baby, or about COVID-19.