Magnetic Impedance Spectroscopy for Predicting Preterm Birth
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Developing and Testing a Clinical Grade Magnetic Impedance Spectroscopy Device for Cervical Assessment to Predict Preterm Birth Developing and Testing a Clinical Grade Magnetic Impedance Spectroscopy Device for Cervical Assessment to Predict Preterm Birth
IRAS ID
226816
Contact name
Dilly Anumba
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 1 months, 31 days
Research summary
Every year, globally, about 15 million babies are born preterm (before 37 weeks). This number is rising. Preterm birth (PTB) complications are the leading cause of death among children under 5 years of age, responsible for nearly 1 million deaths annually. PTB poses a strain on scarce health resources: each very premature baby costs tens of thousands of pounds in newborn care. One in 4 babies born before 28 weeks develop neurological impairment, a parent often having to give up work to care for an affected child. The prediction and prevention of PTB remain challenging because current methods, such as measuring the cervix by ultrasound, have limited accuracy. If a technique that reliably predicts PTB could be developed, there are care measures that can be employed to delay birth to reduce long-term disability/impairment.
We have been studying whether we can detect the changes in cervical tissue structure and composition that precede PTB by using very low current Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy(EIS). We recently showed that women at high risk of PTB (history of previous PTB), who deliver preterm, including delivery before 28 weeks gestation, have lower cervical "resistance" in mid-pregnancy than those who deliver at term. With NIHR funding, we have developed a new device, based on a technique called magnetic impedance spectroscopy (MIS), that should address limitations of the EIS device for assessing PTB risk. We now want to conduct clinical experiments to test whether it predicts PTB better than the previous EIS device, and check whether pregnant women find its use acceptable. This information will allow us to obtain UK regulatory approval to test the device in larger trials.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Sheffield Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/YH/0179
Date of REC Opinion
14 Aug 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion