Detecting Intra-uterine Group B Streptococcus (DIGS)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Pre-labour invasion of the human uterus by Streptococcus agalactiae
IRAS ID
316414
Contact name
Gordon C S Smith
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Cambridge
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
To be confirmed, ISRCTN
Duration of Study in the UK
9 years, 10 months, 31 days
Research summary
A bug (bacterium) known as GBS (Group B Streptococcus) is present in the birth canal in about 1 in 5 pregnant women. In 2019 we demonstrated that GBS can get into the womb before labour starts and we can find it in the placenta. We now have evidence that GBS gets into the placenta by invading the womb, that the baby is at increased risk of complications following the birth when this happens, and that the reason for this is that the GBS hyperstimulates the baby’s immune system. We now want to study a large number of women being delivered by planned caesarean section. Studying samples from women attending for a planned caesarean section means we can be sure that any bugs we find invaded the womb before labour started. We will ascertain how many women have GBS in the placenta before labour. We will ascertain how the placenta and the baby respond to the presence of GBS. We will ascertain whether anything about the specific type of GBS present in the mother determines whether or not it can invade the womb. Finally, we will also collect samples for biobanks of umbilical cord blood and placenta which provide anonymous samples to a range of different researchers, as we can use the resources obtained for our study to help researchers in other fields who also want to study tissues obtained at the time of planned caesarean birth.
REC name
East of England - Essex Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/EE/0175
Date of REC Opinion
26 Oct 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion