Health and well-being of mothers and co-parents during the first 12 months post partum: study protocol of the national SOCRATES cohort study in Switzerland

Introduction The first year after childbirth is a critical yet insufficiently monitored period for parental health. Postpartum mental and physical morbidity can affect both mothers and co-parents, but national longitudinal data remain scarce.

The Stress Of Co-parents Related to A Traumatic Experience of birth across Switzerland (SOCRATES) cohort study aims to describe maternal and co-parental health and well-being trajectories during the first year after childbirth. Methods and analysis SOCRATES is a prospective, population-based cohort study conducted in all linguistic regions of Switzerland.

Eligible participants include women aged 14 and above who gave birth to a live or stillborn infant (≥22 +0 weeks’ gestation and ≥500 g) and their cohabiting co-parents, provided they speak German, French, Italian or English. Recruitment was conducted in 81 of the 112 Swiss maternity units, birth centres and organisations of midwives over 6 weeks in spring 2025.

Clinical data on pregnancy, childbirth and the early postpartum period are extracted from medical records. Postpartum hospitalisation data are obtained through linkage with national medico-administrative databases.