International award for pregnancy research

Oxygen supply may be the key to miscarriage and pre-eclampsia

A Cambridge scientist has been awarded an international prize for research into two of the commonest complications of pregnancy, miscarriage and pre-eclampsia, opening new avenues for potential treatments.

Dr Graham Burton of the Department of Anatomy at the University of Cambridge, and his collaborator Dr Eric Jauniaux, Reader at the Royal Free Hospital and University College London, were jointly awarded the prize by the Fonds National de la Recherche, the Belgian equivalent of the Medical Research Council.

They received the prize for their work on the role of placental oxygenation and generation of free radicals in the pathogenesis of miscarriages and pre-eclampsia. Oxygen is vital for the developing baby later in pregnancy, but too much oxygen in the early weeks may harm the embryo or even result in miscarriage.

The researchers have focused on determining precisely when the maternal circulation to the placenta becomes fully established and its effect on the supply of oxygen and other nutrients to the developing fetus. They have investigated the effects that oxygen metabolism has on placental tissues from normal and abnormal pregnancies.

The team has adopted a primarily physiological approach and has measured the oxygen tension within the early placenta and fetal fluids in vivo at different stages of gestation.

The scientists received their prize on Friday, 11 May 2001 in Belgium. Dr Burton is delighted with the award:

"It is a great honour to receive this prize in recognition of our work over the years. Miscarriage is a very common and distressing condition. Our research sheds new light on the underlying mechanisms, and by understanding these we hope to alleviate suffering in the future.

"Meanwhile, the best advice for pregnant women is that they should have a healthy balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables to ensure a supply of essential vitamins during pregnancy."