Clinical Research Directory

Severe Intrauterine Growth Retardation: Developmental Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Care

The purpose of the study is to learn more about the development of small for gestational age (SGA) preterm infants and whether focusing on the infant's behavior has a positive effect on outcome. The study hypotheses state: 1) High risk severely SGA preterm infants will profit from detailed neuropsychological assessment, psychoeducational recommendations and practical guidance for caregiving, as well as formal educational and emotional support for the family and the professional care team. 2) Neuropsychological education and guidance for community-based early intervention providers caring for SGA preterm infants after their discharge is effective in promoting improved outcome.

Exploration of Allograft Humoral Rejection in Chronic Histiocytic Intervillositis

Chronic histiocytic intervillositis (CHI) is a rare condition with an incidence of 5 in 10,000 pregnancies. This rare condition is associated with placental inflammatory lesions leading to severe and recurrent obstetrical complications: intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), fetal death in utero and miscarriage. The pathophysiological mechanisms of CHI are poorly understood, while the empirical treatments prescribed to prevent recurrence are cumbersome and of poor efficacy. Recent findings suggest that an alloimmune response may play a role. In a recent work, the investigators have demonstrated the role of maternal alloantibodies directed against fetal HLA antigens in two patients followed for recurrent IUGR associated with CHI. Their work suggests that a humoral alloimmune response directed against fetal HLA antigens mimics an allograft rejection process. The investigators propose to extend the preliminary results obtained in these patients to provide new insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms of CHI, and eventually to predict the risks of fetal loss.