The Preconception Period analysis of Risks and Exposures Influencing health and Development (PrePARED) consortium

Harville EW; Mishra GD; Yeung E; Mumford SL; Schisterman EF; Jukic AM; Hatch EE; Mikkelsen EM; Jiang H; Ehrenthal DB; Porucznik CA; Wen SW; Harvey A; Symons Downs D; Yajnik C; Santillan D; Santillan M; McElrath TF; Woo JG; Urbina EM; Chavarro JE; Sotres-Alvarez D; Bazzano L; Zhang J; Steiner A; Gunderson EP; Wise LA; Stanford JB

doi:10.1111/ppe.12592

The Preconception Period analysis of Risks and Exposures Influencing health and Development (PrePARED) consortium

Harville EW, Mishra GD, Yeung E, Mumford SL, Schisterman EF, Jukic AM, Hatch EE, Mikkelsen EM, Jiang H, Ehrenthal DB, Porucznik CA, Wen SW, Harvey A, Symons Downs D, Yajnik C, Santillan D, Santillan M, McElrath TF, Woo JG, Urbina EM, Chavarro JE, Sotres-Alvarez D, Bazzano L, Zhang J, Steiner A, Gunderson EP, Wise LA, Stanford JB

Published November 2019 Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, 33(6), 490-502

DOI 10.1111/ppe.12592 PMID 31659792 PMC PMC6901022

RRM Academy Synopsis

Preconception consortium pools 23 cohorts, almost 200,000 women

A 2019 paper introduces PrePARED, a consortium of 23 cohort studies that will study health before pregnancy. The pooled studies hold data on almost 200,000 women. Eighteen of the 23 studies are based in the United States, with the rest in China, Canada, Australia, and Denmark.

Key Findings

The consortium, started in 2018, includes 23 cohort studies with data on almost 200,000 women: 18 are U.S.-based, two in China, one each in Canada, Australia, and Denmark.
Twelve of the cohorts follow women or couples actively trying to conceive, six are general-population cohorts spanning the reproductive years, and the remainder use other designs.
More than 6,500 male partners and 26,000 children in mother-child pairs are included; two cohorts, Bogalusa Heart Study and GUTS, also follow 28,603 children of the original participants.
Among cohorts considered for inclusion, the most common reasons for not joining were investigators' lack of time and lack of prospectively collected preconception data.
Each cohort's primary research focus varied: four centered on cardiovascular health, eight on fertility, one on environmental exposures, three on child health, and the rest on general women's health.

Interpretation

This paper is a consortium profile. The authors describe how a research group of cohort studies was formed. They list the rules for joining: each study must have data from before pregnancy, a shared set of basic facts, and a willingness to share data. Most studies are U.S.-based and follow women of childbearing age. The authors note that women already planning pregnancy tend to be healthier and older than typical pregnant women. The consortium links fertility, pregnancy, and later health in one shared dataset. The findings support larger studies that draw on this pooled resource to trace preconception exposures through to later outcomes.

RRM Context

Restorative reproductive medicine treats the time before pregnancy as a key window for care. Doctors look at cycle health, diet, and other factors before conception. This group's plan links fertility, pregnancy, and later health in one picture. The same idea is central to this field: health before pregnancy can shape a woman's whole reproductive life.

Our editorial summary of this paper, not the article's abstract.

Abstract

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.

Topics

Research Methods › Study Design › Cohort Studies · Lifestyle and Environment › Substances › Cannabis and Other Substances

Gita D Mishra, Enrique F Schisterman, Elizabeth E Hatch, Ellen M Mikkelsen, Hong Jiang, Deborah B Ehrenthal, Christina A Porucznik, Danielle Symons Downs, Thomas F McElrath, Jessica G Woo, Elaine M Urbina, Jorge E Chavarro, Lydia Bazzano, Jun Zhang, Erica P Gunderson, Lauren A Wise, Alysha Harvey, Emily W Harville, Sunni L Mumford, Donna Santillan, Mark Santillan, Daniela Sotres-Alvarez, Joseph B Stanford, Shi-Wu Wen, Chittaranjan Yajnik, Edwina H Yeung

G Mishra, E Schisterman, Liz Hatch, Beth Hatch, Betsy Hatch, E Hatch, E Mikkelsen, H Jiang, Debbie Ehrenthal, Deb Ehrenthal, D Ehrenthal, C Porucznik, D Downs, Tom McElrath, T McElrath, Jess Woo, J Woo, E Urbina, J Chavarro, L Bazzano, J Zhang, E Gunderson, L Wise, A Harvey, E Harville, S Mumford, D Santillan, M Santillan, D Sotres-Alvarez, Joe Stanford, Joey Stanford, J Stanford, S Wen, C Yajnik, E Yeung

PMID 31659792 31659792 DOI 10.1111/ppe.12592 10.1111/ppe.12592 Harville et al. 2019, Harville 2019

Keywords

Adult, Biomedical Research/methods/organization & Administration, Child Health, Female, Humans, Infant Health, Infertility/etiology, Intersectoral Collaboration, Male, Maternal Exposure/adverse Effects, Paternal Exposure/adverse Effects, Preconception Care/methods, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Complications/etiology, Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects/etiology, Research Design, Research Support As Topic, Birthweight, Cohort Studies, Common Data Elements, Fertility, Preconception Care, Pregnancy, Research Design

The Preconception Period analysis of Risks and Exposures Influencing health and Development (PrePARED) consortium

Preconception consortium pools 23 cohorts, almost 200,000 women

Key Findings

Interpretation

RRM Context

Abstract

Topics

By this author

Related research

Keywords