Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 4, 2026
A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting
Published on: January 12, 2018
The Preconception Period analysis of Risks and Exposures Influencing health and Development (PrePARED) consortium
Emily W Harville1, Gita D Mishra2, Edwina Yeung3
1Department of Epidemiology, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Insights
The PrePARED consortium unites 23 cohorts to study preconception exposures and their impact on maternal and child health outcomes. This research aims to improve health across generations by analyzing risks before conception.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Perinatal Epidemiology
- Intergenerational Health Studies
Background:
- Preconception health is recognized for its potential intergenerational influences.
- Existing literature faces methodological, conceptual, and generalizability challenges.
- The Preconception Period Analysis of Risks and Exposures influencing health and Development (PrePARED) research consortium was established to address these gaps.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of preconception exposures on key health outcomes.
- To examine impacts on fertility, miscarriage, pregnancy complications, and perinatal/child health.
- To explore long-term adult health outcomes influenced by preconception factors.
Main Methods:
- Inclusion criteria require studies with preconception data, core data elements, and openness to collaboration and harmonization.
- The consortium comprises prospective cohorts, clinical trials, and record linkages.
- Data analysis will involve harmonizing data across cohorts, with initial focus on nutrition, obesity, substance use, and cardiovascular risk factors.
Main Results:
- The PrePARED consortium includes 23 cohorts with data on nearly 200,000 women, initiated in 2018.
- Participating studies encompass those actively planning pregnancy, general population cohorts, and others with linked preconception data.
- Lack of prospectively collected preconception data was a primary reason for ineligibility in assessed cohorts.
Conclusions:
- The PrePARED consortium represents a significant resource for advancing research in preconception health.
- Findings have broad implications for scientific understanding, clinical practice, and public health policy.
- This collaborative effort aims to enhance health outcomes across generations by understanding preconception influences.
Background:
Preconception health may have intergenerational influences. We have formed the PrePARED (Preconception Period Analysis of Risks and Exposures influencing health and Development) research consortium to address methodological, conceptual, and generalisability gaps in the literature.
Objectives:
The consortium will investigate the effects of preconception exposures on four sets of outcomes: (1) fertility and miscarriage; (2) pregnancy-related conditions; (3) perinatal and child health; and (4) adult health outcomes.
Population:
A study is eligible if it has data measured for at least one preconception time point, has a minimum of selected core data, and is open to collaboration and data harmonisation.
Design:
The included studies are a mix of studies following women or couples intending to conceive, general-health cohorts that cover the reproductive years, and pregnancy/child cohort studies that have been linked with preconception data. The majority of the participating studies are prospective cohorts, but a few are clinical trials or record linkages.
Methods:
Data analysis will begin with harmonisation of data collected across cohorts. Initial areas of interest include nutrition and obesity; tobacco, marijuana, and other substance use; and cardiovascular risk factors.
Preliminary Results:
Twenty-three cohorts with data on almost 200 000 women have combined to form this consortium, begun in 2018. Twelve studies are of women or couples actively planning pregnancy, and six are general-population cohorts that cover the reproductive years; the remainder have some other design. The primary focus for four was cardiovascular health, eight was fertility, one was environmental exposures, three was child health, and the remainder general women's health. Among other cohorts assessed for inclusion, the most common reason for ineligibility was lack of prospectively collected preconception data.
Conclusions:
The consortium will serve as a resource for research in many subject areas related to preconception health, with implications for science, practice, and policy.
More Related Videos
05:13Preclinical Model of Prenatal Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Exposure to Assess Its Impact on Neurodevelopmental Outcomes
Published on: February 28, 2025
07:31Implementation of a Real-Time Psychosis Risk Detection and Alerting System Based on Electronic Health Records using CogStack
Published on: May 15, 2020
Related Concept Videos
01:23Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast,...
01:25Strategies for Assessing and Addressing Confounding
Confounding can be addressed at both the design phase of a study and through analytical methods after data...
01:30Preventive Healthcare Services
01:28Preclinical Development: Overview
01:07Teratogenicity
01:26Levels of Health Promotion and Illness Prevention
In primary prevention, actions taken before disease onset prevent the disease from...