Case study: Mums and babies at the forefront – Julia's story

Improving care for mothers and babies is at the forefront of how Julia Icke wants to promote International Day of the Midwife.

The Research Midwife, who works for The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (RWT) based at New Cross Hospital, has been involved in research for 14 years. Specialising in Obstetrics and Maternity, she is currently involved in four clinical studies – Giant Panda, CAPE, SNAP-3 and PANDA.

She is keen to encourage other Midwives to become research active. “Working in a clinical environment can be very challenging, so it could be so easy to say ‘leave the research for someone else’,” said Julia. “But we all became Midwives because we care about women and their babies and we all want to give them the best care we can.

“The feeling of being part of research and finding an answer that provides better care is so rewarding that it is well worth giving that bit extra.

“Research is integral to Maternity care so we can provide women and their families with the best, up-to-date evidence-based practice, ensuring they receive the most effective care that fits their specific needs.”

Giant Panda – short for Pregnancy ANtihypertensive Drugs: which Agent is best, aims to compare two medications to see which one is best for pregnant women with high blood pressure and their babies.

CAPE or Calcium supplementation for women At high-risk of Pre-Eclampsia is looking to find out whether taking calcium supplements alongside usual antenatal care reduces the risk of women developing pre- eclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy and after labour).

Smoking Nicotine And Pregnancy Trial (SNAP-3) is testing if using Nicotine Replacement Therapy in new ways can make it more likely for pregnant women to stop smoking.

PANDA is a randomised controlled drug trial (iron supplement or placebo) to find out if using iron supplements for the prevention of anaemia instead of treating anaemia once diagnosed has better outcomes for women and their
babies.

Both Professor David Churchill, Consultant Obstetrician (Fetal and Maternal Medicine) at RWT, and the Trust’s Maternity Research Team have been involved from the beginning of this study.