A study led by Ulla Sovio and Gordon Smith at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, published in The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, identified new biomarkers predictive of early term spontaneous labour. The team performed a secondary analysis of the Pregnancy Outcome Prediction study. They found that slowing of fetal growth velocity detected by ultrasound, together with maternal blood biomarkers indicating insufficient function of the placenta, were associated with a higher chance of an earlier spontaneous birth. This study helps understanding that insufficient function of the placenta may be a trigger for an earlier initiation of labour.

Sovio U, Gaccioli F, Cook E, Charnock-Jones DS, Smith GCS. Slowing of fetal growth and elevated maternal serum sFLT1:PlGF are associated with early term spontaneous labor. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2021 Apr 23:S0002-9378(21)00462-2. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2021.04.232. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33901486.