What determines outcome in a subsequent pregnancy after stillbirth?
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Care in pregnancies after stillbirth or perinatal death, a cohort study to identify factors which predict perinatal outcome.
IRAS ID
186453
Contact name
Alexander Heazell
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 5 months, 1 days
Research summary
Currently, 1 in 220 babies born after 24 weeks of pregnancy in the UK are stillborn. Despite improvements in pregnancy care, the rate of stillbirth is only marginally less than 20 years ago. Care in a pregnancy after stillbirth is important, as the risk of another stillbirth is up to 5 times higher than in those who have not experienced a previous stillbirth. Currently, there are no national guidelines for antenatal care in pregnancy following a stillbirth. Therefore, care and the setting it is provided in differ across maternity units.
St Mary’s Hospital offers women who have experienced a stillbirth care in a specialised clinic, the Rainbow Clinic, which was set up in 2013. The clinic offers antenatal care including ultrasound scanning, increased surveillance during the pregnancy, psychological and emotional support, continuity of care by specially trained staff and is combined with research projects.
Our aims in this study are to assess care in pregnancy following a stillbirth, particularly looking at tests done before or during the pregnancy, to see which are most informative in predicting outcome of the subsequent pregnancy. In addition, to see if focused care in a specialised antenatal clinic improves outcomes following a previous stillbirth we will compare our outcomes to a similar unit that does not offer a specialised clinic. Lastly, we will increase our understanding of stillbirth recurrence by examining and comparing the placenta of the stillbirth and the following pregnancy for the same woman.REC name
London - Surrey Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/LO/1666
Date of REC Opinion
20 Sep 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion