B3216 - Placental Weight or Volume as a Predictor of Poor Perinatal Outcomes - 03/01/2019

B number: 
B3216
Principal applicant name: 
Debbie Lawlor | MRC-IEU, NIHR-BRC (Bristol)
Co-applicants: 
Dr. David Odd, Miss Rebecca Ellis, Ahmed Elhakeem
Title of project: 
Placental Weight or Volume as a Predictor of Poor Perinatal Outcomes
Proposal summary: 

A healthy placenta is important for a healthy pregnancy and birth of a healthy baby. Some research shows that a larger placenta is associated with a healthier baby at birth. The placenta is normally weighed after the birth of the baby. This is too late to change things during the pregnancy that might help improve the mothers and baby’s health. The size of the placenta can be measured using ultrasound scans during pregnancy. If we can show that the size of the placenta is an accurate way of identifying women who might be at risk of having health problems during pregnancy and with their baby at birth, and that ultrasound measures of the placenta are accurate measures of its size, it might be possible to prevent problems for mother and her baby.

Impact of research: 
Determining whether an association exists between placental weight/volume and adverse perinatal outcomes could help us identify ways to predict adverse outcomes, and the potential accuracy of such predictions. This in turn can be used to identify at risk pregnancies, or groups most at risk, where additional support, surveillance, or intervention may be beneficial.
Date proposal received: 
Thursday, 3 January, 2019
Date proposal approved: 
Thursday, 3 January, 2019
Keywords: 
Epidemiology, Pregnancy - e.g. reproductive health, postnatal depression, birth outcomes, etc., Statistical methods, Birth outcomes, BMI, Cohort studies - attrition, bias, participant engagement, ethics, Mothers - maternal age, menopause, obstetrics, Offspring, Statistical methods