Placental twin study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Placental histopathology: Lesions associated with preterm birth in twins
IRAS ID
180694
Contact name
Mark Turner
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Liverpool
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 30 days
Research summary
Preterm birth is common in twin pregnancies and is associated with an increased risk of death in the first year of life as well as chronic health problems later in life. Often the cause of prematurity is not known.
Examination of the placenta by a pathologist can provide evidence of disease processes which may contribute to premature birth. This study will examine the pathology reports of placentas from twin births which have been collected over 10 years at Liverpool Women's Hospital.
Lesions which are associated with premature birth will be recorded, along with the gestational age of the foetus. These include lesions suggest the presence of infection or inflammation, or of reduced blood flow to the fetus. The mother's maternal age, smoking status, parity (number of previous pregnancies) and BMI will also be recorded.
For single pregnancies, a number of placental abnormalities which reflect poor blood flow, inflammation or infection are known to be associated with a risk of premature birth. However, twin pregnancies are more complicated. The presence of 2 fetuses causes the womb to stretch and makes premature birth more likely than for a singleton pregnancy. It is not known whether there are additional placental factors which contribute to this risk. If this study identifies these factors, it may eventually be possible to design screening programmes or treatments to help prevent the number of preterm births.
REC name
West Midlands - Solihull Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/WM/0217
Date of REC Opinion
15 Jun 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion