UC San Diego Health joins national research for maternal-fetal care

(Press-News.org) The University of California San Diego School of Medicine and UC San Diego Health, in collaboration with UC San Francisco and UCSF Health, have joined the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units (MFMU) Network at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), expanding clinical trial access and advancing obstetric care for patients in Southern California.

Established in 1986, the MFMU Network conducts research that focuses on pregnancy and newborn health. 

“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. “This collaboration expands access to research across all our communities and strengthens our commitment to the San Diego region by improving equity, accelerating new treatment options, and supporting families through every step of the pregnancy and postpartum journey.”

As part of the network, specific research will focus on maternal mortality, as well as complications and morbidities related to pregnancy and labor; postpartum recovery; reducing prematurity birth rates; low-birth weight in newborns; infant mortality rates and other life-threatening illnesses. 

Clinical trials will also expand upon evidence-based practices for the safety and efficacy of specific medications and other treatment used during pregnancy and lactation. 

“Since its inception, results from MFMU Network-led clinical trials and ancillary studies have had tremendous impact on clinical obstetric practice,” said Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman, MD, chair and professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at UC San Diego School of Medicine and perinatologist at UC San Diego Health. 

“By joining the network, this will impact standard-of-care for pregnant women in the United States and will elevate the level of care provided at UC San Diego Health, especially by providing our patients with greater access to impactful clinical trials offered at a national level.” 

Past clinical trials within the MFMU Network, including one led by Gyamfi-Bannerman, have identified many medical advancements for pregnant individuals. These advances include the use of late-preterm steroids to reduce the risk of respiratory problems in newborns, and finding that induction of labor at 39 weeks of gestation leads to a lower cesarean rate and decreased rates of preeclampsia, a potentially life-threatening blood pressure disorder.

UC San Diego Health is a satellite clinical center of the MFMU Network program at UC San Francisco, the only one on the west coast. 

“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 UC San Francisco. “Our two institutions have a long history of research collaboration in the area of high-risk obstetrics and this new affiliation will further strength that connection.”

The MFMU Network is considered the primary infrastructure for managing multiple obstetric clinical trials funded by the NICHD in the United States. Participating clinical centers in the MFMU Network include more than 160,000 births across the nation each year.

“The overall mission of the MFMU Network aims to improve obstetric care, pregnancy health, and outcomes for pregnant and lactating women and their babies,” said Nahida Chakhtoura, MD, chief of the Pregnancy and Perinatology Branch at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. 

“As we continue to expand MFMU research efforts, especially with our second clinical center in California now at UC San Diego Health, we will help identify new treatment options that will have a direct impact on families across the nation.” 

Currently, there are more than 50 randomized clinical trials, cohort studies and registries that have been completed by the MFMU Network or are in progress. This spring, UC San Diego Health will join a clinical trial researching aspirin dosing to help prevent preterm deliveries. 

“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,” added Gyamfi-Bannerman. “From training in the classroom and lab, to providing care in clinics and hospitals, this is a full-circle moment for maternal-fetal medicine in San Diego. I’m incredibly proud to be leading this effort for our community.” 

About UC San Diego Health 
UC San Diego Health, the region's only academic health system, is dedicated to delivering outstanding patient care through commitment to community, groundbreaking research and inspired teaching. For 2025-26, U.S. News & World Report ranked UC San Diego Health as the best hospital system in San Diego and among the nation's best in nine adult medical and surgical specialties, including cancer, cardiology, geriatrics, neurology and pulmonology. The 1,011-bed health system includes three hospitals — Hillcrest Medical Center, Jacobs Medical Center and East Campus Medical Center — as well as Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center, Moores Cancer Center, Shiley Eye Institute, Koman Family Outpatient Pavilion, McGrath Outpatient Pavilion, and Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute. The health system also includes primary care and same-day services at clinics throughout Southern California. 

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