HOPE

Health Outcomes in Pregnancy and Early Childhood

Supported by the US Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

“O au a matua fanau” - Children are the precious offspring of parents (Samoan proverb)

  • The HOPE Study is a longitudinal, observational study of mother-infant dyads, aiming to understand how genetics, environment, and behavior will impact the health of women during and after pregnancy, as well as the health of children in American Samoa. The study will focus on gestational diabetes (a type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy) and its influence on child body size and growth. A major focus of this study will be the CREBRF missense variant (rs373863828).

  • We will recruit 150 Samoan pregnant women and their index offspring from American Samoa. Mothers will be enrolled during the third trimester of pregnancy and mother-infant pairs will be followed to 6 months postpartum. Data collection will include maternal gestational diabetes status and child body size data (e.g., weight, length, BMI z score). We will also collect detailed health, behavioral, social, and environmental questionnaires and ask to collect biospecimens such as saliva, stool, umbilical cord blood, and capillary blood.

  • We believe that this work may reveal a potential protective benefit of CREBRF for children, providing valuable insights into genetic factors that may influence early-life health and growth.

Download our participant information packet that describes more details about the study protocol and procedures.

Participant Information

  • We will recruit Samoan women who are up to at least 35 weeks gestation at the time of study enrollment. Women must not have been diagnosed with diabetes and must be expecting a single baby.

  • The study involves five visits: one during pregnancy and four after the baby is born (up to 6 months after birth). At each visit we will collect various physical measurements, questionnaire data, and ask participants to provide biosamples (e.g., spit).

  • If you are interested in participating in the study, please email Lacey Heinsberg at law145@pitt.edu or Nicky Hawley at nicola.hawley@yale.edu. If you are interested in data from the study or getting involved in the research, please click 'Contact' at the top of this page.