Biobanking in obstetrics research: the opinions of project participants on the safety of donating biospecimens during pregnancy

BACKGROUND: The emergence of a new direction in biomedicine often leads to conflicting attitudes regarding its safety and potential short- and long-term consequences for patients and their families. The development of biobanking, which involves collecting biological samples for long-term storage and repeated use in the various types of research, is no exception. Initial survey results indicate insufficient awareness about the existence of biobanks, their functions, and safety among not only patients but also specialists. This lack of information leads to unfounded concerns about the safety of biobanking, which, in turn, complicates donor recruitment for research projects. This is particularly significant when attracting donors from vulnerable groups such as pregnant women. Studying the opinions of project participants will help assess not only the perceived safety of participation in a specific pregnancy-related project but also their willingness to be engaged in similar initiatives as an integral indicator of their experience.

AIM: The aim of this study was to examine the opinions of participants in a biobanking research project regarding the safety of donating biological samples during pregnancy and to evaluate their satisfaction with project participation.

METHODS: A pilot cross-sectional study was conducted. Using an 18-question online questionnaire, we conducted an anonymous survey among participants during pregnancy regarding their experiences in the biobanking research project.

RESULTS: We surveyed 51 women. The survey analysis revealed that 92% (47) of respondents had no concerns about the safety of providing researchers with personal data, 100% (51) of women had no concerns about sharing clinical data, and 96% (46) of women felt secure about donating biological material. According to the survey, 100% (51) of respondents reported no medical complications related to the biological sample collection procedure. Participants expressed high overall satisfaction with their participation in the biobanking research project: the average score was 9.0 (on a scale of 0.0 to 10.0). Additionally, 92% (47) of respondents expressed willingness to participate in other biobanking research projects.

CONCLUSION: The results of this pilot study are important for shaping the attitudes of both specialists involved in recruiting pregnant women for biobanking research projects and potential participants who may consider joining such projects based on the experiences of others.