Fetal Imaging with Maternal Oxygen (FIMOx)

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Maternal hyperoxygenation in diagnostic fetal imaging

  • IRAS ID

    213115

  • Contact name

    Reza Razavi

  • Contact email

    reza.razavi@kcl.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    King's College London

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    2 years, 11 months, 29 days

  • Research summary

    The diagnosis of congenital defects before birth allows for the planned provision of potentially life-saving postnatal care, and time for effective counselling of prospective parents. Some conditions, such as specific forms of congenital heart disease, can be extremely difficult to diagnose accurately in fetal life, making accurate planning and appropriate counselling extremely difficult.

    We are proposing using the fetal and maternal response to oxygen, delivered for a short period during an ultrasound or MRI scan, to help provide more detailed diagnostic information for mother and baby. Giving maternal oxygen is known to be safe, and has subtle but fully reservable effects on the placenta and the fetal circulation. If the placenta of the fetal circulation are not functioning normally, the response to oxygen will be different.

    We hope to improve our understanding of these changes, so that oxygen may be used to help improve the accuracy of diagnosis before birth. This simple bedside test then has the potential to be used by specialists around the country.

  • REC name

    London - South East Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    17/LO/0282

  • Date of REC Opinion

    27 Mar 2017

  • REC opinion

    Favourable Opinion