Groundbreaking study provides a promising solution for preventing a major complication of pregnancy
According to the World Health Organization, more than 15 million babies are born preterm every year. More than one million of those babies lose their lives. Methods to predict risk for and prevent preterm birth are few and far between.
That reality fuels Shannon Gillespie, PhD, RN, assistant professor at The Ohio State University College of Nursing, who just received a five-year, $2.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NIH/NICHD) to test a first-of-its-kind clinical screening tool for use in the prenatal clinic.
Her study, “Prenatal Immunomonitoring in Spontaneous Preterm Birth Prevention (PROMIS),” an extension of her work funded through the Ohio Third Frontier Technology-based Economic Development Initiative, will enroll a diverse set of pregnant individuals. Using early pregnancy blood samples, Gillespie and her team will determine the likelihood of an individual experiencing a preterm birth during their pregnancy. The team has also designed the test in a way that allows them to identify what appears to be causing the preterm birth, setting the stage for prevention of this important complication before a patient experiences a single sign or symptom.
“I set out many years ago hoping to ask and address research questions that could save lives,” Gillespie said. “I’m beyond thrilled to be growing a research program in maternal-infant health to do just that. I’m honored to lead this important study with the support of an outstanding team, college and university.”
Several other Ohio State College of Nursing faculty and staff are supporting this work, including co-investigator Amy Mackos, PhD; data scientist Nathan Helsabeck, PhD; clinical research nurse Ana Wong, RN; and laboratory technician Erik Ferrin. They will work together to execute Gillespie’s prospective cohort study, generating key data toward a needed transformation in the way that healthcare thinks about identifying risk for and preventing complications of pregnancy such as preterm birth.
Gillespie shared that she is most proud that this research is directly targeted at saving lives.
“It’s all about the patients and their families. They are my inspiration, my reason for persevering and staying committed to this pursuit of knowledge,” Gillespie explained. “I’m hopeful that this study will lead to a future where all moms are cared for with great thought and consideration and all babies have more time with mom – including that precious time in the tummy.”
