Participating in ongoing research studies benefits you and your community.

Research Projects

Participating in a research study may not have a direct impact on you now, but it could be of significant benefit to future women who become pregnant or are new mothers. If a large number of women in your region participate in a research study, we can collect better information on the region itself (such as the environment) or how a new treatment might better help women in the local population.

The Queen’s Perinatal Research Unit actively recruits and participates in research projects run by Investigators from Queen’s University. Topics include “pre-eclampsia and cardiovascular disease” and “public understanding of science” as well as studies coordinated on a national/international level. If you live in the Kingston, Ontario area and are interested in a study, please contact us at info@themothersprogram.ca and we will direct you to those who are running the studies.

The Maternal Health Clinic

The goal of The MotHERS Program is to improve Mother’s Health through Education, Research and Screening. Improving the mother’s health affects the health of the entire family. Pregnancy is essentially a stress test - what happens to you during pregnancy can indicate your risk of developing a health problem in the future. In order to study the future health risks of any pregnancy complications, we are starting a Mother’s Health clinic in which we will be inviting women to come for a 6 month postpartum clinic assessment if they have had one of the following pregnancy complications:

  • Pre-eclampsia, gestational hypertension, HELLP syndrome, eclampsia, high blood pressure
  • Gestational diabetes or gestational impaired glucose tolerance
  • Preterm birth for any reason
  • Small baby (<5th percentile for your gestational age or <2500g at term),
  • Placental abruption that leads to delivery

20.58% of all women who delivered in the province of Ontario in the last five years had one or more of these complications and are at increased risk of developing future cardiovascular disease. The women who will be seen in the Mother’s Health clinic will have their weight and height checked and their waist and BMI measured. Blood work for lipids, cholesterol and glucose will also be done and any other information related to risk for heart disease will be collected.