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Wolfson Research Institute for Health and Wellbeing
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Research Conversation - Pregnancy and Education - 28th February 9.30 - 11.30

26 January 2022
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Research Conversations are a series of talks with researchers across Durham University and beyond focusing on a specific topic, looking at topics from different perspectives to identify and ask big questions, explain unexplained phenomena and work together to solve problems that haven’t been solved before.

It has become clear, over decades of research, that early intervention in the lives of children is one of the most cost effective ways to improve education in the long run.  It is also clear, from extensive research, that  much cognitive development happens in the womb where poor diet, stress of the mother, smoking, alcohol and poisons in the environment can all  have a negative part to play. The strange thing is that educationalists rarely aim to improve educational outcomes through pre-natal interventions and that researchers, studying development in the womb, rarely look at long term educational outcomes such as reading scores or GCSE grades.  

If we could quantify the impact of less than perfect maternal welfare during pregnancy on educational attainment such as reading and maths in primary school and GCSEs we may be more able to impact on policy and improve the education of our children. 

There is a possible opportunity to take work forward and there seem to be four options:

  1. A systematic review of the literature aimed at finding out what is and is not known in this area.
  2. A prospective study building on existing work 
  3. A prospective study starting anew.
  4. An intervention or interventions

The conversation will aim to pool ideas and to address the questions:

  1. Is the link between adverse effects during pregnancy and later educational attainment worth pursuing?
  2. If it is worth pursuing what is the best next step? 

 To register to attend please email Suzi Boyd and she will send you the zoom link.