Being born too soon is the major cause of death and illness in the first month of life. Knowing how best to care for this group of women during their pregnancy could help to reduce their risk of preterm birth.
“We are aiming to improve our understanding of the impact of bone marrow transplantation on a woman’s risk of problems during pregnancy,” says Dr Griffin.
Using data from large population studies, the team will study pregnancy complications experienced by women who have had a bone marrow transplant when they were younger.
“We will also investigate if a bone marrow transplant still increases a woman’s risk of preterm birth if they have not had radiotherapy to their entire body,” says Dr Griffin.
The researchers will also establish what care is currently given to women in the UK who conceive after bone marrow transplantation and develop recommendations on how best to look after these women and their babies in the future.