Are you planning to get pregnant? Invitation to research study

Christoph Lees, Consultant in Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine, is leading an investigation into why certain pregnancy complications occur, and is seeking to recruit women aged over 18 who are trying to get pregnant and not using contraception.

 

Mr Lees, together with Gerald Hackett and Dr Ian Wilkinson, will be conducting a feasibility study to investigate the relationship between the ovulation-implantation interval, the woman's pre-pregnancy cardiovascular status, early pregnancy blood tests and early and late pregnancy problems such as recurrent miscarriage, preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction.

 

Participants will be recruited from four categories:

• healthy women who have never been pregnant
• healthy women with one or more normal term pregnancies
• women who have had three or more consecutive miscarriages
• women who have had previous problems in late pregnancy - preeclampsia requiring delivery at less than 34 weeks, intrauterine growth restriction or stillbirth

The participant's cardiovascular status will be assessed before and during pregnancy, and four months after birth. The ovulation to implantation interval will be measured using free ovulation and pregnancy test kits. GPs will be informed by letter of any of their patients taking part in the study.

 

This study has received approval from the Cambridgeshire 1 REC committee. For more information, please contact Dr Amita Mahendru, Clinical Research Fellow,  amita.mahendru@addenbrookes.nhs.uk or telephone 07947 814778.