National birth study launches at Scarborough Hospital

Every mother who gives birth in the Trust will now be invited by midwives to join the study. Last year over 4,400 babies were born in the region.

Researchers from the Trust have been successful in joining the BaBi network. The team will be looking to highlight health, care, and education trends and challenges for children and families across the geographical area of York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The concept first began in Bradford, where it is part of the world leading ‘Born in Bradford’ research programme.

The BaBi network is an important research initiative that aims to find out what influences the health and wellbeing of families when growing up. It is a network of local birth cohort studies that work together to link existing data to create a picture of families’ lives over time.

This in turn helps to shape local services, creating a healthier environment for families.

Scarborough will be the first coastal town to be included in the study and is seen as an area that can particularly benefit from better health research. Trust researchers will also join forces with academics on the project from the University of York.

With consent from pregnant women, routine data recorded by the various services, including healthcare and education, are joined together anonymously. This helps to create a bigger picture of local people’s health.

Each BaBi site focuses primarily on outcomes for local people to drive how local services are improved. Parents, families, and practitioners in each area are invited to join in a workshop to discuss what matters most in their area, which informs research priorities.

Dr Dominic Smith, BaBi Principal Investigator for York & Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “I am extremely excited to become part of this network. Involvement in the study has already demonstrated there is great enthusiasm and interest in research work from our midwifery. We are grateful to all the women, babies, health professionals, and researchers who make BaBi happen.”

Sally Bridges, BaBi Network Director, at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation NHS Trust, said: “We are delighted to welcome York and Scarborough to the BaBi family so more families can enjoy the benefits this research can bring.”

Community Midwife, Clare Jemmett, said: “I'm very excited to be part of such an exciting project which will help us to understand the localised needs of our pregnant women and families more. People have been happy and willing to participate knowing the information will contribute positively to the health and wellbeing of the community they live in.”