Perinatal pathology

Perinatal pathology includes the study of disorders of the placenta, problems affecting unborn babies’ development, and causes of miscarriage, stillbirth and neonatal (newborn) death.

Our research in this area

• Causes of stillbirth
• Classification of perinatal deaths
• Classification of second trimester pregnancy loss
• Determining the feasibility of image analysis with machine learning to aid with the diagnosis of placental maturation disorders and partial hydatidiform mole
• Determining the microstructural and molecular basis of nuclear organization in the placental synctiotrophoblast
• Determining the potential for application of immunohistochemical markers associated with inflammatory processes to identify the presence of and severity of infection in placental examinations and autopsy practice
• Development of the perinatal medical scientist role in perinatal pathology
• Investigating the potential for application of 3D scanning and printing technology for memento making at the time of autopsy examination in pregnancy loss.
• Investigating the potential for application of graphic medicine techniques to improve the quality and usability of pathology-related information provision at the time of pregnancy loss
• Lived experience
• Lived experience – perinatal autopsy
• Molar pregnancy - indicidence and registration rates; pathological and genetic diagnosis 
• Parental choices in relation to organ retention at perinatal post-mortem examination
• Placental pathology contributing to second trimester pregnancy loss
• Role of the multi-disciplinary team
• Understanding and improving secondary school students’ awareness of reproductive health issues relating to fertility and pregnancy loss

Our people

• Professor Keelin O’Donoghue 
• Therese Brosnan
• Dr Barbara Burke
• Susan Dineen
• Dr Brendan Fitzgerald
• Dr Amy Fogarty
• Niamh Howard-Jones
• Dr Caroline Joyce
• Dr Karen McNamara
• Dr Daniel Nuzum
• Bríd O'Sullivan
• Dr Jessica White