Pre-eclampsia is a common and potentially serious complication of pregnancy, which is thought to start in the placenta and can affect both the mother and her baby. Currently there is no test to predict who will get pre-eclampsia, and at present the diagnosis is made by monitoring blood pressure, blood tests, and urine at antenatal visits throughout the pregnancy. It is widely acknowledged that early diagnosis of pre-eclampsia can reduce complications for both mother and baby.
Some studies have suggested that changes in the blood level of a substance produced by the placenta, called Placental Growth Factor (PlGF), may help to predict which women require delivery sooner for pre-eclampsia. PARROT, just one of the trials currently taking place in Liverpool Women’s, aims to determine whether measuring PlGF will improve care for women with pre-eclampsia and suspected pre-ecalmpsia.
Women taking part in the trial will require an extra blood test to measure PlGF, which will be used along with other standard practice to guide the woman’s care. It is intended that 504 women with pre-eclampsia from several hospitals in England will be involved in this study over a 2 year period. We intend to recruit here at Liverpool Women’s Hospital until March 2018.
Women 18 years or older with a singleton pregnancy between 20+0 and 36+6 weeks with raised blood pressure or any other symptoms of pre-eclampsia are eligible; women will only be ineligible if they already have a diagnosis of pre-eclampsia.
This trial description is part of a weekly series which highlights several studies conducted at LWH. Contact research midwives, Sian, Falak, Siobhan, Michelle, and Caroline in our Maternity Research Department for more information.
Tel: office 0151-702-4355/1039 Mob: 07594559618
Email : research.midwives@lwh.nhs.uk