Predicting spontaneous preterm birth in multiple pregnancies
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring novel techniques for the prediction of spontaneous preterm birth in multiple pregnancies- a pilot study.
IRAS ID
273771
Contact name
Dilly Anumba
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 2 months, 2 days
Research summary
Spontaneous preterm birth refers to the spontaneous delivery of a baby before 37 weeks of gestation. Preterm birth complications are the leading cause of death among children under 5 years of age, responsible for nearly one million deaths annually. Of the babies that survive, a significant number will have long term health problems; one in 4 babies born before 28 weeks will develop a neurological impairment.
Spontaneous preterm birth is more common in multiple pregnancies (pregnancies with two or more fetuses): 60% of twin pregnancies will deliver spontaneously before 37 weeks and 75% of triplet pregnancies before 35 weeks. The consequences of preterm birth in this population are also significant: 44% of twin pregnancies and 91% of triplet pregnancies will result in special care unit admission for at least one of the infants.
Identification of patients at risk of preterm birth is essential to facilitate antenatal interventions known to improve outcomes.
Cervical remodelling describes the process by which the cervix softens, ripens and dilates to facilitate labour and delivery; a gradual process which occurs throughout the duration of the pregnancy. These changes can occur several weeks before contractions and may be useful in predicting preterm delivery. Magnetic induced spectroscopy (MIS) is a technique which measures how a non-painful electric current passes through the cervix, giving information about the structural changes. In singleton pregnancies, cervical MIS readings are significantly different in women who have a preterm delivery compared to those who deliver at term.
This study will investigate whether this technique, performed at 20-22 and 26-28 weeks of pregnancy, can be used to identify those women with a multiple pregnancy who will deliver prematurely.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/YH/0205
Date of REC Opinion
25 Aug 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion