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PRE-EMPT

PREventing PretErM Birth in nulliParous women Through cervical length screening.

Every year, in England and Wales, around 50,000 babies are born too early (preterm). This is worrying because preterm babies are more likely to die or have lifelong disability. Preterm birth happens amongst all groups of people but is more common in first-time mothers and those from black, Asian and poor communities. One way to reduce preterm birth (PTB) is measure the length of the cervix (neck of the womb), and if short, treat with progesterone.

Although effective, this practice is not currently routine in the NHS. Families who have experienced PTB tell us they wish something could have been done to prevent it. Parents, charities, healthcare professionals (HCPs), Government and national bodies representing patient/carers agree tests/treatments to predict/prevent preterm birth are the most important research topics.

Aims

We are a partnership of women, midwives, doctors, researchers and charities. We aim to find out:

  • Whether a scan of the cervix (an internal scan) would be acceptable to women having their first baby;
  • How the results of this scan should be explained to women;
  • Whether women with a short cervix would accept progesterone treatment and additional appointments with preterm specialists;
  • How we could design a scan and treatment pathway, from start to finish, so that women are supported to make decisions that are right for them, and so they have the best possible experience;
  • Whether this service would be good value for money.

Design

We will ask women their views about the proposed service, and what is important to them, and use this information to work with them and HCPs to develop the scan and treatment pathway. We will then try out this care pathway in several maternity hospitals and talk to women and HCPs again to make sure it is suitable across the NHS. We want to make sure this pathway will be acceptable to as many women as possible.

Patient and Public Involvement

Discussions with women from a range of backgrounds and charity partners (Tommy's/Sands/Bliss) have shaped our project design. We have a dedicated Public Involvement Lead who will support our public collaborator and a dedicated Public Advisory Group to plan and deliver our project, ensuring a focus on women's experiences throughout.

Dissemination

We will share what we find out widely. This will help pregnant women to make choices that are right for them, and support HCPs in providing the best care. Our public, charity and HCP partners will help us to create an information package and advise us how we can share it with different audiences. We will also share findings at medical conferences and publications in medical journals.

Contact us

For more information about the PRE-EMPT study, please contact Sarah Moorlock.