About Maternal Health Study
The Maternal Health Study is a longitudinal study investigating the health and well-being of over 1500 women during pregnancy and after the birth of their first child. The study is designed to fill in some of the gaps in current research evidence regarding women’s physical and psychological health and recovery after childbirth. The study has been underway since 2002.
While serious complications of childbirth are now rare, there is little detailed research on how women’s health is affected in the longer term by pregnancy and giving birth. Common experiences after childbirth include back pain, tiredness, urinary and bowel problems, persisting perineal pain, changes affecting sexual health and difficulties in intimate partner relationships. Currently, there is insufficient detailed research evidence regarding the natural history of common maternal health issues to inform primary and specialist health professionals in their care of women during and after pregnancy.
The Maternal Health Study will provide the first Australian data on the incidence of maternal health problems, and make a major international contribution to current evidence concerning the role of birth events in contributing to maternal health problems.
The hospitals participating in the study include the Angliss Hospital, Southern Health (comprised of Casey Hospital, Dandenong Hospital, Monash Medical Centre – Clayton and Moorabbin campuses) and the Royal Women’s Hospital. Thankyou to all the staff involved at the participating hospitals.
The study is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council, VicHealth, The William Buckland Foundation and The Alfred Felton Bequest