The evaluation and development of novel diagnostic methods to understand and prevent placentally-related complications of human pregnancy

A single blood test and ultrasound scan at 36 weeks of pregnancy can now identify women at high risk of preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction—two conditions that together account for a major share of global maternal and newborn illness and death. Current screening methods miss many cases, especially in late pregnancy, leaving clinicians without reliable tools to decide who needs early delivery. The researchers previously developed a predictive test combining maternal risk factors, ultrasound measurements, and placental proteins, validated in a study of 4,512 first-time mothers. Now they plan a second study of 4,500 women to test whether inducing labour early in high-risk women reduces complications, and to refine predictions using metabolites, proteins, and RNA markers. They will also investigate whether patterns of DNA methylation in placental tissue and cell-free DNA in maternal blood differ between the two conditions. If successful, this work could give maternity services a simple, evidence-based screening tool to prevent stillbirth and severe hypertension, and to avoid unnecessary inductions in low-risk women. The research is directly translational—it moves from a validated screening test to a randomised trial of intervention, with the potential to change routine antenatal care within a few years.