The Tommy's Maternal and Fetal Research Unit (www.mfru.info) is led by Professor Lucilla Poston, who was appointed as the UK's and Tommy's first Professor of Maternal and Fetal Health in 1995.

This unit is based at St Thomas' Hospital, London and the team of doctors, scientists and midwives working there have received international acclaim for their work. The group combines both scientific work and clinical studies to investigate a range of pregnancy problems.

The group is currently focusing on three principal areas of research, pre-eclampsia, pre-term labour, and the effects of a poor diet in pregnancy on the baby's health in later life.

Their work with pre-eclampsia involves studies in both the clinic and research laboratory. The team ran the VIP trial and was the first to report that vitamin supplementation (vitamins C and E) may be useful in the prevention of pre-eclampsia. Large scale clinical trials are now being designed to determine whether these vitamins are safe and efficient to use in all pregnant women in order to prevent pre-eclampsia. Studies are also underway in the unit to find a way of identifying women, who are at risk of developing pre-eclampsia, in order that preventative treatment with vitamins may be targetted to these women. In addition, the team is examining how and why the arteries of women with pre-eclampsia may be different (more stiff) to those of other pregnant women.

Mr Andrew Shennan, the group's senior obstetrician runs a programme of research designed to find out the most reliable way to measure blood pressure in pregnant women. This is important because a rise in blood pressure is one of the first signs of pre-eclampsia. Old-fashioned blood pressure monitors are gradually being placed with more modern devices, and the unit is testing these new devices for their accuracy. This group is also involved in developing a new and robust monitor.

The unit is also concerned with pre-term labour. They have just completed a large study called the PREMET study. This study looked at whether women at risk of going into pre-term labour could be identified using a particular vaginal swab.The study has also investigated whether women who have a positive swab test for fetal fibronectin can then be effectively treated with an antimicrobial agent, metronidazole, and so prevented from going into pre-term labour. The results of this trial are being currently analysed and will be known before the end of 2002.

Another large study by the unit has shown that more women are suffering from the disorder obstetric cholestasis than originally thought. Obstetric cholestasis can cause premature birth. Dr Rachel Tribe and her group are studying the mechanisms of why women go into labour early; focusing on the reason why women with obstetric cholestasis deliver before term and may have stillbirths, and on how infection may also cause pre-term labour.

The unit is examining the relationship between women's diet in pregnancy and their baby's health later in life. Poor diet in pregnancy may cause a baby to be 'programmed' to develop disease later in life, for example high blood pressure or diabetes.

Professor Poston says
"Tommy's investment in the Maternal and Fetal Research Unit has been vital into finding out why problems in pregnancy occur. Continued support will enable us to carry on and expand our research programme and look to decrease the risks that are inherent in pregnancy."