Job title: Clinical Lecturer and subspecialty trainee in maternal fetal medicine
Contact details: Room S7129, Simpson Centre for Reproductive Health, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Little France, Edinburgh EH16 4SA
Telephone: 0131 242 2691
Email: sarah.stock@ed.ac.uk
Research Interests:
My research relates to the onset of labour and its management. There is still limited understanding regarding the mechanisms controlling the length of pregnancy in humans. Preterm labour and prolonged pregnancy are both common pregnancy problems, which are associated with increased death and disability in babies and mothers. Increasing our knowledge of how the process of birth starts may help us find better ways to manage these situations.
There is evidence that both genetic and environmental factors are important in the onset of labour. I am involved in studies examining how modifiable dietary factors such as marine oils (omega-3 fatty acids) and vitamin D, might prevent preterm labour. Another area of study is how maternal hormones change in response to twin pregnancy, predisposing women with multiple pregnancy to preterm birth. I am also interested in how induction of labour affects women and their babies, and the safest way to mange prolonged pregnancy.
Current research projects:
Laboratory based:
- Antimicrobial Protein Production by the Cervix
- The effect of vitamin D on innate immune factors in the lower genital tract
- The effect of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on the inflammatory response of the fetal membranes
- “Pre-empt Study”: Placental Hormone Profiles as Markers of Preterm Labour in Twins
- Epidemiological:
- Outcomes of Induction of Labour – A population database study
- “Important study”: International individual Patient Data Level Meta-analysis of Progesterone to Prevent Preterm Birth in Multiple Pregnancies
- Maternal Outcomes of Keilland’s Rotational Forceps Delivery – Prospective questionnaire study
- Immediate versus deferred delivery of the preterm compromised baby for improving outcomes- Cochrane Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Clinical:
- EQUIPP (Evaluation of Fetal Fibronectin with a Quantitative Instrument for the Prevention of Preterm Birth)
DEVANI (Design of a Vaccines to Immunize Neonates Against Group B Streptococcus Infections through a Durable Maternal Immune Response)
OPPTIMUM (Does progesterone prophylaxis to prevent preterm labour improve outcome?)
Grants – grant body, dates and value:
2010 Albert McKern Bequest (£29,850)
- Hormonal Profiles in twin pregnancy
2010 British Maternal and Fetal Medicine Society (£2,725)
-Maternal Outcomes of Keilland’s Rotational Forceps
2010 Barbour Watson Fund (£3,920)
-Anti-inflammatory effects of omega-3 fatty acids on the fetal membranes
2009 University of Edinburgh Small Project Grant (£3,000)
- In vitro study of cervical epithelial cells
2009 Academy of Medical Sciences/Wellcome (£29,800)
- What are the functions of cervical natural antimicrobial proteins in pregnancy and do they have a role in the prevention of preterm labour?
2009 British Maternal and Fetal Medicine Society (£2,850)
- Developing a method of cervical epithelial cell culture
2009 Tenovus (£9,850)
- The effect of marine oils on the amnion
Key publications –
Stock SJ, Bricker L, Norman JE. Immediate versus deferred delivery of the preterm compromised baby for improving outcomes. Cochrane Review (Protocol) The Cochrane Library, Issue 2, 2011
Stock SJ, Goldsmith L, Evans M, Laing I. Interventions to Improve Uptake of Postmortem Examination Following Stillbirth. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2010 Dec;153(2):148-50. Epub 2010 Aug 2.
Stock SJ, Norman JE. Preterm and Term Labour in Multiple Pregnancy. Semin Fetal Neonatal Med. 2010 Dec;15(6):336-41.
Stock SJ, Cooper, ES, Walker, J, Norman, JE. Effect of Birth Weight on Adverse Obstetric Outcomes in Vaginal Birth After Cesarean Delivery. Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2010: 115 (5);1089
Stock SJ, Duthie LB, Tremaine T, Calder AA, Kelly RW, Riley, SC. Elafin (SKALP/Trappin-2/proteinase inhibitor-3) is produced by the cervix in pregnancy and cervicovaginal levels are diminished in bacterial vaginosis. Reprod Sci. 2009 Dec;16(12):1125-34.
Horne AW, Stock SJ, King AE. Innate immunity and disorders of the female reproductive tract. Reproduction. 2008 Jun;135(6):739-49.
Stock SJ, Kelly RW, Riley SC, Calder AA. Natural antimicrobial production by the amnion. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 2007 Mar; 196(3): 255e1-6
Staff/group members
Lorraine Frew – PhD Student
Principal collaborators
CRH: Jane Norman, Fiona Denison, Simon Riley
CIR: Donald Davidson
UK: Dr J Chalmers, NHS ISD Scotland; Prof A Shennan and Dr R Tribe, King’s College London; Dr L Bricker and Prof J Nielson, Liverpool Women’s Hospital;
International: Ben Mol – Amsterdam; Roger Smith – Newcastle, Australia
Responsibilities
2011-present RCOG academic Committee Academic Clinical Lecturers’ Representative
2010-present Society of Gynaecological Investigation (SGI) New Investigator Advisory Group 2010-2011
2009-present Trainee representative BMFMS
2009-present Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh Maternal Medicine Symposium Organising sub-committee member
2009-present SANDS working group for recommendations for improving acceptance of post-mortem after stillbirth and neonatal death
2004-2009 Scottish Stillbirth and Infant Death Survey Hospital Co-ordinator
