Pregnant volunteers help doctors training to reduce risk of preterm birth

Doctors are better prepared to identify those at increased risk of preterm birth following a special training session with pregnant volunteers and preterm birth specialists.

Seven doctors were given practical help at Oxford University Hospitals to carry out an additional ultrasound scan to measure the length of the cervix in pregnant women at 14-34 weeks gestation. This was the second training session at OUH with more planned and at other hospitals. A total of 88 pregnant volunteers have helped out so far.

Volunteer Irina Popa said: "I was attending another appointment at the Women’s Centre and noticed the Romanian translated poster in the patient lifts. It grabbed my attention as it was offering a free scan. I thought having an additional scan would help with my fear of things 'going wrong'."

Another pregnant volunteer said: "Honestly it was probably the best experience I have had throughout both my pregnancies! Also the scan photos were amazing, the clearest I've had! So happy I took part in this."

Katy Hoare, Specialist Preterm Labour Midwife at OUH, said: "This second cervical scanning training day was extremely successful, with 42 pregnant volunteers attending. Positive feedback was received from both the participants and the doctors receiving the training. The doctors – who are based in Milton Keynes and Reading – are now certified to perform these scans in practice, improving preterm birth prediction and prevention."

This training and education programme is coordinated by the maternity and neonatal patient safety team at Health Innovation Oxford and Thames Valley (HIOTV).

Eileen Dudley, Senior Programme Lead Patient Safety & Maternity/Neonatal Safety Improvement Programme Lead at HIOTV, said: "This training programme is attracting interest from far and wide and is clearly meeting a need. We’re planning more sessions for doctors working in NHS maternity units across our region. We are so grateful to all the pregnant volunteers for their invaluable help."

The first of these training sessions took place in June 2025.