Projahnmo AMNAHI Biobank

We have enrolled 3,000 pregnant women and followed them up-to 42 days post-partum. We have completed this part of the study and now the children of the pregnant women enrolled in the cohort are being followed up for physical growth and child development. All pregnant women were identified through pregnancy surveillance conducted by making home visits every 2 months by trained community health workers (CHWs). Pregnancies were confirmed via strip–based pregnancy tests and dated through ultrasound scans carried out by trained ultrasonologists before 19 weeks of gestation. The biobank contains maternal blood and urine specimens collected two times during pregnancy (8-19 weeks and 24-28 weeks or 32-36 weeks of gestation) and once during postpartum period (Day 42 postpartum) as well as delivery samples. Trained phlebotomists obtained maternal and umbilical cord blood samples and generated aliquots of serum, plasma, and buffy coat for storage. We also have collected and stored newborn stool, , placental samples (trimmed tissue and membrane), maternal stool, and umbilical cord blood (fresh/clotted), tissue and membrane. When cord blood (fresh/clotted) collection was not possible, saliva was collected from newborns. In addition, we collected infant blood & stool at 12 months of age and saliva samples from biological fathers of the enrolled newborns. All samples were processed and stored in -80°C freezers. CHWs collected detailed phenotypic and epidemiological data from the pregnant women four times during pregnancy (at 8-19 weeks, 24-28 weeks, 32-36 weeks, and 38-40 weeks of gestation), at delivery and twice during postpartum period (<7 days and at 42 days). The biospecimens and phenotypic data collected during pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum are a tremendously valuable resource for facilitating discoveries of biomarkers for adverse maternal, fetal, and neonatal health outcomes.