Building research capacity in the maternal health and maternal morbidity in Ireland study: Second baby follow-up, intervention development and testing, and measurement of costs (MAMMI-SIM)
The MAMMI study (Maternal health And Maternal Morbidity in Ireland), Phase 1, is in progress at present. It will identify how often physical/emotional problems occur in women having their first baby in Ireland, what factors cause problems and what treatments might help. Some conditions affect one-third of women just after having a baby, e.g. not being able to stop passing urine when you want to, or feeling pain when making love with your partner. Others, such as feeling depressed after childbirth, affect one-in-eight women. Women from three maternity hospitals, aged 18 years+, are being asked to join the study and complete questionnaires about their health before their first baby and at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months afterwards. Volunteer women who have one or more problems also take part in an interview to tell us what they did to help themselves and, if they accessed health services, what difficulties they might have found.
In MAMMI-SIM, Phase 2, six lead researchers will work with three employed post-doctoral researchers to show any differences in problems experienced by different groups of women (e.g., those of different ages, weights, and those who had normal/forceps/caesarean births). We will conduct a survey of all women from Phase 1 who are having their second baby, to see if problems continue, or new problems happen. We will measure costs of all problems to the health service and women. In addition, 10 women will work with our researchers to develop an intervention to help them reduce urinary incontinence, which will be tested by 20 other women.
MAMMI-SIM will thus help us to know which women in future might need a different type of care, or more support or treatment following birth, and the costs of such care, so we can improve maternity services.
- Award Date
- 20 October 2016
- Award Value
- €869272
- Principal Investigator
- Professor Cecily Begley
- Host Institution
- Trinity College Dublin
- Scheme
- Interdisciplinary Capacity Enhancement Awards