BaBi Calderdale and Huddersfield

This project is being delivered by Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust as part of the wider BaBi (Born and Bred In) research network. BaBi studies focus on families and children, helping us understand how local families can live healthier, happier lives.

You can read the participant information leaflet here: BaBi Participant Information Leaflet

About BaBi Calderdale & Huddersfield

How does BaBi Calderdale & Huddersfield work?

When you see your midwife, they will invite you to become part of the study. If you agree to take part, health researchers will join together lots of data about you and your child so that we can look at ways to improve health, care and services through research and planning in Calderdale & Huddersfield and beyond. We are asking everyone who is pregnant in Calderdale & Huddersfield to join the project.

Why do BaBi Calderdale & Huddersfield want to use my information?

By linking information from both your patient records and your child’s patient record, we can build up a much clearer picture of people’s lives and answer questions that may help to improve health, care and services through research and planning. Your information can help us begin to explore questions like:

• Are there relationships between things that happen in pregnancy and children’s future health?

• How many children in our area have asthma? Are children in some areas more likely to get asthma than children in other areas?

• How common is postnatal depression or diabetes in pregnancy? What could be done to help prevent depression or diabetes and provide support for the family?

Meet the Team

⭐ Michelle Jones, Principal Investigator

I qualified as a midwife in 2003 and have worked across a wide variety of clinical areas within maternity. Including leadership roles and as a maternity Matron overseeing community midwifery, birthing centres, antenatal clinics, screening, and specialist teams. I have recently taken up the role of Consultant Midwife, providing strategic clinical leadership with a strong focus on improving outcomes, reducing inequalities, and championing evidence based, person‑centred care.

My work has spanned system-wide maternity transformation to embed population health approaches and strengthen partnership working across our local system. I am passionate about compassionate, equitable care and will be working with the CHFT clinical research team supporting BABI, helping to ensure that local insight data and high-quality evidence inform service improvement and the ambition to reduce health inequalities across our Calderdale and Kirklees communities.

⭐ Melanie Struthers, Clinical Research Midwife

I qualified as a midwife in 2009 and have worked as a clinical midwife in various settings but predominantly in the community and ‘low-risk’ birth settings. I have also worked in family centred case loading models as part of a home birth team and continuity of carer team. I have always been passionate about bringing best evidenced care to birthing people and families to improve outcomes and experiences of maternity and childbirth. I joined the CHFT clinical research team in June 2022 part time whilst continuing clinical hours. From February 2024 I have stopped working clinically and have increased my hours in research, as I believe that good quality research leads to improved care for our families. I am committed to an ethos of social justice and recognise the importance of increasing access and participation in research for all, to help reduce health inequalities.

⭐ Rachel Walker, Clinical Research Midwife

I qualified as a midwife in 2000 and worked in a wide variety of settings both community and hospital in different trusts from Newcastle to Kent and in between! I have worked as a clinical research midwife since April 2024 at Calderdale and Huddersfield. I believe everyone should have the opportunity to be involved in research and think it's essential to move practice and policy forward in a positive direction. BaBi looks to include every pregnant person and their babies thus encompassing this inclusive philosophy and supports the health and wellbeing for future families in our local area.

I will be involved in raising awareness about BaBi and training midwives about the study as well as reviewing recruitment, data and potential projects alongside my work with other studies within the reproductive health and childbirth portfolio for the trust.