Latest news with #SiobhanQuenby
BBC News
07-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Coventry big baby trial gives pregnant women choice
Big baby trial gives pregnant women more choice 10 minutes ago Share Save Shannen Headley BBC News, West Midlands Amy Cole BBC Midlands Today Share Save BBC Eve Morgan took part in the 'Big Baby' trial in 2018, giving birth to her son 10 days early Women pregnant with larger babies have been given the option to choose how and when to give birth in a bid to lessen the risk of injury to the child. The "big baby" trial aimed to find out if starting labour earlier than 38 weeks made it less likely for infants who appeared large in the womb to be born with shoulder dystocia, where the shoulder becomes stuck during delivery. Study findings from between 2018 and 2022 showed giving birth a week to 10 days earlier reduced the risk, researchers said. It is hoped the data from the £2.5m Coventry-based trial will give doctors and midwives more confidence in facilitating natural births. Coventry nurse Eve Morgan took part in the study 2018 after monitoring found her baby could reach 9lb (4kg). Ms Morgan, who developed gestational diabetes when she was pregnant, had a cervical sweep to help bring on her choice of a natural labour. As a result, she safely delivered her 7lbs 8oz boy (3.4kg) 10 days early. "They said [the] baby grows so much in the last kind of week or so," she said. "I'm quite petite myself. They said he would have been big for me." The trial was led by Siobhan Quenby, a professor of obstetrics at the University of Warwick and consultant at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust, in partnership with the Perinatal Institute, Birmingham. Results were gathered from 2,893 women in 106 hospitals in the UK, who consented to be randomly allocated to induction or standard delivery. What is shoulder dystocia? Shoulder dystocia occurs in 1 in 150 vaginal deliveries, delaying birth and leading to possible complications, including a stretching in the nerves of the infant's neck. The NHS says the condition occurs more often in bigger babies but there is uncertainty over how often. It is estimated it could affect 1 in 25 women with a big baby who have a vaginal delivery. Large babies are defined as those who weigh more than 90% of other babies the same age, the NHS said. Professor Siobhan Quenby said the trial gave women choices over how and when to have larger babies Prof Quenby said the trial findings empowered women to decide "how and when they want to deliver their baby". Trial data crucially revealed babies did not suffer more harm if they were delivered later. It also showed earlier delivery reduced the need for emergency Caesarean section and did not increase the risk of tearing. "Whether you're induced at 38 weeks or whether you choose to wait for a natural labour, in both groups the baby's outcomes were the same," Prof Quenby said. "Both groups had a risk of shoulder dystocia, it was actually slightly higher if you waited for labour naturally - but babies didn't do any worse if you wait for labour naturally." She added all the babies were born in an NHS hospital, where staff were trained on delivering natural births. Komal Mehmood, who is 38-weeks pregnant with a baby that appears larger in the womb, said data from the trial offered her reassurance Komal Mehmood, from Coventry, is 38-weeks pregnant with her second child, which is measuring as large. She said she found the results of the trial helpful when deciding her birth plan. "I mean it's a natural process at the end of the day," she said. "I understand the baby's big, but I'm confident that waiting for a normal birth shouldn't be a problem." Asked if the data had offered her reassurance she said: "Definitely it does." The trial was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the results published in the medical journal, The Lancet. Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
12-04-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Coventry-led trial for device that could prevent miscarriages
A new product being trialled to improve the absorption of the hormone progesterone in threatened miscarriages could "transform" women's experiences, experts say. Named Callavid, the small tampon-shaped device aims to replace the use of vaginal of progesterone, which help prepare the womb for the growing baby, are recommended for women who have suffered at least one miscarriage and suffer early bleeding in subsequent pregnancies. The current delivery method can leak and cost the NHS up to £236m per year, health economists say. University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust is leading the trial and said more than 150,000 women in the UK could be eligible for prescriptions of device, created by Calla Lily Clinical Care, can move to in-person trials after it received £1m in funding from the National Institute for Health and Care of Calla Lily Clinical Care Lara Zibners said the funding would bring them "one step closer to making this product available to help women at one of the most distressing moments of their lives".Professor Siobhan Quenby, who specialises in obstetrics and reproductive health at UHCW, said methods to "reduce additional psychological anxiety" were badly needed."Through this innovation, one which is being pioneered right here in the UK, I believe there is potential to transform women's experience." Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Progesterone delivery device nets £1m funding from UK's NIHR
The UK National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has awarded £1m from its Invention for Innovation (i4i) programme to a team of scientists who have developed a device designed to improve the delivery of progesterone for women experiencing threatened miscarriage. The team at London's Calla Lily Clinical Care will use the funds to initiate a clinical trial of Callavid, a small, tampon-shaped device, inserted vaginally, that holds in place as progesterone is absorbed. Progesterone is commonly administered in the form of pessaries to women who experience bleeding in early pregnancy, with the hormone preparing the uterus for implantation, and suppressing uterine contractions to avert miscarriage. However, research by the London School of Economics' Care Policy and Evaluation Centre (CPEC) indicates that across the UK National Health Service (NHS), leaky progesterone pessaries result in £236m in avoidable costs per year. Led by miscarriage and preterm birth specialist Siobhan Quenby, the team at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust's Clinical Trials Unit will launch a study this month to ensure Callavid's use is well-understood by prospective users. This will be followed by a clinical feasibility study, due to begin in the second half of 2025. A subsequent pivotal bioequivalence trial is planned for 2026, with the team intending to file for device approval with the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) thereafter. If approved, Callavid would become the first drug-device combination product in the UK to be approved for the treatment of threatened miscarriage. Siobhan Quenby stated that pessary leakage is a 'recurring issue' among her patients, with new methods to reduce additional psychological anxiety 'badly needed' in the field. Dr Lara Zibners, chair and co-founder of Calla Lily Clinical Care, commented: 'Excessive leakage causes so much additional and unnecessary distress. 'Our device has significant potential to improve women's quality of life; improving their experience of administering progesterone and playing a role in tackling threatened miscarriage.' Venture capital investment in women's health startups is lagging, despite the fact there is a clear business case, given that women make up 51% of the global population. In addition, a research collaboration between McKinsey & Company and the World Economic Forum found that while women live longer than men, they spend 25% more of their lives in debilitating health. Despite the evidence, women's health is still often viewed as a 'niche' market. Pushing back on the perception at the Royal Society of Medicine's Innovation in Women's Health and Femtech meeting in London on 3 March 2025, Lesley Regan, women's health ambassador for England, said: 'Whenever anyone says that you just have to shout at them. How can 51% of the population be a niche market?' "Progesterone delivery device nets £1m funding from UK's NIHR" was originally created and published by Medical Device Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
