Laboratorio Congiunto di Ricerca Perinatale (PeaRL)

PeaRL is the Perinatal Research Laboratory jointly established by the Neurofarba Department of the University of Florence and the CiaoLapo Foundation for perinatal health; its purpose is to promote basic, pre-clinical, epidemiological and clinical research on mental and physical health during the perinatal period.

The main focuses of the laboratory are: awareness on the use of drugs in pregnancy and after birth; management of critical issues related to misuse, abuse or addiction to drugs and other substances during pregnancy and breastfeeding; effects of environmental and pollutant factors, lifestyles and life events on the psychophysical well-being of women and couples and on the neurodevelopment of the child, starting from the preconception phase and including the first thousand days of life.

In order to achieve these objectives, PeaRL promotes an integrated network of institutions from public and private sectors, including universities, research institutes, hospitals, companies, associations, foundations, patient groups and individual citizens.

PeaRL also creates and coordinates the development of modern AI tools such as apps and web portals to facilitate specialist training related to perinatal themes, offering an alternative digital learning platform for students, midwives, doctors, psychologists and other health professionals.

The PeaRL laboratory supports research, teaching and promotion of perinatal health also through the creation of a network of excellence, in order to promote the support of women and families in the perinatal period, for the achievement of the best possible level of health, for everyone, in every context.