Antenatal

We will collect information about you and your pregnancy from your medical records.

We will also talk to you (for around 45 minutes) to collect information that may not be recorded in your medical records. We may ask you to do this before your baby is born or up to two weeks after your baby is born. You can do it all in one go, or split it up into shorter sessions to suit you. We will ask about your pregnancy, health and well-being, life experiences, and family/home circumstances because this information is relevant for understanding child development.

We will collect a stool sample from you, preferably before you give birth, or soon afterwards if before birth is not possible (it will take no more than 15 minutes to collect). Stool (faeces) contain lots of bacteria. The number and type of bacteria in stool is important for long term health. There is some evidence that early life events, such as type of delivery, type of milk feed and the need for antibiotics can change the bacteria in a baby’s stool. We want to find out the effect of preterm birth on these bacteria, and whether it matters for babies in the long run. Some research has also shown that mums might pass their bacteria onto their baby. By looking at the bacteria in the mum’s stool, and comparing it to bacteria in the infant’s stool, we can know some more about how babies receive their first stool bacteria, and what this might mean for long term health. The sample may be sent to specialist laboratories to be analysed.

We have a short video that explains what will happen if you take part.  Click here to watch the video without subtitles, or click here to watch with subtitles.