Study of the placental structure

In partnership with Tommy’s, we funded a project (The Placenta Vessels Study) that looked at the placenta – the organ that passes oxygen, nutrients and antibodies to the baby – to find out why some babies do not grow properly in the womb, putting them at risk of stillbirth.

The researchers found that blood vessel cells from the placentas of slow-growing babies were less healthy and less able to communicate with each other, which could result in poor blood vessel development. They also found that specific genes were ‘switched off’ in the placenta cells from slow-growing babies.

Even though this project is complete, we are continuing to fund research that will help find out why some babies do not grow as expected and hope that this work will ultimately lead to the development of new treatments that could reduce the number of babies dying in the womb.

Teddy's Wish have contributed £10,000