Can a simple ultrasound spot hidden pregnancy risks?
NCT ID NCT07422181
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether a special ultrasound with a contrast agent can see tiny blood vessels called spiral arteries in the uterus right after delivery. These vessels are important for a healthy pregnancy, and problems with them can lead to conditions like pre-eclampsia. The study involves 5 women who have just given birth, and if the technique works, it could lead to earlier detection of pregnancy complications.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- SonoVue (sulphur hexafluoride microbubbles)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this imaging technique could help doctors detect spiral artery problems earlier in pregnancy, potentially preventing complications like pre-eclampsia.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small feasibility study with only 5 participants, so results may not apply widely. The technique is still experimental and may not work as hoped.
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.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 5 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Dec 2025
- Expected to finish
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Jul 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide 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: * Pregnant patient at a minimum age of 18 years * Singleton pregnancy at term (≥37 weeks gestation) * Planning to deliver at the Máxima Medical Centre * Able to provide informed consent * Intravenous access present at the time of delivery Exclusion Criteria: * Multiple gestation pregnancy * Contra-indications to CEUS, e.g. known allergy for constituents of SonoVue™ * Planning on breastfeeding * Medical emergency during or after delivery, which makes CEUS impossible or undesirable * No intravenous access present at the time of delivery * Body Mass Index \>40 kg/m2. * Pre-eclampsia requiring medication * Foetal growth restriction \< p3
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Máxima Medical center
RECRUITINGVeldhoven, 5504DB, Netherlands
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