Ask to take part

Contact the study team using the details below to take part. If there are no contact details below please ask your doctor in the first instance.

Contact Information:

Dr Caroline Taylor
+44 71174557246
caroline.m.taylor@bristol.ac.uk


More information about this study, what is involved and how to take part can be found on the study website.

Study Location:

Find another location


Questions to ask
Skip to Main Content
English | Cymraeg
Be Part of Research - Trial Details - Toxic metals from diet in pregnancy: the PEAR Study (pregnancy, the environment and nutrition)
Back

Toxic metals from diet in pregnancy: the PEAR Study (pregnancy, the environment and nutrition)

Not Recruiting

Open to: Female

Age: Adult

Bristol Bristol

Medical Conditions

Exposure to toxic metals in pregnancy

This information is provided directly by researchers, and we recognise that it isn't always easy to understand. We are working with researchers to improve the accessibility of this information. In some summaries, you may come across links to external websites. These websites will have more information to help you better understand the study.


Diet is an important factor for every pregnancy for the health and development of the baby. The NHS in England provides guidance on avoiding or limiting fish and game meat/gamebirds to keep intakes of the toxic metals to a minimum. We don't know how closely women follow this advice and how well following the advice protects women from toxic metals. This information is essential to make sure that the guidance is effective.

We would like to find out how much of these foods women eat during pregnancy and how that affects the amount of the metals in their bodies. We'd also like to find out what they know about the guidance and how that affects their food choices.

We're also interested in arsenic, which can be contained in rice, and whether there should be guidance on this.

Start dates may differ between countries and research sites. The research team are responsible for keeping the information up-to-date.  

The recruitment start and end dates are as follows:

01 Apr 2023 17 May 2024

Women will be sent two electronic questionnaires at about 12 weeks of pregnancy to fill in at home. The first will ask them to record everything they eat or drink over 2 days. The second will ask more about how often they eat particular foods, together with some questions about themselves and what they know about the NHS guidance (this second one will be repeated at 32 weeks). At the 12-week hospital scan clinic visit, we'll ask the clinic staff to take some extra blood (less than a teaspoon) into a tube we’ll provide to women to be returned in the post. This will be analysed for mercury and lead. At the same time we'll send the women a small plastic bottle in the post to fill with a urine sample at home for return in the post for lead and arsenic measurement.


We'll include about 300 women in early pregnancy who live in north Bristol and are booked for delivery at Southmead Hospital.

You can take part if:



You may not be able to take part if:


Does not meet inclusion criteria


Below are the locations for where you can take part in the trial. Please note that not all sites may be open.

  • Southmead Hospital
    Southmead Road Westbury-on-trym
    Bristol
    BS10 5NB
  • University of Bristol
    Centre for Academic Child Health Bristol Medical School Canynge Hall 39 Whatley Road
    Bristol
    BS8 2PS

The study will not be of any direct benefit to the participants but it will provide information on the diet in pregnancy and the effect on exposures to mercury, lead and arsenic from diet. This will help to guide advice about diet in pregnancy given to women in England.

Dr Caroline Taylor
+44 71174557246
caroline.m.taylor@bristol.ac.uk



More information about this study, what is involved and how to take part can be found on the study website.


The study is sponsored by University of Bristol and funded by Medical Research Council.



We'd like your feedback

Your feedback is important to us. It will help us improve the quality of the study information on this site. Please answer both questions.


Is this study information helpful?

What will you do next?
Read full details for Trial ID: ISRCTN92638336

Or CPMS 54521

Last updated 30 October 2024

This page is to help you find out about a research study and if you may be able to take part

You can print or share the study information with your GP/healthcare provider or contact the research team directly.   

Back to the top