Salt Lake County experienced the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the state of Utah. Within this county, however, there are significant health disparities. More than half of the COVID-19 cases come from two predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods. The number of cases continues to rise as the state loosens social distancing restrictions.

 

The coronavirus pandemic has increased stress and mental health problems in our community. To date, little is known about how this stressor may affect pregnant women, their infants, and birth outcomes, such as gestational age and birth weight. Our research will examine unique effects of the pandemic on mothers and infants compared with our existing sample of women and infants recruited before coronavirus. We are pleased to join this national collaboration of perinatal stress researchers with the ultimate goal of following this cohort across early development to learn more about child health and wellbeing.

 

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