Clinical Research Directory

Intelligence and Neurodevelopmental Disorders After Prenatal Exposure to General Anaesthesia

Every year in the European Union, thousands of babies are exposed to anaesthesia before they are born because their mothers need surgery during pregnancy. While these surgeries are necessary, there is a concern that the anaesthesia might affect the baby's brain development. However, there isn't enough research to know for sure how this exposure might impact the child's intelligence or behavior later in life. The goal of this cohort study is to compare the intelligence and neurodevelopmental outcome of children prenatally exposed to general anaesthesia for maternal abdominal surgery with those of unexposed children and with those of children prenatally exposed to maternal inflammation.

A Longitudinal, Cohort Study Investigating the Impact of General Anaesthetic Caesarean Birth, With or Without ICU Admission, on Maternal Mental Health and Mother/Infant Bonding

In the UK, approximately 6000 women every year undergo caesarean sections with general anaesthetic. Additionally, around 1300 women are admitted to Intensive Care Units (ICU) annually, typically due to pregnancy or childbirth complications. Some of these women are admitted to ICU for critical care immediately following a general anaesthetic caesarean section. However, there is little research on the impact of these experiences on women/birthing people and their families. This project aims to explore the impact of general anaesthetic caesarean section, with or without subsequent ICU admission, on a mother's mental health and bonding with her newborn. Women and birthing people who have undergone a caesarean section with an epidural or spinal anaesthesia can also take part in this study, so that outcomes can be compared for different types of caesarean birth.