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Approved research

Effect of economic, maternal, psycho-social, and health behavior factors, genetic susceptibility on pregnancies adverse outcomes

Principal Investigator: Dr Sunny Han
Approved Research ID: 52632
Approval date: November 20th 2019

Lay summary

Every year, more than two million stillbirths occur, mainly from preventable causes . Worldwide, infant deaths are attributed to multiple economic, maternal, psycho-social, and health behavior factors . One cohort finding showed that admission of neonatal intensive care unit was significant among newborns born to grand multiparous women . A cohort study in the same country revealed absence of difference in fetal outcomes between grand (5-9 deliveries) and low multiparous (para 2-4) women . A study in low-resource settings revealed that women with less antenatal care and delivered without skilled birth attendant were more likely to have a stillbirth . Additionally, a Zambian study reported that low birth weight was associated with placental abruption, multiple gestation, and preterm delivery . Low socioeconomic status and female sex had also positive association with low birth weight . A cross-sectional study in northern Ethiopia reported the significant association of parity, lack of antenatal care, and male sex with congenital anomalies . There are sufficient sample size in UK Biobank. Therefore, it is important to identify the current situation of pregnancies adverse outcomes in UK Biobank and explorer the related risk factors for pregnancies adverse outcomes. Logistic regression will be used to explore the possible relationship between multiple economic, maternal, psycho-social, and health behavior factors and pregnancies adverse outcomes. And Mendelian randomization analyses will be conducted to obtain unconfounded estimates and establish causal pathways. This project is expected to be conducted in the next 1 years, with a half year for analysis, and another half year for paper writing. Participants with available genetic and environment epidemiology variable of interest will be included in this project. In additional, replication and meta-analysis were also be performed in other cohort studies. In this study, we will examine the current situation of pregnancies adverse outcomes and estimate the novel risk factors for these pregnancies adverse outcomes. We believe these findings will provide a unique opportunity to identify the risk for these pregnancies adverse outcomes, and prevention of adverse outcomes in pregnancy.