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INTSAMGEN-Internasjonalt samarbeid generelt

USA - Understanding and prevention of unexplained stillbirths - collaboration in the Femina study and the Norw. Mother & Child Cohort Study

Awarded: NOK 0.10 mill.

The background: Unexplained stillbirths have been the largest contributor to our perinatal mortality for decades. Women perceiving reduced fetal movements (FM) are at high risk of adverse outcomes, and are frequent and difficult challenges in obstetric c are. There are no evidence-based protocols for management, little knowledge of outcomes and no prevention. The Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (NMCC) is a cohort of 100 000 pregnancies, traceable through a wide range of high quality health regist ries in Norway. The estimated 400 stillbirths included will be thoroughly validated. A role of genetic vulnerability to inflammatory failure has been suggested in unexplained stillbirths. Objectives and methods: The Fetal Movement Intervention Assessmen t (Femina) collaboration record all pregnancies with reduced FM, characteristics, management, pathology and outcome, is the ?foundation? of epidemiological studies and evaluation of clinical quality improvement projects and interventions to increase vigil ance and information. Large-scale data collection on actual fetal activity (using kick charts) is included to study associations with short- and long-term outcomes. The NMCC aim to initiate a collaboration with two major stillbirth research centers in th e US. to assess genetic vulnerability to inflammatory failure in polymorphisms of e.g. IL-10 promoter genes, IL-1 RA allele 2, partial C4 gene deletions. Significance: Femina aims to identify the outcome of pregnancies with reduced FM, what management y ields best outcomes, how improved care affect outcome, how public vigilance affect the population, and the associations of FM outcomes. This may have huge impact on antenatal care for a large group of pregnancies. The studies of genetic vulnerability to i nflammatory failure may provide new insight and understanding that may prove important in management, prevention and guidance of affected mothers in subsequent pregnancies.

Funding scheme:

INTSAMGEN-Internasjonalt samarbeid generelt

Thematic Areas and Topics

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