The Pregnancy and Reproduction Program at the Hunter Medical Research Institute in New South Wales is a multidisciplinary team of researchers from the University of Newcastle and Hunter New England Health who are investigating the timing of birth and the regulatory factors that influence this critical event in human life. Sadly, premature birth is the major contributor to infant deaths in Australia.

By understanding the mechanisms and processes of pregnancy, researchers hope to predict when a threatened premature birth is indicated. With this understanding they hope to develop effective treatments to help reduce the number of premature births and allow these babies to be born at full-term or close enough to full-term that they do not suffer the problems associated with premature birth.

For more information visit: http://www.hmri.net.au/pages/