PREDICT: Sentinel Events (ELEVATE)
PREDICT: Sentinel Events (ELEVATE)
Prediction of At-Risk Pregnancies and Sentinel Perinatal Events Associated with Perinatal Death, Early Brain Injury and Cerebral Palsy
What is this project about?
PREDICT: Sentinel Events (ELEVATE) | Prediction of At-Risk Pregnancies and Sentinel Perinatal Events Associated with Perinatal Death, Early Brain Injury and Cerebral Palsy
Every year in Ireland, some babies sadly die during pregnancy, labour, or shortly after birth. In some cases, babies survive but suffer serious brain injury, such as hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE), which can lead to conditions like cerebral palsy. These events can have a lifelong impact on individuals, families and healthcare teams.
Some of the causes — such as poor fetal growth in the womb, certain pregnancy complications, and rare but serious emergencies during labour (known as sentinel events, like cord prolapse or placental abruption) — may be preventable or better managed if we can predict those at risk early on.
This study aims to use advanced techniques, including artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, to examine large collections of maternity records. By looking for patterns, our goal is to predict which pregnancies are at higher risk, so that doctors and midwives can take action earlier to keep more mothers and babies safe.
This project is part of the PREDICT arm of the ELEVATE Programme, a five-year research programme that aims to improve the prevention, detection and treatment of early brain injury and cerebral palsy in Ireland.
What is involved?
There are several studies involved in this project:
- Scoping review on the role of sentinel hypoxic events in perinatal death, early brain injury and cerebral palsy.
- A combined review of the role of sentinel events in the National Perinatal Epidemiology Centre data for both perinatal mortality and therapeutic hypothermia.
- Examination of the cohorts of patients who experienced sentinel events at both the Rotunda Hospital and Cork University Maternity Hospital from 2019 to 2023, and develop machine learning models that aim to predict these outcomes.
Who is involved?
Project team
| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Barbara Burke | Pregnancy Loss Research Group / INFANT Centre, UCC | PhD Student |
| Professor Keelin O'Donoghue | Pregnancy Loss Research Group / INFANT Centre, UCC | Primary Supervisor |
| Professor Maeve Eogan | Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, RCSI | Co-supervisor |
| Professor Gordon Lightbody | INFANT Centre / School of Engineering, UCC | Co-supervisor |
Dissemination activities
Forthcoming
Project status
Ongoing: July 2025 to July 2028
Further information
Please email Dr Barbara Burke: bburke@ucc.ie
Funders
Research Ireland Strategic Partnership Programme, with co-funding partner The Cerebral Palsy Foundation.