Participants sought for studies Are you pregnant or have you had a baby within the past year? Help researchers test a new app

Did you know that heat can affect both your health and your baby's? Researchers at the Karolinska Institutet are now seeking pregnant women and new mothers to test a new app over a few weeks. The app is designed to keep mothers and their newborns informed and safe during heatwaves.

Side view of Young Unrecognizable pregnant , Caucasian woman sitting on a bench on a sunny day and using her smart phone while holding her tummy. Girl with mobile phone writing text on a brown bench in the park.
Photo: Getty Images

About the study

Heat can harm your health and your baby’s health. It increases the risk of preterm birth, miscarriage, and low birth weight. With global warming, these risks are becoming more common.

This study is part of the EU-funded HIGH Horizons project (https://www.high-horizons.eu), which investigates how heat affects mothers’ and babies’ health. It is also part of an international collaboration that includes high-, middle-, and low-income countries.

How does it work? 

Participation involves:

  1. Completing a questionnaire, which takes about 30–45 minutes,
  2. Downloading and using the MotherHeat Alert app for a few weeks, and
  3. Completing a follow-up questionnaire.

The initial questionnaire includes step-by-step instructions on how to download the app. 

You may also be invited to share your experiences in a short interview, either in person or digitally, to help researchers improve the app. After participating in an interview, you will receive a gift card worth SEK 200. 

You can choose to participate in the study in Swedish or English.

Who can join? 

  • Women who are currently pregnant
  • Women who have had a baby in the past 12 months

Please note: This study is not open to women with complicated or high-risk pregnancies. 

How to Sign Up

You can sign up here

For questions or more information

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Veronika Tirado

Postdoctoral Researcher
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Claudia Hanson

Senior Lecturer

Processing of personal data

Your personal data is processed for the purposes of this study in accordance with GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). The legal entity responsible for processing of your personal data is Karolinska Institutet. The Data Protection Officer can be reached at dataskyddsombud@ki.se. The data will be analyzed on a group level, handled confidentially and it will be stored in a secure database at Karolinska Institutet. You can terminate your participation in the study at any time.