Aims and Strategi

Our goals are:

• To carry out clinical studies to assess normal and abnormal circulatory physiology and growth of the fetus and consequences for perinatal outcome and postnatal development of health and disease. We use ultrasound techniques, fetal ECG, anthropometric measurements and measurements of physical activity, biochemical and genetic techniques as well as interviews and focus in particular on placental function, fetal growth regulation, body composition and growth abnormalities, underlying cardiovascular mechanisms and diagnostic possibilities in addition to e.g. specific fetal cardiovascular diseases. Biobanks are established accordingly and a collaborative network of paediatricians, biologists, pathologists and other health professionals.

• To carry out clinical research on fetal heart rate physiology during pregnancy and fetal monitoring during labour. ECG-based transabdominal fetal Holter technology and ST analysis of the fetal ECG are used to assess low- and high-risk pregnancies.

• To carry out epidemiological studies, including longitudinal family studies based on the Medical Birth Register and the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study, with a focus on pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia, growth abnormalities, placental abruption and delivery methods. Family studies include studies of recurrence of these complications after the same mother or father, recurrence between siblings and other family members, and recurrence between generations. The studies are usually extended to the Population Register, which provides almost complete population data with links between parents and relatives.