Study Results

Here we highlight findings from our study in easy-to-understand formats such as posters, videos, and infographics. Links to published scientific articles are also available.

Protocol for the Pregnancy During the Pandemic (PdP) Study

The Pregnancy During the Pandemic (PdP) study was designed to investigate the associations among exposure to objective hardship caused by the pandemic, perceived stress and psychological distress in Canadian pregnant individuals, and developmental outcomes in their offspring.

Publication link

Geographic distribution of study participants by postal code
(Click the image to enlarge it in a new tab)

Feature Publication

Making diversity visible: Collecting gender identity and sexual orientation data in perinatal research

Publication link

Click through the images below to open the infographic in a new tab for easier viewing.

Publications

Prenatal depressive symptoms are associated with altered structural brain networks in infants and moderated by infant sleep

Symptoms of depression in mothers during pregnancy may impact early development in brain networks important for emotional regulation. However, longer infant sleep duration appeared to buffer these effects, suggesting that sleep may play a role in infant brain network development.

(Infographic to come soon)

Publication link

Prenatal Maternal Distress During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Associations With Infant Brain Connectivity

Publication link

Sleep and mental health in pregnancy during COVID-19: A parallel process growth model

Publication link

Fear of COVID-19, mental health, and pregnancy outcomes in the pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic study

Publication link

Alcohol and substance use in pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic

Publication link

Prenatal care disruptions and associations with maternal mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic

Publication link

Elevated depression and anxiety symptoms among pregnant individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic

Publication link

These posters were presented at various local, national, and international conferences. Click the image to open the poster in a new tab for easier viewing.

Poster Presentations

Trajectories of depression and anxiety in pregnancy individuals during the first wave of COVID-19 (Copy)

Presented by Dr. Charlie Rioux at the Harvard Women in Psychology Trends in Psychology Summit and 2021 Canadian Psychological Association National Convention.

Can probiotic use improve sleep patterns and reduce crying episodes in infants? (Copy)

Presented by Greis Beharaj at the 2022 Owerko Centre Conference in Calgary, Alberta.

Dads need sleep too: Associations between sleep duration and paternal postpartum mental health during the COVID-19 (Copy)

Presented by Jasleen Kaur at the 2023 Canadian Psychological Association National Convention and 2023 Canadian National Perinatal Research Meeting.

Pregnancy during the pandemic: Relationship between prenatal anxiety, depression, and infant temperament (Copy)

Presented by Katherine Silang at the 2022 Canadian Psychological Association National Convention.

Associations between prenatal depressive symptoms, infant temperament and the maternal gut microbiome (Copy)

Presented by Stuti Patel at the CPA 2022 Annual General Meeting and National Convention, Canadian National Perinatal Research Meeting, and Having IMPACTT 2 symposium.

Reduced fresh fruit and vegetable consumption during COVID-19 pandemic in pregnant women (Copy)

Presented by Yanan Wang at the 2021 Canada National Perinatal Research Meeting.

What about partners? Mental health of pregnant people's partners during COVID-19 (Copy)

Presented by Jasleen Kaur at the 2022 Canadian Psychological Association National Convention, 2022 Canadian Perinatal Child Health Research Meeting, and the 2022 Owerko Centre Conference in Calgary, Alberta.