Skip to main content

Massachusetts Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS)

Learn about the PRAMS survey and how it helps improve maternal and infant health in Massachusetts
Skip table of contents
You skipped the table of contents section.

What is PRAMS?

The Massachusetts Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) is a public health surveillance project designed to improve the health of mothers, infants, and families. DPH began conducting PRAMS in 2007 in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). PRAMS provides state-specific data for planning and assessing health programs and for understanding maternal experiences that may impact maternal and infant health.

PRAMS collects its data through a survey asking new mothers questions about their experiences and behaviors before, during, and shortly after pregnancy.  These questions cover topics such as prenatal care, maternal health, health behaviors, and infant care practices. By collecting these data, we can identify emerging health issues, monitor trends, and guide evidence-based programs and policies. Furthermore, PRAMS data can help us learn why some babies are born healthy and others are not, and understand how to improve the health of mothers and babies in the future.

By giving mothers a voice, PRAMS ensures that real-life experiences directly inform public health actions—turning data into solutions for healthier pregnancies and healthier babies.

Methodology and data collection

Each year, we sample about 2,400 mothers to participate in the PRAMS survey. We choose participants by randomly selecting women who have had a recent live birth listed in the Massachusetts birth certificate registry. To ensure equitable representation of birth parents from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, MA PRAMS oversamples by race and Hispanic ethnicity.

Most mothers are chosen for the survey two months after their baby is born, though some may be contacted up to six months after delivery.  Selected mothers receive an invitation by mail to complete the survey by mail or online. The survey is available in English and Spanish. If we do not receive a response through mail, we’ll contact mothers and give them the opportunity to answer the survey by telephone.

Data and impact

To explore our most recent PRAMS data, please visit the Population Health Information Tool for PRAMS.

Population Health Information Tool for PRAMS 

The table below provides the number of mothers selected for MA PRAMS (sample size), the number of respondents, and the weighted response by year since the MA PRAMS inception in 2007.

YearMA PRAMS sample sizeMA PRAMS respondentsMA weighted response
20072,3431,48970%
20082,3541,50872%
20092,1791,38868%
20102,4481,51466%
20112,5061,60369%
20122,4951,53968%
20132,5851,47362%
20142,8471,54660%
20152,3281,33063%
20162,4031,31160%
20172,4341,42362%
20182,4501,43662%
20192,9471,69761%
20202,4921,40060%
20212,5011,32157%
20222,6301,52761%
20232,5651,34154%
Total42,50724,846 

Annual reports

Survey questions

Publications

Find featured publications that use PRAMS data: 

YearTitleAuthorJournal
2024Homelessness and maternal and infant healthMcGovern ME, et al.JAMA Network Open
2024Disparities in postpartum care visits: Dynamics of parental leave and postpartum care attendanceKeefe-Oates, et al.Maternal and Child Health Journal
2023Reproductive coercion among women with disabilitiesAmos V, et al.Disability and Health Journal
2023Timing of postpartum depressive symptomsRobbins CL, et al.Maternal and Child Health Journal
2023Stressful life events and partner/social support among pregnant people with disabilitiesChen X, et al.Women's Health Issues
2022Prevalence of prenatal HIV screening in Massachusetts: 2007-2016Amutah-Onukagha N, et al.Journal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care
2022Socially assigned race and the health of racialized peopleAbuelezam NN, et al.Health Equity
2022Participation in survey research among mothers with a recent live birthKortsmit K, et al.Journal of Survey Statistics and Methodology
2022US county-level estimation for maternal and infant health indicatorsWang Y, et al.BMC Public Health
2021Discordance between perinatal alcohol use and provider counselingThompson EL, et al.Public Health Reports
2021Stressful life events and postpartum depressive symptoms among women with disabilitiesBooth EJ, et al.Women's Health
2019Characteristics of women without a postpartum checkupDanilack VA, et al.Maternal and Child Health Journal
2019Dental Cleaning, Community Water Fluoridation and Preterm Birth, MA: 2009–2016Zhang X, et al.Maternal and Child Health Journal
2015Stressful events during pregnancy and postpartum depressive symptomsStone SL, et al.Journal of Women's Health

Frequently asked questions

For participants:

  1. How are mothers chosen to participate in PRAMS?
    We randomly pick mothers’ names from a list of all babies born in the state. This list is called the Massachusetts Birth Certificate Registry.  We choose a small number of mothers to help us in this study. These mothers are selected randomly, regardless of whether they had a normal or complicated pregnancy.
  2. Are my answers really important?
    Yes, very important! Only a small group of mothers will receive the survey. Each pregnancy is different. Your answers will help improve the health of future mothers and babies in Massachusetts.
  3. Will my answers be kept private?
    Yes! We will keep your answers private as followed by Massachusetts state law. All answers will be grouped together to give us information on Massachusetts mothers of new babies. Your name will not be on any reports from PRAMS.
  4. Some of the questions do not seem related to health care. Why are they asked?
    Many different things in a mother's life may affect her and her baby's health.  This includes things that may not seem related to being pregnant or having a baby. The PRAMS questions help us learn about all parts of a mother’s pregnancy and their life.

For researchers:

  1. How can I request PRAMS data? You can requestPRAMS data by submitting an application through our Institutional Review Board (IRB) using the MDPH IRB Core Application Form. Please view our IRB Applications Walkthrough for PRAMS data to learn more about the process. We encourage you to schedule a meeting with us to discuss your request prior to submitting your IRB application. Please use the contact information below.
  2. Is there a cost to use PRAMS data? We waive fees for students. For established researchers, our fees are based on the complexity of the work, and the timing and nature of the grant. Please contact us for more information.
  3. How long does it take to obtain PRAMS data: After you submit your application, it can take several months before your application goes through IRB review. After the initial IRB review, the length of time for approval and obtaining data will depend on how many revisions are needed for IRB and what other projects the PRAMS programmers have in queue. Please plan on several months after applying.

Contact

Online

Email Sarah L Stone, PhD, MPH at Sarah.L.Stone@mass.gov

Help Us Improve Mass.gov  with your feedback

Please do not include personal or contact information.
Feedback