Southern California Gains Access to 50+ Pregnancy Trials as UC San Diego Joins MFMU Network

The Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network, funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development since 1986, operates as the country's primary infrastructure for large obstetric clinical trials. It has produced some of the studies that define current standards of care for high-risk pregnancies - evidence that shaped how clinicians use antenatal steroids, how they time labor induction, and how they manage preeclampsia. Until recently, no participating site existed in Southern California.

UC San Diego Health has now joined the network as a satellite clinical center affiliated with the UCSF MFMU site - the only west coast program - extending the network's geographic reach to San Diego for the first time. The announcement was made February 17, 2026.

What the MFMU Network does

The network currently runs more than 50 randomized clinical trials, cohort studies, and registries, collectively enrolling more than 160,000 births annually across participating institutions in the United States. Research priorities include maternal mortality, complications and morbidities related to pregnancy and labor, postpartum recovery, prematurity, low birth weight, infant mortality, and the safety and efficacy of medications used during pregnancy and lactation.

Past MFMU trials have generated evidence with direct clinical impact. One landmark study identified that administering corticosteroids to women in late-preterm labor - between 34 and 36 weeks of gestation - reduces respiratory problems in newborns. Another trial found that elective induction of labor at 39 weeks leads to a lower cesarean delivery rate and decreased rates of preeclampsia compared to expectant management. Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman, MD, now chair of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at UC San Diego School of Medicine, led the late-preterm steroids trial.

What UC San Diego's participation means for patients

Before joining the network, patients in Southern California who wanted access to MFMU trials had to travel to other sites. Making those trials accessible locally reduces a significant practical barrier - particularly for high-risk pregnant patients for whom travel can be medically complicated and personally burdensome.

UC San Diego Health's first trial under the network affiliation, planned for spring 2026, examines aspirin dosing strategies for preventing preterm delivery. That entry point reflects an active research area: low-dose aspirin is already recommended for women at high risk of preeclampsia, and the dose question carries clinical relevance for large numbers of patients.

"Joining the MFMU Network is a testament to the power of academic medicine in action. By bringing studies closer to home and aligning research with clinical practice, patients and clinicians can make informed choices sooner - leading to safer pregnancies and healthier newborns," said Patty Maysent, CEO of UC San Diego Health.

California representation in national research

UCSF has been the sole west coast MFMU site, meaning research enrollment from California has historically been limited to one Northern California institution. The addition of UC San Diego as a satellite site begins to address that geographic gap.

California's patient population is one of the most ethnically and socioeconomically diverse in the country. Research conducted here adds demographic breadth to datasets that might otherwise skew toward institutions in other regions. That representation matters because race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic factors all correlate with pregnancy outcomes, and evidence generated from non-representative samples does not always transfer cleanly to diverse populations.

"The involvement of UC San Diego and UC San Francisco in the MFMU Network will assure that patients of California are represented in this important research that impacts prenatal care," said Mary Norton, MD, principal investigator of the MFMU Network Center at UCSF.

Training and education dimensions

The clinical affiliation also affects the medical education environment at UC San Diego School of Medicine. Residents and fellows in obstetrics and gynecology training at the institution will gain direct exposure to large-scale clinical trial operations, protocol adherence, and research methodology embedded in clinical practice. Institutions with active research networks typically attract more competitive applicants and retain research-oriented faculty.

"Not only will joining the MFMU Network positively impact the health of our patients, but it will advance the education provided to our students and residents at UC San Diego School of Medicine as well," Gyamfi-Bannerman said.