SWIRL: Stillbirth - When Is Risk Low?
Research type
Research Study
Full title
SWIRL: Stillbirth - When Is Risk Low? Maternal venous return from the placenta and the effect of placental and uterine contractions as potential markers of stillbirth risk
IRAS ID
321374
Contact name
Nia Jones
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Nottingham
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
The placenta is an organ that develops inside the womb during pregnancy. It works to provide oxygen and nutrition to the baby and remove waste. The placenta connects to the baby through the umbilical cord. Oxygen rich blood flows from the mother to the baby through the umbilical cord and is exchanged with the baby’s blood at the placenta, blood carrying carbon dioxide then flows back through the umbilical cord to the mother.
Stillbirth is when a baby dies in the womb from 24 weeks of pregnancy. One third of stillbirths are related to problems with the placenta. In the past there has been lots of work studying the blood flow into the placenta from the mother with little consideration given to the importance of how blood moves back out of the placenta (venous return), despite this being critical for the circulation and uniform flow of maternal blood around the ‘placental villous trees’ which contain the baby’s blood and where exchange of oxygen and nutrients from mother to baby occurs.
We are focusing on this venous return, particularly the effects of our newly discovered placental contractions which periodically refresh the blood within the placenta. Problems here will affect baby’s well-being.
We will target placental contractions and venous return to the mother as potential markers of risk of stillbirth. This project addresses the knowledge gap by combining MRI scanning of placental flow (including venous return) and oxygenation during pregnancy, studies of placental flow on the placenta after birth, mathematical modelling, machine learning, and the development of a novel wearable placental contraction monitor (PCM), thus provide a new route to safe community monitoring of at-risk pregnancies.
Based on results from this study, future work will aim to better identify those women at risk of stillbirth and target interventions whilst avoiding unnecessary interventions in women at low-risk.
REC name
East Midlands - Leicester Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/EM/0052
Date of REC Opinion
27 Apr 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion