Charitable trusts and major donors

Charitable trusts and major donors can support Tommy's long-term research into healthy pregnancies

Maternal and fetal health continues to be seriously under resourced in the UK. Tommy's is currently the only charity focusing all our expertise on the causes and prevention of pregnancy problems. Your support can help make a difference to our work by supporting the long-term research that we carry out into specific pregnancy complications at St Thomas' and St Mary's Maternal & Fetal Research Centres.

 Lucilla Poston

Professor Lucilla Poston - Director of Tommy's Maternal & Fetal Research Centre, St Thomas' Hospital - London

Examples of support

Many charitable trusts and foundations have provided valuable support towards Tommy's Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre located at St Thomas' Hospital in London, helping us to fund research into the prevention of premature birth. The UK still has the highest rate of premature birth within Europe with up to 140 babies being born prematurely each day, or 7% of all UK births.

The Centre concentrates on research into premature labour, pre-eclampsia and fetal programming and costs Tommy's over £350,000 a year to fund.

If you are interested in funding either of our Maternal and Fetal Research Centres in London or Manchester please contact us.

Charitable trusts and foundations have also provided valuable support to Tommy's Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre in Manchester. One aspect of the work they have helped to fund is research aiming to reduce the risk of unborn babies suffering restricted growth. The research focuses on a condition termed intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR), estimated to affect up to 8% of all pregnancies. Severe IUGR can lead to: Premature birth, because hostile conditions in the womb causing the condition means while not ideal, it is safer to deliver the baby early; Fetal distress, because of low energy reserves in the baby; and Intensive medical support being required after birth. With your support the team hope in the long-term to develop a treatment for IUGR pregnancies.

The Centre's main areas of research are pre-eclampsia, intra-uterine growth restriction and premature labour and Tommy's funds over £350,000 of the Centre's costs every year.