BiPAL study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
BiPAL Study Bioimpedence In Pregnancy and Labour: A fluid balance concept study.
IRAS ID
258316
Contact name
Tommy (Hatem) Mousa
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Leicester
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
258316 , IRAS
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Maternal cardiovascular adaptation evolves during the course of pregnancy to accommodate the growing foetus. It allows the uterine arteries to deliver 10% of the entire maternal cardiac output. There is a 30% increase in global arterial compliance and stroke volume increases due to the plasma expansion and increasing total blood volume. All water compartments show an absolute and relative increase with advancing gestation and eventually water represents the largest component of weight gain in pregnancy. These changes have been measured and known to clinicians for decades. Yet, it is only in the recently, that the possible clinical relevance of assessing total body water and extracellular body water has been enhanced by the cross over of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy with obesity epidemics.
Bio-electrical impedance analysis (BIA) measures whole body (or regional) impedance by means of an electric current transmitted at different frequencies. New techniques allow measurement of total body water with separation into extracellular and intracellular water. Current evidence suggests that BIA may provide useful information not only in different well-established patient groups (renal dialysis, malnutrition), but also in critically ill patients with burns, trauma and sepsis undergoing fluid resuscitation.
There is a limited number of studies assessing the use of BIA during pregnancy and labour. The aim of the current project is to evaluate the use of Bioimpadence analyser as a bedside test to assess body water composition among women admitted in labour or with high blood pressure.
REC name
London - City & East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/LO/0361
Date of REC Opinion
20 Mar 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion