NEST Study: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

1. Do you provide parking or refreshments?

• We provide parking passes for all in-person visits as well as snacks and water. 

2. What kind of questions will be in the questionnaires for the first visit? 

• We’ll ask you questions about your background, family support, life experiences, and emotions during pregnancy. 

2. What kind of questions will you ask me during the 15-minute audio-recorded interview?  

• We will ask you about the experiences of stress and support you experience throughout your pregnancy, including support and involvement from maternal and paternal grandparents. This helps us understand how different kinds of support shape health throughout pregnancy. 

3. What will you do with the audio-recording? Will my information be tied to my name? 

• Audio-recording the interview allows us to record your responses efficiently so that we do not miss any details. The recordings are then transcribed and then recordings deleted. The recording and transcripts will NOT be saved using any personal identifying markers such as your name.  They will be stored on secure, password protected servers only accessible by authorized research staff. 

4. How many drops of blood will I need to give? How does it work?

• We will ask you to gently prick your finger and then collect 5 drops of blood onto a piece of paper. We created a step-by-step video to show you exactly what will happen: Video Demo.

5. Why do you need my blood?  

• We are collecting a few drops of blood to help us understand how stress and support impacts inflammation and health during pregnancy. This method is minimally invasive and allows us to measure important markers in the blood that show how the body is responding to stress. This method is quick with minimal discomfort. 

6. Will you be doing other tests like drug testing with the blood sample? 

• No, we will NOT be doing other tests with the blood samples such as drug testing, HIV testing, or DNA testing. We will only be testing for biomarkers of stress.  

7. What is the purpose of the video-taped mother-infant interaction activities? Will I need to provide any materials? 

• The purpose of this is to learn more about how you and your baby respond to each other and how your baby responds to new situations. We provide all materials such as the play mats, toys, and teaching items. We sanitize and disinfect the mats and all items after each visit using baby-safe sanitation wipes to ensure we maintain clean materials for all families. 

8. Where will the mother-infant interaction take place? 

• The mother-infant interaction will take place on campus at our office in CSUDH. You will always be with your child, regardless of the activity being done. 

9. Why are you measuring my baby’s heart rate? Is it safe? 

• We’re measuring your baby’s heart rate to better understand how infants respond to stress and recover from it. This helps us learn more about the emotional development of infants. To do this, we use a small (thumb-sized) device called the Bittium Faros 180 (the same device used to measure your heart rate during the prenatal visit). We’ll place three, self-adhesive cloth sensors on your baby’s chest. These medical-grade sensors are designed specifically to record heart rate safely for newborns and infants. 

10. When do I receive my payment? How do I receive it?

• You will receive compensation after completing each part of the study. There are four payments in total, each sent within 7 days of completing that part. Payments are delivered as Amazon virtual gift cards sent to your email address. If you complete all four parts, you can earn up to $450 total. 

Check out the "Meet the Team" page on our website for more information on our study and team! 

For additional questions, feel free to contact the NEST Study team directly  by email perchlab.csudh@gmail.com or text/call (323) 379-9118.