THE PREGNANCY EVIDENCE PROJECT
Where lived experience
Becomes lasting evidence.
The Pregnancy Evidence Project ties together millions of real pregnancy experiences to give moms better answers.
Join the cohort
Takes minutes. Helps thousands.
Together,
we can
close the gaps in
pregnancy research.
What is the Pregnancy Evidence Project?
For every pregnancy question that gets a clear answer, there are dozens more that don't — the questions
you
bring to your doctor, the questions you search at midnight, the questions you're not sure who to ask, or too
embarrassed to ask out loud. Too often, the answer is some version of: "We don't know, there’s no data on
pregnancy" or "We’re not sure, but best to just avoid it."
That’s because for decades, research largely excluded pregnant women from studies altogether.
The Pregnancy Evidence Project is an observational research initiative established because moms deserve better
than “we don’t know.”
There are millions of pregnancies every year, each one including thousands of individual data points —
the
symptoms you experience, what medications you take, the care you receive, and beyond. The data does exist: but
in the real world, not always in a lab or a clinical trial. This data from the real world just isn’t being
collected or structured effectively to be able to learn from it.
The Pregnancy Evidence Project is built to change that. It’s an observational study that learns from real
pregnancies — tracking the experiences of real women from early pregnancy through postpartum, collecting
data
on
symptoms, exposures, behaviors, and outcomes over time.
As a participant, you answer a few short questions weekly — it takes less than 5 minutes a week, and
holds
the
potential to finally transform the pregnancy experience for moms today and tomorrow.
Why join?
01
There are real gaps that need filling.
Women weren't required in clinical trials in the US until 1993, and pregnancy research has lagged even
further behind.
As a result? Moms get incomplete answers at best, and contradictory or misinformed answers at worst. We’re
decades behind — and the gap isn’t closing itself.
02
There is no average pregnancy.
Every day moms make tens of individual decisions, and experience all of the “wait... seriously?!” symptoms
along the way.
Symptoms, exposures, complications, and outcomes can look different for everyone — and that
variation is
exactly what research needs to capture. The best data comes from the full spectrum of real experiences.
03
Be part of a cohort shaping the future.
By joining, you can actually do something about it.
You're not just filling out surveys or spiraling into the late-night pregnancy forum void — you're
taking active part in a group of women helping inform what better pregnancy care looks like for years to
come.
Who can join?
The strength of the Pregnancy Evidence Project relies on actually representing the broad and diverse range of
moms and pregnancy experiences that exist in the real world.
That means there’s no one “ideal” participant, and women of all backgrounds, ages, health histories, and
pregnancy experiences are encouraged to consider joining, as long as the basic eligibility criteria are met.
PREGNANCY STATUS
Currently pregnant or have been pregnant within the last 12 months
LOCATION
Currently located & receiving care in the United States
AGE
18+ years old at the time of joining the study
Less
than
10%
of medicines approved since 1980 have enough information to determine safety during pregnancy¹
¹ CDC
Fewer
than
1%
of US clinical drug trials enroll pregnant participants²
² American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Wait, isn’t research on pregnant people unethical?
The short answer is: it depends on the type of research, what’s being studied, and how the study is
designed.
Clinical trials, which test experimental treatments or interventions, can raise legitimate ethical
concerns
when pregnant women are involved. But the Pregnancy Evidence Project isn't a clinical trial – it's an
observational study.
“Observational” means you won’t be assigned any new treatments, asked to take anything, or change your
care
in
any way. Researchers simply collect and analyze data from real experiences as they happen, so no risks are
introduced by the study itself. This type of research is how we've built much of what we do know about
medication safety and other outcomes in pregnancy today.
When you participate in observational research via the Pregnancy Evidence Project:
You're always in control. We will never give you medical advice, ask you to
change your behavior, or
assign
you to any kind of treatment. You decide what you share, and you can stop at any time.
Your identity is protected. When your responses are saved, your name is
replaced with a unique participant
ID.
Researchers access carefully prepared, de-identified data – never your individual responses.
Your data is secure. Your answers are stored in a secure, HIPAA-compliant
research database with strict
access
controls. Only authorized members of the research team can access it, and only for research purposes.
Ethics, safety & privacy are independently reviewed. The Pregnancy Evidence
Project is approved and
overseen
by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) – an independent committee of experts required by law to ensure
your
rights and well-being are protected during research.
How does it work?
1
Provide your informed consent
First, you'll go through a quick enrollment and informed consent process.
It explains what information you'll be asked to share, how your privacy will be protected, and how
researchers will use your data.
2
Tell us about your pregnancy
A baseline questionnaire (~10 minutes or less) captures the basics of your pregnancy and health
history.
Brief weekly questionnaires help researchers understand your unique experience, and take less than 5
minutes per week to complete.
3
Help improve care for moms
Your contributions make a real difference - weaving in your experiences and outcomes with those of
thousands of other women can enable hundreds of new research insights that will shape the future of
maternal care.
Have questions or want to learn more about participating?
Email the team at evidenceproject@zenithhealth.io