The group will be led this month by Professor Ashley Moffett, Professor of Reproductive Immunology, Department of Pathology.
Cambridge Reproduction invites all Cambridge researches to attend a twice-termly Reading Group on Reproduction in which we’ll help each other engage with classics and new work in a wide range of disciplines.
Friday 21st June - Room 78, Anatomy Building with Professor Ashley Moffett, Professor of Reproductive Immunology in the Department of Pathology.
Nakimuli A, Chazara O, Byamugisha J, Elliott AM, Kaleebu P, Mirembe F, Moffett A. Pregnancy, parturition and preeclampsia in women of African ancestry. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2014 Jun;210(6):510-520.e1. DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2013.10.879.
Introduction: Recent articles in the Guardian (see links below) discuss the increased prevalence of pre-eclampsia in women with African ancestry. This is well known, as is the associated increased risk of stillbirth, preterm labour and fetal growth restriction in these women all leading to poor maternal and fetal outcomes. These conditions arise because of defective placentation early in pregnancy and affect at least 10% of pregnancies.
The comments that try to explain these articles raise all kinds of issues suggesting that factors including socioeconomic disparities, unconscious bias, structural racism and access to health care are likely to be responsible. Alongside this, the paper that was written by African colleagues in Uganda has focussed on possible biological differences that have been described in women with African ancestry. In this reading group we hope to discuss:
1) how to disentangle biological differences from other socioeconomic factors that affect health inequalities.
2) how to present these findings sensitively.
3) how clinicians and practitioners can learn from these findings to reduce maternity inequalities.
Additional reading
- https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/apr/08/black-women-in-england-suffer-more-serious-birth-complications-analysis-finds
- https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/apr/08/fight-to-raise-awareness-of-pre-eclampsia
- Vousden N, Bunch K, Kenyon S, Kurinczuk J J, Knight M. Impact of maternal risk factors on ethnic disparities in maternal mortality: a national population-based cohort study. The Lancet Regional Health - Europe. 2024;40:100893. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanepe.2024.100893
