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Maternal & Fetal Health Research Advisory Group

By sharing your own experiences you can play a part in research that will improve diagnoses and treatments.
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Have your say about pregnancy research

Around 60,000 babies are born prematurely each year, and tragically around 5000 babies are stillborn or die shortly after birth. Research into pregnancy complications is vital, and so is your input.

Help to develop vital research

Pregnancy complications and loss affect thousands of people in the UK every year. Research in Greater Manchester is trying to change that. We know it can be difficult to discuss these topics, but the more researchers can understand your experiences and what is important to you, the better their research will be.

The group is an important part of the Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre and gives researchers feedback about what research to do and how best to do it.

The group has already made a difference to research including:

  • making information about taking part in research studies easier to read and understand.

  • giving advice about appropriate questions that researchers should ask on sensitive topics, such as nutrition in pregnancy, mental health of parents and birth weight.

  • changing the focus of a major research proposal to include a topic that parents felt was more relevant than the one originally selected by researchers.

The group is for anyone who has ever experienced (themselves or as a partner): IVF, pregnancy, pregnancy complications, miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal death. You don’t need any experience of research. We encourage and welcome people from all backgrounds to join, including people of all genders, all ethnicities and people who identify as LGBTQ+. We need to hear from as many different people as possible to ensure that research is being done that benefits everyone.

Taking part is flexible, you might join online chats, phone conversations or fill in surveys. You can choose to get involved however you like and you can fit it around your other commitments like work or caring for others.

We are committed to making our opportunities as inclusive and accessible as possible. If you have any particular requirements to enable you to take part please let us know.

There will be a mix of paid and voluntary opportunities for members of the group. We’ll always be clear in advance about the arrangement and it’s entirely your decision about whether to take part or not.

If you’re interested in finding out more, get in touch using the ‘Contact us’ button below. We’ll get back to you and answer any questions you may have. There is no obligation to take part if you decide this is not for you.

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