Synergising Biomarkers - Fetal Growth Restriction (FGR) Project

Having a small baby is a common pregnancy complication known as fetal growth restriction (FGR), which affects 1 in 13 pregnancies. The main cause of FGR is an ineffective placenta – the organ that provides oxygen and nutrients to the baby during pregnancy.
Currently, diagnosing FGR can be challenging, as there are few tests that can tell us about the health of the placenta. The most commonly used method to detect a small baby, which measures the size of the mother’s womb, will only find 1 in 4 FGR babies and many more who measure small, but are quite healthy.
The challenge is balancing the aim to keep the baby in the womb for as long as possible to grow, mature and protect them from the complications of being born early, against the real risk of stillbirth and brain injury due to ongoing exposure to a placenta that’s not delivering enough oxygen and nutrients.
Imagine if a simple blood test from the mother during pregnancy could tell if the placenta was providing enough nourishment to bub. It could then tell exactly when the right time for birth would be to maximise the baby’s chance of the best start in life.