The University of Oxford’s National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit (NPEU) has launched the first UK population-based survey to assess the impact of the pandemic on the health and care of new mothers and their babies.

The survey, You & Your Baby 2020, asks women about their experiences of COVID-19 and how the pandemic has impacted their health and care during the perinatal period.

By taking part, women can help researchers collect up-to-date information on the health and care of new mothers during pregnancy, labour, birth and early parenthood. This will ultimately be used to improve maternity services across the country.

The survey closes on 31 January.

You & Your Baby 2020 is open to all women who gave birth in the UK in March-August 2020, who are at least 16 years of age and who have a current UK address. The questions take approximately 20 minutes to complete.

All women who take part will have the opportunity to be entered into a prize draw for a chance to win one of five £100 Love2shop vouchers.

The survey can be accessed via the following link: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/02FLCJ/

Dr Siân Harrison, a lead researcher on the survey, said: 

‘What we currently know about women’s health and care from pregnancy through to early parenthood during the pandemic is fragmented or anecdotal.

“You & Your Baby 2020 will help us to explore women’s experiences in more depth to inform policy and improve care’.

You & Your Baby is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Policy Research Programme, conducted through the Policy Research Unit in Maternal and Neonatal Health and Care (PRU-MNHC).