Clinical Trials Logo

Clinical Trial Summary

Purpose: The investigators hypothesize that exposure to chronic environmental stress is a risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes related to preterm birth and preeclampsia among high-risk pregnant women. Additionally, the investigators hypothesize that women can be screened for high levels of environmental stress through the perceived stress scale, and therapeutic writing can be used as a low-resource intervention to help decrease maternal perceived stress and inflammation - measured through analysis of maternal serum and placental samples. Participants: Pregnant women at high risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes, including pre-eclampsia and preterm birth, enrolled in prenatal care at UNC will be recruited for participation Procedures: Using results from the perceived stress scale, the investigators will identify women who screen positive for high environmental stress. Women meeting inclusion criteria will be contacted for possible participation at regularly scheduled prenatal visits. Women who are enrolled will be randomized to generalized writing prompts, therapeutic writing prompts, or no writing during their pregnancy to be administered at each prenatal visit. Maternal blood sample for biochemical markers of stress and gene expression will be obtained at the initial visit; a followup blood sample will be obtained later in pregnancy, and a small portion of the placenta saved at delivery. Delivery outcomes will be obtained through medical record review.


Clinical Trial Description

During pregnancy, women regularly interact with healthcare professionals, an often untapped resource and opportune time to optimize mental health, positively impacting outcomes. Cumulative psychosocial stress is a risk factor for several adverse obstetric outcomes including preterm birth (PTB), preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction, and postpartum depression. The overarching hypothesis of this study is that pregnant women with high levels of stress can be identified through easily-implemented screening tools; importantly, the investigators propose that these women can be engaged in care via a cost-effective therapeutic writing intervention combined with the availability of expert pastoral and perinatal psychiatry resources. Women will be enrolled early in pregnancy and followed prospectively. Some women (if randomized to a writing group) will complete a standardized writing prompt at several time points during gestation. The investigators will follow their outcomes prospectively. ;


Study Design


Related Conditions & MeSH terms


NCT number NCT03904979
Study type Interventional
Source University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Contact
Status Active, not recruiting
Phase N/A
Start date October 22, 2019
Completion date December 22, 2024

See also
  Status Clinical Trial Phase
Active, not recruiting NCT03249896 - Web/Smartphone-based Lifestyle Coaching Program in Pregnant Women With Gestational Diabetes N/A
Completed NCT06338254 - Efficacy of Percussion Massage Therapy Applied to the Lower Extremity on Pain, Edema in Pregnant Women N/A
Recruiting NCT04825093 - Vitamin D Supplementarion in Pregnant Women at Risk and COVID-19 N/A
Completed NCT04739462 - SMS Maama Project COVID-19 N/A
Recruiting NCT04519593 - ABSOLUTELY: A Temporary Uterine Blood Supply Occlusion for Laparoscopic Myomectomy in Patients With UTErine LeiomYoma N/A
Recruiting NCT03313024 - Berlin-Brandenburg Pregnancy Cohort
Completed NCT02577536 - PregSource: Crowdsourcing to Understand Pregnancy
Not yet recruiting NCT06357962 - Semi-permanent Acupuncture Effect on Cervical Ripening N/A
Not yet recruiting NCT06430853 - Psychobiological Interventions in Pregnancy N/A
Not yet recruiting NCT03661749 - Urinary Protein to Creatinine Ratio in Term Pregnant Women N/A
Completed NCT02970721 - Use of Psychotropic Medications Among Pregnant Women With Bipolar Disorder
Completed NCT02191774 - Medical Abortion up to 10 Weeks Gestation at Home
Completed NCT01322529 - Nulliparous Pregnancy Outcomes Study: Monitoring Mothers-to-be N/A
Completed NCT00746551 - Intravenous Versus Oral Iron in Late Pregnancy: Results of Treatment Phase 4
Completed NCT00678080 - Metformin Versus Insulin in Pregnant Women With Type 2 Diabetes N/A
Completed NCT00634530 - Impact of a Nutritional Intervention Program for Weight Control During Pregnancy N/A
Completed NCT00197561 - Partnership on Nutrition and HIV/AIDS Research in Tanzania: Exploratory Research Study on Selenium and HIV Infection Phase 3
Completed NCT05527327 - Pannus Retraction for Ultrasound Evaluation of the Obese Gravida: A Pilot Study N/A
Recruiting NCT05551078 - Thrombophilia Screening After Severe IUGR
Recruiting NCT03100084 - PREdelivery Placental Biomarkers- Pregnancy and Delivery Outcome