Our research projects
Thanks to our supporters we are able to carry out more than £2m worth of ground-breaking research every year in 4 centres across the UK, into the causes of miscarriage, stillbirth and premature birth. Discover our research projects here.
Obesity
Stress and obesity in pregnancy: do stress hormones increase the risk of complications?
Cortisol, the stress hormone, may be linked to pregnancy complications such as growth restriction and babies born heavier than normal.
Stillbirth research
Does specialist care reduce the number of stillbirths in obese women?
Care of severely obese women at Tommy's specialist antenatal metabolic clinic reduces the number of stillbirths eight times
Stillbirth research
Testing the FeHeMo vest to monitor baby’s health
Researchers have developed a vest for pregnant women which could keep track of their baby’s heart rates and movements in the womb over long periods of time.
Stillbirth research
Improving support in a pregnancy after stillbirth or neonatal death (the IMPS study)
Our study aims to find out more about people's experiences of care in pregnancy after a loss and what extra support they would find helpful.
Stillbirth research
Older mothers and the risk of stillbirth
Women over 35 are more likely to have a stillbirth. Researchers supported by Tommy’s are looking at how the placenta may play a role in this, and are testing how we can stop stillbirths by making sure the placenta is healthy.
Stillbirth research
Using MRI to detect if the placenta is being rejected by the immune system
Our researchers are studying whether MRI scans could be used to diagnose chronic histiocytic intervillositis early to reduce the risk of stillbirth.
Stillbirth research
Stillbirth and fetal free haemoglobin
Researchers supported by Tommy’s have found that the substance that usually carries oxygen around our blood may have harmful effects on the baby when it escapes from red blood cells.
Stillbirth research
The Placental Assessment Predicting Pregnancy Outcome (PAPPO) study
This study is looking at ways to tell when the placenta isn’t working as well as it should, to help predict babies at risk of being stillborn.
Stillbirth research
Assessing how healthy babies are when they start moving less than normal (FEMINA2)
Reduced fetal movements are a common reason for women to go to hospital in the last 12 weeks of pregnancy. There is currently no way to know which women will have a normal pregnancy and which have problems.
Obesity
Stress and obesity in pregnancy: do stress hormones increase the risk of complications?
Cortisol, the stress hormone, may be linked to pregnancy complications such as growth restriction and babies born heavier than normal.
Stillbirth research
Older mothers and the risk of stillbirth
Women over 35 are more likely to have a stillbirth. Researchers supported by Tommy’s are looking at how the placenta may play a role in this, and are testing how we can stop stillbirths by making sure the placenta is healthy.
Stillbirth research
Stillbirth and fetal free haemoglobin
Researchers supported by Tommy’s have found that the substance that usually carries oxygen around our blood may have harmful effects on the baby when it escapes from red blood cells.
Stillbirth research
Does specialist care reduce the number of stillbirths in obese women?
Care of severely obese women at Tommy's specialist antenatal metabolic clinic reduces the number of stillbirths eight times
Stillbirth research
Improving support in a pregnancy after stillbirth or neonatal death (the IMPS study)
Our study aims to find out more about people's experiences of care in pregnancy after a loss and what extra support they would find helpful.
Stillbirth research
The Placental Assessment Predicting Pregnancy Outcome (PAPPO) study
This study is looking at ways to tell when the placenta isn’t working as well as it should, to help predict babies at risk of being stillborn.
Stillbirth research
Testing the FeHeMo vest to monitor baby’s health
Researchers have developed a vest for pregnant women which could keep track of their baby’s heart rates and movements in the womb over long periods of time.
Stillbirth research
Using MRI to detect if the placenta is being rejected by the immune system
Our researchers are studying whether MRI scans could be used to diagnose chronic histiocytic intervillositis early to reduce the risk of stillbirth.
Stillbirth research
Assessing how healthy babies are when they start moving less than normal (FEMINA2)
Reduced fetal movements are a common reason for women to go to hospital in the last 12 weeks of pregnancy. There is currently no way to know which women will have a normal pregnancy and which have problems.