To expand the reach of its crowdsourcing pregnancy research project, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently launched a Spanish version of PregSource®. The project, led by the NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), aims to establish a comprehensive picture of the pregnancy experience to inform strategies for improving maternal and obstetric healthcare.
Unlike other pregnancy research projects that rely on healthcare providers and researchers to gather information, PregSource gathers data directly from pregnant women through confidential, online questionnaires. The English version of PregSource launched in January 2018.
Now, English- and Spanish-speaking pregnant women can provide information about their pregnancy experiences, such as nausea, sleep patterns and weight gain. Both versions of PregSource also include a medication tracker, allowing women to log their use of prescription drugs, supplements and over-the-counter medications during pregnancy.
“Having questionnaires and information in both English and Spanish improves our ability to gather data from a diverse audience,” said Caroline Signore, M.D., M.P.H., principal investigator for PregSource and deputy director of NICHD's Division of Extramural Research. “We’re excited about the possibilities for understanding more about pregnancy.”
Women who sign up for PregSource can chart changes to their weight, sleep, mood, morning sickness and physical activity throughout their pregnancy and share this information with their healthcare providers. They can compare their experiences to those of other participants and access information and resources from experts on pregnancy, childbirth and child development. PregSource also offers the ability to track experiences for three months after giving birth, which helps to capture information on breastfeeding experiences, short-term medical issues and the transition back to work.
Dr. Signore added that the PregSource research team is working on a mobile app that will make it easier for participants to log information anytime, from anywhere. The app will be available in both English and Spanish.
###
About the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD): NICHD leads research and training to understand human development, improve reproductive health, enhance the lives of children and adolescents, and optimize abilities for all. For more information, visit https://www.nichd.nih.gov.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit https://www.nih.gov
BACK TO TOP