New Funding Success

Our new research initiatives are focused around the priority themes of care for women with a high risk pregnancy to improve health outcomes and care around preterm birth.

• MAGENTA: Magnesium sulphate at 30 to 34 weeks' gestational age: neuroprotection trial

Babies born very preterm have a greater risk of significant morbidities including neurologic impairments such as cerebral palsy. The risk of morbidity increases with decreasing gestational age at birth. The Cochrane review evaluating the effect of magnesium sulphate on neuroprotection of the fetus shows that magnesium sulphate given to women at risk of imminent preterm birth reduces the risk of cerebral palsy. It remains unclear at which gestational age treatment will be beneficial. The National Clinical Practice Guidelines on Antenatal Magnesium Sulphate prior to preterm birth for neuroprotection of the fetus, infant and child recommends further randomised trials at 30 weeks' gestation or more. This had led to the MAGENTA Trial, with over 20 tertiary maternity hospitals planning to participate.

The MAGENTA Trial aims to assess whether giving magnesium sulphate compared with placebo to women immediately prior to preterm birth between 30 and 34 weeks' gestation reduces the risk of death or cerebral palsy in their children at 2 years' corrected age.

Key research staff: Pat Ashwood, Daniela Gagliardi, Michaela Jarrett, Ellen Lyrtzis.

Funding: NHMRC Project Grant, 2012 - 2016, $1,978,760

Investigators: Professor Caroline Crowther, Ms Philippa Middleton, A/Professor Dominic Wilkinson, A/Professor Ross Haslam.