Research
Pregnancy is a screen test for women’s health
Pregnancy and labour create significant strain to the mother’s body. Her heart, kidneys and liver undergo major changes in order to cope with the increasing demands of the baby and the placenta. The...
Using ultrasound to assess baby’s head position during labour, leads to safer deliveries when assistance by a doctor is needed.
About 1 in 5 mums, especially if they are in their first pregnancy, will need some help from their obstetrician to deliver their baby. This need could arise either because baby’s head is in a...
Only validated blood pressure machines should be used in pregnancy
Not all automated blood pressure machines measure blood pressure accurately during pregnancy. Using an inaccurate device, can worry unnecessarily many mothers and can falsely reassure others who...
Pregnancies with previous history of blood pressure problems have a high risk of complications and need close follow-up.
About half of pregnancies that had a history of high blood pressure in a previous pregnancy will have a subsequent pregnancy complicated by high blood pressure, small baby, diabetes in pregnancy or...
Mothers who need thyroxine treatment for an underactive thyroid need to be managed in a more individualised way early in pregnancy.
Early pregnancy testing is of paramount importance for pregnancies with mothers known to have an underactive thyroid. This is a critical period because baby’s brain is entirely dependent on maternal...
Mother’s heart works harder in twin, compared to singleton pregnancies
This study showed that the maternal heart was at more stress during a twin pregnancy. This could be linked with the higher rate of blood pressure and heart problems that mums with twin, compared to...
Early pregnancy changes in mum’s blood pressure may be able to highlight those with better outcomes.
Mums who were diagnosed with high blood pressure before pregnancy, will have better outcomes if their blood pressure is easily controlled early in the pregnancy. It is possible that mums who adapt...
Pregnancies with faulty attachment of the placenta to the uterus do not need additional scans to check baby’s growth.
A rare but severe complication can lead to the placenta been faulty attached to the uterus. This can lead to significant bleeding and a difficult delivery for mum and baby. A pathologically attached...
Maternal heart function and risk for pre-eclampsia
Mums at high risk for developing pre-eclampsia have from as early at 12 weeks of pregnancy impaired heart function. This is also associated with delivering smaller babies. Reference: Ling HZ, Guy...
Maternal heart function in pregnancies with small babies
Deteriorating maternal heart function is associated with worsening growth for babies during pregnancy, especially in the 3rd trimester. Roberts LA, Ling HZ, Poon LC, Nicolaides KH, Kametas NA....
