Grant: Catalyst Grant: NWHRI: Innovation Fund - Biomedical Discovery Grants

Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL) is a stressful condition where a couple experiences 2 or more miscarriages. About 50% of people with RPL do not have an explanation for their miscarriages, so it is important to find better ways to predict the pregnancy outcomes for these individuals. First trimester ultrasound (US) is a valuable tool used in the RPL clinic to confirm the location and viability of a pregnancy. During the US examination, the fetal heartbeat, size of gestational sac, and embryo length are measured; however, it is unclear how accurately these measurements can predict pregnancy outcomes. Pregnancy loss can be categorized as visualized (VPL) or non-visualized (NVPL). NVPLs are less acknowledged but likely to have the same negative effects on future pregnancy outcomes as VPLs, but this is not confirmed. There is a rare disease called chronic intervillositis of unknown etiology (CIUE), which involves the immune system and is associated with recurrent early pregnancy loss; however, we know little about it, so more research is required. The goal of this study is to better predict pregnancy outcomes to improve care for RPL patients. We will assess the predictive value of measurements taken during first trimester US, the possible causes, prevalence and impacts of NVPLs, and the genes involved in the abnormal immune response in RPL patients with CIUE. This study will provide patients suffering from unexplained RPL with a prognostic function to predict their likelihood of having a live birth, and detect the genetic abnormalities in the immune system for RPL patients with CIUE. The results will advance clinical practice, provide better counseling, and guide future research to improve care for this underserved population. The information will be shared beyond academia, to make a real impact on a wider audience.