Aim: The aim of the PEAR Study (Pregnancy, the Environment And nutRition) is to help women who are expecting a baby to make confident decisions about what they choose to eat, particularly about foods to avoid or limit, based on accurate and up-to-date scientific evidence. We are especially interested in the contribution of diet to exposures to mercury (fish), lead (lead-shot gamebirds and meat) and arsenic (rice). The results will help us to offer the best advice about foods to avoid or limit to women who are pregnant.

Background: The PEAR Study is mixed methods observational cohort study of pregnant and postpartum women and of midwives. Pregnant women receive a great deal of health-related information with the aim of optimising the health and the development of the developing baby. Amongst this is guidance on foods to avoid or limit in order to avoid toxicological, microbial or teratogenic hazards. We are particularly interested in toxic metals.

What we plan to do: We want to explore how women get advice about what to eat while they are pregnant, and how midwives give women this advice, especially about foods that they might be advised to avoid or eat less of than usual. This study will evaluate understanding of the UK guidance on foods to avoid or limit, assess dietary intakes and provide an evidence-base for clarification and effective dissemination of dietary guidance to enable women to make informed choices about their diet with optimisation of the health and development of the baby.

How we are doing this: We have completed the qualitative arm of the study using online questionnaires to recently postpartum women and midwives, followed by in depth interviews in subsamples of both groups. In the quantitative arm we have recently completed recruitment of 300 pregnant women who have provided detailed data on their diets and lifestyles, as well samples of blood and urine for laboratory analyses.

For further information about the study visit our website at http://pearstudy.com (or email pear-study@bristol.ac.uk or [caroline.m.taylor@bristol.ac.uk]caroline.m.taylor@bristol.ac.uk)

Outputs

Beasant L, Ingram J, Emmett PM, Cade JE, Taylor CM (2024) Adherence to national advice on foods and drinks to limit or avoid in pregnancy in England. Public Health Nutrition doi: 10.1017/S1368980024000600.

Beasant L, Ingram J, Taylor CM (2023) Fish consumption during pregnancy in relation to national guidance in England in a mixed methods study: The PEAR Study. Nutrients 15(14), 3217. doi: 10.3390/nu15143217

Beasant L, Ingram J, Tonks R, Taylor CM (2023) Provision of information for pregnant women on guidance on foods to avoid or limit by midwives in England. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth doi: 10.1186/s12884-023-05441-8

Taylor CM, Mottram L, Beasant L (2023) Advice on foods/drinks to avoid or limit in pregnancy: perspectives from midwives and women in the PEAR Study. MIDIRS Midwifery Digest 34:4

Beasant L, Ingram J, Tonks R, Taylor CM (2022) Providing guidance on foods to avoid or limit during pregnancy by midwives in England. Royal College of Midwives Education/MIDIRS Supplement, p. 39. midirs-rcm-conference-supplement.pdf

Beasant L, Ingram J, Emmett PM, Cade J, Taylor CM (2022) Effectiveness of national guidance on foods and drinks to limit or avoid in pregnancy in England. Proc Nutr Soc 81 (OCE5), E201 doi: 10.1017/S0029665122002348

Beasant L, Ingram J, Golding J, Cade J, Taylor CM (2022) Fish consumption in relation to national advice in pregnant women in England. Proc Nutr Soc 81 (OCE1), E15 doi: 10.1017/S0029665122000155

Funding: The work is funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC), grant number MR/T010010/1.

Ethical approval: The study was approved by the Faculty of Health Sciences Research Ethics Committee at the University of Bristol (qualitative study) and IRAS 321048/REC 22/YH0265 (quantitative study). ISRCTN92638336.