The Freemasons’ Grand Charity is generously funding an important clinical trial focusing on pre-eclampsia – a condition that usually occurs after 20 weeks of pregnancy and is potentially fatal to both mother and her unborn child. The project at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford will take blood samples from pregnant women on another of their trials, which looks at whether taking vitamins C & E during pregnancy can reduce the risk of developing pre-eclampsia. Researchers will examine the points at which the vitamins alter both inflammation and function of the placenta. Consequently, the team will be able to determine where the vitamins have their effect – in the placenta, in the mother or in a combination of both.

With the findings from this project our researchers hope to understand how and why vitamins work in preventing pre-eclampsia so that the condition can be treated more effectively in the future. The research project is being carried out over two years and costs Tommy’s £140,000 to fund.