Clinical Trial: Imaging Innovations for Placental Assessment in Response to Environmental Pollution (PARENTs)

How environmental pollution contributes to poor pregnancy outcome is poorly understood. The first trimester of pregnancy is a particularly vulnerable time period for the developing fetus and a mother’s exposure to air pollution may alter the way that the placenta is established and how it functions throughout the rest of pregnancy. Current ultrasound techniques do not give doctors enough information to understand the effects of environmental pollution on placenta’s structure and function, which may put an expecting mother at risk for complications. This project aims to expand and develop new MRI technologies to assess real-time placental structure and function as pregnancy develops from the first to the third trimester so that early detection, prevention strategies, and early treatment of placental dysfunction as a result of pollution exposure may be developed.

You may be eligible for this study if you are currently pregnant, over 18 years old, and currently receiving prenatal care at UCLA. The following will happen if you are eligible and decide to participate in this research study:

During routine prenatal visits:

• Special measurement of uterine blood flow during routine ultrasound visits in 1st and 2nd trimester visits
• Blood and urine samples during 1st, 2nd, and 3rd trimester visit
• 15 minute environmental survey during routine 1st, 2nd, and 3rd trimester visit

Outside routine prenatal visits:

• A 30 minute MRI visit between 14-16 weeks gestation
• A 30 minute MRI visit between 19-22 weeks gestation
  Please note there is no radiation or sedation involved with the MRI visits

You and/or your insurance will be responsible for the costs of the routine prenatal visits. Research study will pay for the 2 MRI visits.

You will be compensated $75 per completed MRI, a total of $150 in a form of a Target gift card. You will also receive 3D MRI images of your baby in a digital format.

This study is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This study is conducted by Drs. Carla Janzen, MD at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sherin Devaskar, MD at the Department of Pediatrics, Kyung Sung, PhD at the Department of Radiology, and Beate Ritz, MD at the Department of Public Health.

If you wish to learn more about this study, please email TChanlaw@mednet.ucla.edu or call 310-206-5435. A member of the study team will contact you to discuss the study and to determine if you are eligible to participate.

< back to clinical trials