Cure My Disease

Don't miss your cure!

 Log in / Sign up

Ultrasound may reveal how steroids shape the fetal brain

NCT ID NCT05994443

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: McGill University Health Centre/Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Aug 27, 2026 · Last updated Aug 28, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This pilot study asks whether 2D and 3D ultrasound can reliably measure fetal and newborn brain growth in pregnancies affected by threatened preterm labor and corticosteroid treatment. Researchers will compare ultrasound images from two groups of pregnant people: those who received the steroids after threatened preterm labor and those who did not. Participants will have up to five extra ultrasound visits, four before birth and one after. The main goal is to see if this measurement approach is practical and accurate enough for a larger study.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Antenatal corticosteroids (ACS) given to pregnant people at risk of preterm labor
What this could lead to
If ultrasound proves reliable, it could help researchers understand how common preterm labor treatments affect fetal brain development.
What could go wrong
This is a small pilot study focused on feasibility, not outcomes. It may not detect meaningful differences, and ultrasound measurements can be imprecise.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Participants

120 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Jun 2023

Finished

Aug 2026

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Who is studied

Patients with singleton pregnancies on our site.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Female participants only

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: Exposed group - TPL and ACS: * 22-34 weeks and 6 days gestation at time of recruitment. * Threatened preterm labor (TPTL) * Administration of a partial or full course of ACS. * Admission to the MUHC-RVH birthing center or the antenatal floor (D6S). * Delivery planned at the MUHC-RVH or an institution around the Greater Montreal Area. Non-exposed group: * At or prior to 22 weeks gestation at time of recruitment. * Delivery planned at the MUHC-RVH. Exclusion Criteria: * Major congenital anomalies, suspected fetal syndrome or genetic disease, or intra-uterine fetal growth restriction. * Significant maternal disease which may cause preterm delivery or fetal growth restriction (e.g., severe infection, uncontrolled hypertension or diabetes). * Patients who received more than one course of ACS prior to enrollment. * Patients on any oral or other systemic corticosteroids, with the exception of inhaled corticosteroids. * BMI over 35.

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Maternal psychological distress are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Obstetric Labor, Premature

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Maternal psychological distress Preterm labor

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • McGill University Health Centre

    Montreal, Quebec, Canada

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.