The maternal health study: Study design update for a prospective cohort of first‐time mothers and their firstborn children from birth to age ten

Abstract

Background Maternal health is critical to the health and well‐being of children and families, but is rarely the primary focus of pregnancy and birth cohort studies. Globally, poor maternal health and the exposure of women and children to family violence contribute to the perpetuation and persistence of intergenerational health inequalities. Objectives The Maternal Health Study was designed to investigate the contribution of social and obstetric risk factors to common maternal physical and psychological morbidities. Over time, our focus has expanded to include mother‐child pairs and investigation of intergenerational trauma and family violence. Population A total of 1507 first‐time mothers were recruited in early pregnancy from six public hospitals in Melbourne, Australia, in 2003‐2005. Methods Women completed questionnaires or telephone interviews in early pregnancy (≤24 weeks); at 32 weeks’ gestation; at three, six, nine, 12 and 18 months postpartum; and at four and ten years. At ten years, women and children were invited to participate in face‐to‐face interviews, which included direct assessment of children's cognitive and language development. A wide range of obstetric, social and contextual factors have been measured, including exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) (1‐year, 4‐year and 10‐year follow‐up). Results 1507 eligible women were recruited at a mean gestation of 15 weeks. At one year, four years and ten years postpartum, 90.0%, 73.1% and 63.2% of the original cohort took part in follow‐up. One in three women in the study (34.5%) reported exposure to IPV in the first ten years of motherhood: 19% in the first 12 months postpartum, 20% in the year prior to four‐year follow‐up and 18.3% in the year prior to ten‐year follow‐up. Conclusion The study affords a unique opportunity to examine patterns of maternal and child health and health service use associated with exposure to IPV.

Psychosocial factors associated with adolescent depressive and anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Follow-up data were collected from mothers at 3, 6, and 12 months, 4- and 10 years postpartum, and from children at 10 years. Further details are presented in the study protocol (Brown et al, 2006) and update (Brown et al, 2021). Ethical approval for the study was granted by the ethics committee of the participating hospitals, as well as the Human Research Ethics Committee of La Trobe University (2002/38) and the Royal Children’s Hospital (27056A, 33127A, 34058A, and 36189A).…”

Patterns of health service utilisation of mothers experiencing mental health problems and intimate partner violence: Ten-year follow-up of an Australian prospective mother and child cohort

“…It is not possible to calculate a precise response fraction as many women received invitations via more than one pathway. Comparison of participant characteristics with those of all nulliparous women giving birth at Victorian public hospitals during the study period showed that the sample was representative in relation to method of birth, infant birthweight and gestation, but that younger women (18–24 years of age, 14.1% versus 29.8%) and women born overseas of non-English speaking background (16.2% versus 21.5%) were under-represented [ 33 , 34 ]. At enrolment (mean of 15 weeks’ gestation), a majority of women were living with a partner and had completed some post-secondary education (e.g.…”

“…certificate, diploma or university degree). Further information about sample characteristics is available in a recent study update [ 34 ]. Women who participated in 10-year follow-up (63.2% of the original cohort) were more likely to be older, Australian born, tertiary educated, not in receipt of a government health care card, and less likely to have reported IPV or depressive symptoms in the year following the birth of their first child ( S1 Table ).…”

Intimate partner violence during infancy and cognitive outcomes in middle childhood: Results from an Australian community‐based mother and child cohort study

“…IPV refers to a “constellation of abuse” which includes controlling and intimidating behaviors, and such emotional abuse tactics can also have detrimental effects for women and children's health, making it important to include emotional abuse in conceptualizations of IPV (Dobash & Dobash, 2004). Additionally, few studies have been conducted with community samples, and very few have included repeated measurement of IPV at multiple timepoints across childhood (Brown et al, 2021).…”