Clinical Research Directory

Deconstructing Maternal Burdens: Doulas and the Community Unite for Health

This study is a randomized controlled trial comparing two models of doula support for pregnant individuals enrolled in Medicaid: an enhanced doula support model, in which support starts earlier in pregnancy, occurs more frequently, and continues through the first year after birth, versus the standard doula care currently covered by Medicaid in Florida. The study also builds the doula workforce needed to sustain this model of care, training doulas to become eligible to bill Medicaid for their services. The primary goal is to determine whether the enhanced doula model results in significantly lower rates of perinatal depressive and anxiety symptoms compared to standard doula support, while gathering data on real-world implementation. The study also evaluates the effectiveness of Medicaid-covered doula services more broadly, with findings intended to inform state-level policy on Medicaid reimbursement and the extension of doula services into the postpartum period.

Feasibility Trial of the Womb Watch Smartphone App To Assess Fetal Movements

The surveillance of pregnancies at risk for fetal loss secondary to high-risk maternal or fetal conditions remains a mainstay of perinatal care. Current testing to prevent fetal loss includes the regular use of ultrasound (biophysical profile) or fetal heart rate monitoring (non-stress test) in an outpatient clinic setting once or twice weekly. A patient may also be asked to subjectively assess daily fetal movements during the time between routine antepartum testing appointments. However, there are no good systems for pregnant women to objectively measure fetal movements. Smartphones have allowed for the development of applications that utilize various embedded devices including the camera and microphone. In our recent pilot STUDY00001552 of 205 pregnant patients, placement of the iPhone10 microphone directly on the maternal abdominal wall was utilized to detect fetal movements. AI assessment of the audio recordings proved superior to maternal perception of fetal movements that were recorded during simultaneous ultrasound (gross fetal movements: 64% audio vs 18% maternal; breathing: 93% vs 3%, hiccups: 73% vs 3%). This trial is a prospective, observational, feasibility study of 60 patients that includes both low-risk and high-risk pregnant women to examine the usability of the Womb Watch smartphone application. The study will involve introduction of the Womb Watch app to a population of pregnant patients. Features of the app will be modified based on participant feedback. Anxiety levels of the patient will be tracked serially using a survey tool. The various types and versions of smartphones will be assessed to see if they affect the AI model. Finally, patients will be asked to determine the strength of fetal movements to see if this parameter can be assessed by the AI model. Amniotic fluid data will assessed through clinical ultrasounds to see if this also has any effect on the AI model's ability to detect fetal movements.

Lifestyle Interventions to Improve Glycemic Parameters and Reduce Gestational Diabetes in High-risk Pregnant Individuals

The goal of this study is assess the impact of a higher intensity dietary and activity counseling program to improve blood sugar control and reduce the chance of developing gestational diabetes (GDM) as compared to the current standard diet and activity counseling.

Automated Insulin Delivery Versus Usual Insulin Treatment Modality Before and During Pregnancy in Women With Type 1 Diabetes

A national multi-center open-label randomized controlled trial that investigates whether the use of the automated insulin delivery system CamAPS FX initiated during pregnancy planning or in early pregnancy improves maternal time in glycemic targets and fetal growth in women with type 1 diabetes compared to usual insulin treatment modality combined with Continuous Glucose Monitoring.

Ultrasound Detection of Body Composition in Critical Care

Objective assessment of the Changes in body composition of critically ill patients is very valuable. Ultrasound stands as a solution due to its portability, bedside availability, and radiation-free technology. Those criteria are crucial for critically ill obstetrics and gynecological cases.

Prenatal Sonographic Prediction of Placental Histology and Function

The purpose of this two-phase observational study is to investigate the use of ultrasonography to predict placental pathology at the time of delivery.

Providing an Optimized and Empowered Pregnancy for You (POPPY) Aim 3: Randomized Controlled Trial

The PᵌOPPY study is designed to support the American Heart Association's mission to improve maternal/infant health outcomes and address inequities in maternal/infant health care. The P3OPPY Project is one of five projects within the American Heart Association P3 EQUATE Network. The overarching goal of the P3 EQUATE American Heart Association Health Equity Research Network (HERN) is to promote equity in Maternal and Infant Health outcomes by identifying innovative and cost-effective strategies to enhance access to quality health information, care, and experiences during pregnancy, postnatal and postpartum/preconception periods, particularly for Black and under-served populations. Collectively, the investigators will collaborate with pregnant and postpartum individuals and their families, hospitals, and communities to discover ways to reduce racism and social problems that contribute to poor health outcomes. In this trial, 400 non-Hispanic Black participants will be randomized to see if 2 promising interventions (digital health interventions and community health workers) reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Wireless Physiologic Monitoring in Postpartum Women

To estimate the clinical effectiveness of wireless physiologic monitoring of women in the first 24 hours after cesarean delivery at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital

Effect of Combined Program of Electro Acupuncture With Exercise on Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction During Pregnancy

Study's Objective: this study aimed to discover the effect of combining electroacupuncture with therapeutic exercises on of symphysis pubis dysfunction during pregnancy.A prospective randomized controlled trial that compared 2 groups of participants was executed. 60 primipara and multipara pregnant women at 25-28 weeks' of gestation diagnosed with symphysis pubis dysfunction were involved. Group A included participants who joined six-week physiotherapy sessions composed of electroacupuncture technique combined with relevant therapeutic exercise, wore a pelvic belt and received pieces of advice. While, group B involved control participants who followed the routine care and received advice as well as put on the same pelvic belt as group A participants.The intervention was associated with a statistically significant pain reduction and much less progression of inter-pubic gap widening among group A participants.In summary, electroacupuncture should be integrated into a multimodal care plan, combining stabilizing exercises and ergonomic advice, while adhering to the listed safety exclusions to improve quality of life for women suffering from symphysis pubis dysfunction during pregnancy.

Effect of Direct Myofascial Release Technique Combined With Exercise on Round Ligament Pain During Pregnancy

Study's objective is to explore effect of combining direct myofascial release technique with therapeutic exercises on decreasing round ligament pain during pregnancy.The main question to be answered by this study: Does a myofascial release technique combined with exercise have effect on round ligament pain during pregnancy? Researchers will compare 2 groups of 70 participants of multi para pregnant women at 24 weeks' of gestation diagnosed with round ligament pain . Group A (study group) included participants who joined a six-week physiotherapy plan of care in the form of sessions composed of direct myofascial release technique combined with specific therapeutic exercise as well as put on a belly band and received advice. While, group B involved control participants who followed the routine care and advice as well as wearing the same belly band as group A participants.

Better Lifestyle Counseling for African American Women During Pregnancy

The purpose of this randomized controlled trial is to establish the effectiveness of a culturally targeted and individually tailored behavioral intervention to promote maternal glucose metabolism in African American women.

LEARNER- Low dosE AspiRiN prEterm tRial (Angola)

This study is being conducted to evaluate the safety and effect of starting daily use of low dose (100 mg) aspirin in pregnant women with sickle cell disease, who are being followed in two county hospitals in Angola, in the first trimester versus the second trimester of the gestational period.

The Effect of Early Screening and Intervention for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus on Pregnancy Outcomes

Context: Women with gestational diabetes have excessive fetus growth weeks earlier than the screening period recommended currently, suggesting that earlier screening and intervention may improve pregnancy outcomes and the health of the offspring. Objective: To determine if early screening and intervention could alter pregnancy outcomes, the incidence of maternal diabetes after delivery, and growth and development of the offspring, compared to the standard group. Design, Setting, Participants: We will conduct a multi-center open-label randomized controlled trial in 2068 pregnant women, who deliver a singleton and who have not been diagnosed with overt diabetes mellitus at National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) and NTUH Hsinchu Branch from 2018 to 2020. Interventions: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is diagnosed by a 75g 2-hour OGTT at 18-20 weeks of GA for the early-screening group and at 24-28 weeks for the standard-screening group. The diagnostic cutoffs are according to the IADPSG criteria. GDM is diagnosed if one of the plasma glucose levels at fasting, 1-hour, and 2-hour during OGTT is above 92 mg/dL, 180 mg/dL, or 153 mg/dL respectively. Subjects who are diagnosed with GDM receive lifestyle intervention and self-monitoring of blood glucose. Pharmacological therapies are given when the target of glycemic control is not achieved within 4-6 weeks. Main Outcome Measure: The primary outcome is a composite measure of pregnancy outcomes, including primary CS, birth weight \>90th percentile, neonatal hypoglycemia, cord serum C-peptide \>90th percentile, pregnancy-induced hypertension, preeclampsia, and birth trauma. The primary outcome is measured within the entire period of perinatal and neonatal intensive-care units (NICU) stay for infants and the entire period of gestation for pregnant women after randomization. Conclusion: This study will test our hypothesis that early screening and intervention of GDM improves pregnancy outcomes as compared to standard practice.

BEP Supplementation Research in Bangladesh (JiVitA-BEP-IR)

The primary aim of the study is to evaluate the effect of fortified balanced energy and protein (BEP) supplementation vs. control (multiple micronutrient supplement, MMS) without targeting and with targeting (either by low prepregnancy BMI or low prepregnancy BMI and inadequate gestational weight gain) on birth weight and adverse birth outcomes of low birth weight (LBW \< 2500 g) and small-for-gestational age (SGA). To do this we are proposing a cluster-randomized, open labeled effectiveness trial with four arms The main question\[s\] it aims to answer are: • Does mean birth weight and rate of LBW and SGA differ among mothers randomized to four arms that include targeted or untargeted BEP supplementation vs. MMS differ. Participants will be recruited in early pregnancy and be enrolled in the trial and randomly receive: 1. A daily BEP supplement from enrollment until birth 2. A daily BEP supplement from enrollment until birth, if they have low pre-pregnancy BMI with the rest receiving a MMS supplement 3. A daily BEP supplement from enrollment until birth, if they have low pre-pregnancy BMI with the rest receiving a MMS supplement or get switched to a BEP supplement based on inadequate gestational weight gain. Researchers will compare the above groups to women receiving a MMS daily to see if birth weight is higher in the intervention arms. Other adverse outcomes such as low birth weight, small-for-gestational age and preterm birth will also be compared between groups and relative to the control.

Personalized Care for Prenatal Stress Reduction & Prevention of Preterm Birth (PTB) Disparities

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a personalized prenatal support program \[(Personalized Toolkit Building a Comprehensive Approach to Resource optimization and Empowerment in Pregnancy \& Beyond, (PTBCARE+)\] works to lower stress and lower the risk of early delivery in pregnant individuals at high-risk for delivering preterm. The main question\[s\] it aims to answer are: * Does the PTBCARE+ patient support program lower patient-reported stress levels during pregnancy? * Does the PTBCARE+ patient support program improve biologic measures of stress during pregnancy? * Does the PTBCARE+ patient support program result in a higher chance of delivering a healthy baby at or close to full term? Researchers will compare people who participate in the PTBCARE+ patient support program to those receive usual care to see if the PTBCARE+ patient support program lowers patient-reported stress, improves biologic measures of stress, and increases the chance of delivering a healthy baby at or close to full term. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive the PTBCARE+ patient support program or usual prenatal care. All participants will be asked to: * complete 2 study visits during pregnancy - including completing electronic surveys, providing a blood and urine sample, measuring the heart rate variability by a clip or the ear or finger, and body composition evaluation using a simple scale-like device. * complete one study visit postpartum that includes completing electronic surveys, and measuring heart rate variability. Blood and urine sample collection and body composition evaluation via InBody scale are optional at the postpartum visit. People who are randomly assigned to receive the PTBCARE+ support program will receive several resources to help them during pregnancy. These things include items such as: * a stress reduction toolkit; * access to an online website that can also be downloaded as a smart phone app; * the option to receive an electronic massage while in clinic, and more. * additional support gifts provided at routine clinical appointments People who are randomly assigned to receive usual prenatal care will not receive any additional support resources from the study during pregnancy.

Advancing Stillbirth Prevention Through Innovative Risk Evaluation (ASPIRE) Clinical Study

ASPIRE will be a multi-site, prospective, two-part longitudinal, noninterventional observational cohort study of nulliparous singleton pregnant women to evaluate biomarkers from blood and ocular imaging for prediction of pregnancy complications \[i.e., preeclampsia (PE), fetal growth restriction (FGR), and gestational diabetes (GDM)\] and risk of adverse outcomes.

Delivering HOPE (Helping Women Optimize Prenatal Equity)

The overarching research question is: "Does the provision of healthy food (Delivering HOPE) during pregnancy reduce the proportion of women who experience excessive gestational weight gain compared with enhanced standard of care (ESoC)?" To answer this question, the investigators will conduct a large multi-site randomized controlled trial with 1,440 women. Women will be randomized to either the Delivering HOPE arm or the ESoC arm, with approximately 720 participants per arm. Participants randomized to the ESoC arm will receive the standard clinical protocol for nutritional and gestational weight gain counseling recommended for all pregnant women, WIC and SNAP enrollment assistance, referrals to safety net food organizations.Those randomized to the Delivering HOPE arm will be provided the same nutritional and gestational weight gain counseling, WIC and SNAP assistance, and food referrals, as well as a total of $1000/$2000/$3000 (depending on household size) during pregnancy to be used specifically for the purchase of healthy foods recommended in the nutritional counseling. Data for the primary outcome (pre-pregnancy weight and weight at delivery) will be collected from birth records.

Effects of Leg Ergometer Versus Arm Ergometer on Blood Glucose, Exercise Tolerance, Weight, and Psychological Stress Among Gestational Diabetic Patients

The current study is a single-blind, parallel-group randomized controlled trial involving 108 participants with diabetes during pregnancy. The trial will compare leg ergometer with arm ergometer. Interventions will be delivered three times per week for eight weeks. The primary outcomes are glucose, exercise tolerance, weight, and psychological stress. Assessments will be conducted at baseline and after eight weeks. The trial will be carried out at Jinnah hospital, Services hospital, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore. The hypothesis is that the leg ergometer including aerobic exercise will result in greater reduction in glucose and exercise tolerance, weight and stress management than arm ergometer.

Navigating Pregnancy and Parenthood With Lyme Disease

This is a mixed methods study exploring the experiences of pregnancy and parenting among participants with Lyme disease. Eligible participants will have been diagnosed with Lyme disease (LD), post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS), and/or chronic Lyme (CL) either during or before a prior pregnancy. Participants will complete quantitative surveys on topics such as their medical history, their child(ren)'s development, and demographic information. They will then participate in a qualitative interview where they will be asked about their experiences with pregnancy and with parenting their child(ren) in the context of their condition.

Pregnancy and Early Neurodevelopmental Outcomes Following In Utero Lyme Disease Exposure

The purpose of this pilot study is to assess the feasibility of longitudinal neurodevelopmental evaluation of fetuses and infants exposed to Lyme disease in utero. Participants with Lyme disease or Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS) will be recruited during pregnancy. Pregnancies will be monitored and infant development will be assessed from birth until age 18 months.

Educational TOolS for Pregnant Women With Diabetes Mellitus

A randomized controlled trial evaluating whether a patient-centered virtual educational tool based on small videos focusing on optimization of mental health, diet, physical activity, self-adjustment of insulin dose and use of diabetes technology in addition to usual individual face-to-face education, will improve glycemic control and pregnancy outcome in women with pre-existing diabetes mellitus compared to women receiving usual individual face-to-face education alone.

Impact of Age at Conization on Obstetrical Outcome: A Case-Control Study

The maternity ward attached to the colposcopy clinic was also the obstetrical referral center for the region and carried out approximately 2500 deliveries per year. The aim of the study was to assess whether an age younger than 25 years at conization affected future pregnancy outcome as an independent factor. A retrospective study of 115 women who underwent both loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) and subsequent pregnancy follow-up in a referral center was conducted. Two groups were considered: patients younger than 25 years at the time of the loop electrosurgical excision procedure (n = 42) and 25 years or older (n = 73). Analyzed data were occurrence of preterm adverse obstetrical event and, specifically, preterm labor (PL) and preterm rupture of membranes; stratification based on term of occurrence was performed: less than 37 weeks of amenorrhea (WA), less than 34 WA, and less than 26 WA.

Comparing Artificial Intelligence and Standard Ultrasound Methods for Estimating Fetal Weight in Pregnancy. Patients Eligible for Inclusion Are Women With a Gestational Age Between 24-42 Weeks Undergoing a Growth Scan. The Image Data From the Scan Are Used to Calculate Fetal Weight.

The primary aim of this observational study is to compare the accuracy of two artificial intelligence (AI) models with the traditional Hadlock formula for estimating fetal weight from ultrasound scans performed in pregnant women between 24 and 42 weeks of gestation. The secondary aim is to investigate potential demographic bias in the AI models. The demographic factors examined include body mass index (BMI), parity, gestational age, maternal age, fetal sex, and the presence of preeclampsia. Participants' ultrasound scans will be pseudonymized and securely stored on password-protected removable drives to ensure the protection of their identity and privacy. The ultrasound data will subsequently be transferred to the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), where the AI models will analyze the images to estimate fetal weight.

Eliminating Severe Maternal Morbidity With Heart Health Doulas Trial

This is a single site, single-blinded parallel randomized control trial that investigates a multi-level intervention to improve postpartum blood pressure in women with hypertensive disorder pregnancy. The investigators will recruit women diagnosed with a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, identified between 3rd trimester and 2 weeks post-delivery. The investigators will randomize participants to receive usual care home blood pressure monitoring for 6 weeks versus an intervention of usual care + blood pressure and weight monitoring + a doula trained in heart health. This trial will be conducted in partnership with a local community-based organization, Healthy Start Inc.