Can low levels of taurine make stillbirth more likely?

Tommy’s researchers are looking at how the lack of an important nutrient might harm the placenta during pregnancy, putting women at a higher risk of stillbirth.

  • Author's list

    Dr Michelle Desforges, Professor Alexander Heazell, Susan Greenwood, Professor Colin Sibley

Start: August 2015

End: April 2019

Why is this research needed?

When a baby is stillborn, it is often not possible to say why. This can be very distressing for the family. Not only have they suffered the loss of their baby; no one can give them a reason for their pain.

That’s why Tommy’s want to find answers that will not only help us understand why babies are stillborn, but will stop this happening in the future.

Scientists think that one reason may be the placenta not getting enough of an important nutrient: taurine.

What’s happening with this project?

Taurine is essential for our bodies, because the mitochondria – the parts of our cells that make energy – need taurine to work. Our researchers think that if cells in the placenta don’t have enough taurine, our mitochondria can’t make enough energy, and the cells will die.

We also know that the placentas of obese pregnant women cannot take up as much taurine as women with a healthy weight. This may contribute to the higher risk of stillbirth faced by obese women.

Tommy’s researchers are looking at placentas donated by both obese and non-obese women to see if too little taurine can lead to damage to the placenta. From this, they hope to find out if measuring the amount of taurine in the placenta can be used as a test to predict pregnancy complications and stillbirth.

So far, our researchers have been studying the role of taurine in protecting the cells in placentas from damage. The team have done experiments to show that reducing taurine in samples of placenta interferes with how cells protect themselves from damage.

What impact could this project make?

The role of mitochondria in stillbirth is an exciting new area of research that hasn’t been studied before. This project will help us to understand how damage to the placenta can lead to stillbirth, so families can find the answers they need. We can use this knowledge to find new ways of telling when women are at risk, and possibly new treatments that could help stop stillbirths from happening in the future

More research projects

  • Research into stillbirth

    When a baby dies after 24 weeks of gestation, it is called a stillbirth. Nearly 3000 families a year get the devastating news that their baby is not alive. Our research is helping to change this.
    Research into stillbirth

  • Comparing 2D and 3D MRI to study the placenta

    Our scientists are developing new ways to use MRI scans to study the placenta, so that we can understand how it works and how its structure and function change during pregnancy. This will help us prevent complications like stillbirth and miscarriage.
    Comparing 2D and 3D MRI to study the placenta

  • Older mothers and the risk of stillbirth

    Women over 35 are more likely to have a stillbirth. Researchers supported by Tommy’s are looking at how the placenta may play a role in this, and are testing how we can stop stillbirths by making sure the placenta is healthy.
    Older mothers and the risk of stillbirth

  • Assessing how healthy babies are when they start moving less than normal (FEMINA2)

    Reduced fetal movements are a common reason for women to go to hospital in the last 12 weeks of pregnancy. There is currently no way to know which women will have a normal pregnancy and which have problems.
    Assessing how healthy babies are when they start moving less than normal (FEMINA2)

  • Improving support in a pregnancy after stillbirth or neonatal death (the IMPS study)

    Many parents who have suffered a stillbirth embark on another pregnancy, often within a relatively short time after their loss. We currently know very little about women’s experiences of care and what extra support they would find helpful.
    Improving support in a pregnancy after stillbirth or neonatal death (the IMPS study)

  • Is fetal growth restriction caused by failure of the placenta to adapt to nutrient demand?

    In this study we will compare placentas from normal and Fetal Growth Restricted-affected pregnancies to identify what the important signals might be.
    Is fetal growth restriction caused by failure of the placenta to adapt to nutrient demand?

  • Could beetroot juice be used to treat fetal growth restriction?

    Fetal growth restriction is often caused by reduced blood flow across the placenta. Researchers funded by Tommy’s have found that beetroot juice, which is rich in a nutrient called nitrate, could potentially reduce blood pressure and improve blood flow to placenta.
    Could beetroot juice be used to treat fetal growth restriction?

  • The Placental Assessment Predicting Pregnancy Outcome (PAPPO) study

    This study is looking at ways to tell when the placenta isn’t working as well as it should, to help predict babies at risk of being stillborn.
    The Placental Assessment Predicting Pregnancy Outcome (PAPPO) study

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