The Maternal and Child Health Biobank
Promoting healthier pregnancies and babies.
Our Approach
The Maternal and Child Health Biobank aims at identifying which conditions of the mother, from pre-pregnancy to post-delivery, may have an impact on pregnancies and long-term effects on the child’s future health. To achieve this, we collect biological materials, as well as clinical and imaging information from women throughout their pregnancies and additionally follow the health of the delivered children. We encourage accessible biological samples and data to facilitate research in pre-conception, pregnancy, labour, and births.
A biobank is a type of facility which receives, stores, processes, and distributes biological samples and/or data related to those samples. These biological samples are preserved (or banked) in a freezer and all data is stored in a secured database. A designated access committee reviews requests for bank specimens and data from external researchers to determine sample availability and suitability of the requests.
What is a Biobank?
The Maternal and Child Health Biobank aims to promote the delivery of healthier babies through the study of conception, pregnancies, labour, and birth. The impact of complications prior to and during pregnancy are not limited to the mother and the developing fetus, but have been shown to extend far into childhood and beyond. Therefore, to promote and protect the development of a healthy baby, we must protect a healthy and nurturing pregnancy. The various biological samples preserved in the Maternal and Child Health Biobank allow scientists to identify markers which help predict when women and their children are at risk of developing complications. Additionally, the potential biological function of the markers may provide new avenues for novel treatments in pregnancy complications.
What is the Purpose of the Maternal and Child Health Biobank?
Contact Us.
For any inquiries regarding the Maternal and Child Health Biobank, please fill out the following contact form.