Volume blood flow in pregnancy
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Non-invasive measurement of volume blood flow and its correlation with Doppler indices in normal and complicated pregnancies.
IRAS ID
160048
Contact name
Amarnath Bhide
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
St. George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, months, days
Research summary
Ultrasound is commonly used as a tool for surveillance in normal and complicated pregnancy. Examination of the maternal and fetal blood vessels using Doppler ultrasound, and assessment of flow velocity waveforms is commonly performed. This assessment does not include estimation of volume blood flow, for which two extra measurements (vessel wall diameter and blood flow mean velocity) are required.
We plan to obtain these extra measurements with the consent of women to estimate the quantitative blood flow through fetal and maternal vessels. We also wish to measure the volume of blood pumped by the heart of the mother (Maternal cardiac output) and the fetus (Fetal cardiac output) using non-invasive ultrasound techniques.
Maternal blood sample will be stored and used to study biomarkers of placental function.
At the timing of the delivery, cord blood sample at delivery to study fetal response to possible hypoxemia. We wish to freeze a tissue sample of the placenta to study histopathology and immuno-histochemistry of the placenta.REC name
London - Stanmore Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/LO/0631
Date of REC Opinion
17 Apr 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion