Premature birth service
Contact
- Maternity helpline
- 020 3312 6135
Visitor Information
Visiting restrictions are in place. Please call the ward to find out more. Find your hospital ward contact information:
About
Our prematurity service is provided at both Queen Charlotte’s & Chelsea and St Mary's hospitals. The Trust’s prematurity clinics are amongst the longest established prematurity services in the UK. The clinics are staffed by doctors and midwives with a special interest in preventing preterm delivery. They are overseen by Professor Phillip Bennett at Queen Charlotte’s & Chelsea Hospital and Mr Tiong Teoh at St Mary’s Hospital, both of whom have international reputations for the prediction and prevention of preterm birth.
Conditions and treatments
Pregnant women who have previously experienced a premature birth (before 37 weeks) or a late miscarriage (after 14 weeks) are referred to the clinic after their dating scan. Women who have had some treatment to their cervix after an abnormal smear test or who have been told they have an abnormally shaped womb are also referred. We risk stratify patients based on their medical history and perform cervical length surveillance through ultrasound scans. Interventions include lifestyle modification, progesterone and cervical stitches.
Additional information
Clinical trials and research
Women are invited to participate in continuing research into the causes and mechanisms of preterm labour, and the clinics are closely affiliated with the parturition research group, led by Professor Bennett at Imperial College. We are currently recruiting women to a study in the prediction of early preterm labour (PEPTL) and VMe2. PEPTL is focused upon finding a marker in blood or urine which might show if women are at increased risk of early delivery. VMet2 investigates the bacterial flora present in the vagina and metabolites in the urine, vagina and blood for the prediction and prevention of preterm birth.
Further online resources
Latest news See all news
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Information for patients following publication of the Ockenden report
We know that the report may cause concern for many others, especially those who are pregnant or planning for a baby. If you are under our maternity care and have any questions or concerns, we would really like to know so that we can help.
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Female scientists to play leading role in new women's health research centre
A new research centre will empower female researchers to play a leading role in advancing treatments for women’s cancers and pre-term birth.
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Research into leading cause of stillbirth awarded £2.4 million funding
Researchers and clinicians at the Trust have been awarded over £2.4 million to investigate the best technique to manage poor growth in babies during the later stages of pregnancy. The study will be led by the head of fetal medicine at Imperial…