EPOS 2
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Early Pregnancy Events and the impact on short-term and long-term pregnancy outcomes (EPOS-2)
IRAS ID
212986
Contact name
Tom Bourne
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Imperial College Joint Research Compliance Office
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 7 days
Research summary
We are interested in women who suffer with bleeding, pain and vomiting in early pregnancy and how these relate to their pregnancy outcomes. Some of these women will experience a miscarriage, often leading to physical and psychological difficulties. The rest will have a continuing pregnancy. Although these mothers avoid the trauma of a miscarriage, it has been suggested that their pregnancies are more likely to be affected by serious risks such as going into labour early, delivering a small baby, or developing pre-eclampsia. In order to better help these women, we need to understand these events and their implications so that the pregnancy identified as being ‘’at risk’’ can be offered appropriate surveillance.
Early Pregnancy Events and long and short term Outcome Study (EPOS 2) will recruit women in the first trimester of pregnancy who present to the Early Pregnancy and Acute Gynaecology Unit (EPAU), antenatal clinic and main ultrasound department, at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital. Once recruited, participants will be offered two additional ultrasound scans in early pregnancy. Demographic, clinical and ultrasound information will be collected from these additional visits, as well as their routine visits during the dating and anomaly scan. Body fluid samples including saliva, blood, urine and vaginal samples will be collected at each additional and routine visit to help identify markers of later disease. Information on the final outcome of the pregnancy will be collected allowing us to investigate the differences between mothers who have and have not had pregnancy complications.
If we can identify these differences and look for them early in a woman's pregnancy, we may be able to support those more at risk. This may include psychological support for mothers destined to have a miscarriage or better antenatal care for women with higher risk ongoing pregnancies, aiming to reduce these risks.
REC name
North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/NE/0121
Date of REC Opinion
12 Jun 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion