DONATIONS AT WORK HIGHLIGHTS 2025/26

Healthier Starts for Alberta Families

Every parent hopes for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. Yet in Alberta, we have one of the highest preterm birth rates in the country with nearly one in 10 babies born too soon. These children face an increased risk of lifelong health challenges, while families are often left wondering why it happened and whether it could have been prevented.

When scientists and clinicians at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute declared maternal and newborn health a Grand Challenge in 2020, their vision was clear: bring together experts from across disciplines to better predict, prevent and improve outcomes for preterm birth.

Today, thanks to your generosity, that vision is becoming reality.

Building One of Canada’s Largest Maternal-Newborn Research Communities

The Prediction, Prevention & Interventions for Preterm Birth project — known as the P3 Cohort — has grown into one of Canada’s most comprehensive maternal-newborn research initiatives.

To date, more than 3,000 expectant mothers and nearly 1,000 partners have joined the P3 Cohort, generously sharing their experiences to help researchers better understand why preterm birth occurs and how its effects can be reduced. Even more remarkable, 98.3 percent of participating mothers continue to stay engaged with the study, providing researchers with the long-term information needed to uncover meaningful patterns and improve care for future families.

This extraordinary commitment from Alberta families is creating an invaluable resource that will support discoveries for years to come.

Discovering New Clues Before Babies Are Born

One of the initiative’s primary goals is to identify pregnancies at higher risk of preterm birth, well before complications occur.

This year, researchers uncovered new biological markers and previously unknown chains of chemical reactions and steps that may help explain why some pregnancies result in premature birth. They are also combining advanced biological data with artificial intelligence to improve their ability to predict which mothers may require additional monitoring and specialized care.

While more research is still needed before these discoveries become routine clinical care, each breakthrough brings us closer to a future where families can receive personalized care earlier so it has the greatest potential to make a difference.

Supporting Families Today While Improving Care for Tomorrow

Although this study is designed to transform care for future generations, it is already making a meaningful difference for participating families.

When researchers identify developmental concerns in participants children during the study, families are contacted and connected with appropriate follow-up care. This year, several children were referred directly to developmental specialists based on findings uncovered through the research — providing families with earlier access to expert assessment and support.

Researchers also continued a study supporting women experiencing financial hardship during pregnancy. To date, 180 women have participated, with more than $130,000 in financial support provided to help reduce barriers during this critical time.

Your support has been instrumental in my breastfeeding journey. Due to my baby’s difficulty with latching, I was able to afford a mobile breast pump, which has allowed me to exclusively feed him breastmilk, just as I had hoped to. This has meant so much to me, and I am truly grateful.
— Participant

Your Investment is Multiplying Its Impact

Beyond advancing research at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, your support is attracting additional investment and accelerating discovery.

This year alone, the P3 Cohort team secured more than $684,000 in national funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to continue investigating brain development in babies born preterm.

The team’s work also resulted in 29 peer-reviewed scientific publications, helping share new knowledge with researchers and clinicians around the world while solidifying Calgary’s leadership in maternal and newborn health research.

Learn more about the P3 Cohort Study.