Kate Zucconi
Project: Understanding pregnancy health for families from Northern Canada
“I am excited to be a part of this research program because of its intersectional focus on women’s, rural and Indigenous health. I hope to work closely with these communities and learn about the health-care challenges they face. I want to use this knowledge to become a rural family doctor who advocates for better health care access for their patients.”
Summary: Many small communities in Northern Canada do not have hospitals where people can give birth. Because of this, pregnant people often have to travel to larger places, such as Yellowknife, to have their babies. This stressful experience is common for many Indigenous people.
Between 2021 and 2022, the Yellowknife hospital stopped delivering babies because it didn't have enough staff. During this time, pregnant people from Northern Canada had to travel even farther, all the way to Edmonton, to give birth. Doctors in Edmonton noticed that these patients often had different health concerns during pregnancy compared to people who lived in Edmonton. While Alberta keeps clear records on pregnancy health, Northern Canada does not regularly collect this kind of information. This makes it hard to know how common pregnancy health problems are for people living in the North.
In this study, we will look at information from people who gave birth in Edmonton between 2021 and 2022. We will compare the frequency of pregnancy health problems in people from Northern Canada with those in people from Edmonton. We will share what we learn with people from Northern Canada and ask for their input on what information matters most.
This research can help health-care workers better understand the needs of pregnant people from Northern Canada and improve support for families who must travel far from home to give birth.
Kate Zucconi was supervised by Dr. Rebecca Rich in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry. Her WCHRI summer studentship was jointly funded by the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Alberta Women’s Health Foundation. She is in the doctor of medicine program at the University of Alberta.
Read more about WCHRI’s training awards for students at all levels and generous grants for researchers. See the rest of the 2026 summer studentship recipients here.
