Using genetics to understand how the maternal intrauterine environment influences fetal growth

Year of award: 2014

Grantholders

  • Dr Rachel Freathy

    University of Exeter

Project summary

Rachel aims to understand why some babies grow very large in utero while others are born very small. Her research uses information on genetic variations in large studies of mothers and their babies to separate true causal effects of the maternal environment from mere correlations. A better understanding of the factors that influence birth weight should enable targeted intervention to improve pregnancy management for healthy fetal growth.