Research 

Research in High Risk Pregnancies

Doctors are continually looking for new ways to improve the care of mothers and babies who experience complications during pregnancy. One of the ways to accomplish this goal is to perform research studies. 

As a member of two national groups that specialize in pregnancy-related problems and an active participant in numerous collaborative research efforts, Ohio State provides many opportunities for mothers to participate in research.

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development supports a Network of 14 university hospitals in the United States that conduct research studies seeking to improve the health of mothers and babies. Ohio State has been a member of this network for 17 years. Current studies accepting patients include:

• A Randomized Trial of 17 Alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone Caproate for Prevention of Preterm Birth in Nulliparous Women with a Short Cervix, which aims to determine if treatment with progesterone will reduce the risk of preterm birth in women found to have a short cervix in their first pregnancy.
• A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Thyroxine Therapy for Subclinical Hypothyroidism or Hypothyroxinemia Diagnosed During Pregnancy, which aims to determine if treating pregnant women with very mild thyroid disease is associated with an improvement in the intellectual function of their children at age 5.

For more information, contact Francee Johnson, nurse coordinator at (614) 293-5632.

The North American Fetal Treatment Network is comprised of 20 hospitals in the United States and Canada that provide specialized fetal treatments which aim to improve the health of babies after birth.Current studies include:

• Oxidative Stress in Fetuses with Severe Anemia, which hopes to discover if there is an association between the level of anemia in a fetus from the mother’s antibodies and levels of oxidative stress.
• Lower Urinary Tract Obstruction Observational Study, which aims to learn which fetuses might benefit from treatment during pregnancy.
• Microarray Study, which aims to find out how useful this new test is for detecting certain genetic conditions.  
• Twin-Twin Transfusion Predictive Markers, which aims to learn if a blood test or test of the amniotic fluid can predict the severity of the disease.
• Outcomes of Pregnancies Treated with Radiofrequency Ablation

Ohio State is also participating in multisite studies examing the following conditions:

• Preventative Therapy for Congenital Heart Block in the Fetus
• Treatment of Alloimmune Thrombocytopenia

If you would like to be considered for any of these studies, please contact Karen Rossi at (614) 293-8083 or 1-877-311-2229.

In addition, Ohio State has a Perinatal Research Laboratory where doctors study the science behind problems in pregnancy. Laboratory research is usually required before human studies can be performed. Currently, Ohio State’s Perinatal lab is exploring the causes of premature labor and pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure of pregnancy).

Additional information:

NAFTNet