Prof John M Davison, University of Newcastle, £77,614.00 over 24 months.
Labour is possibly triggered by growing tension in the wall of the uterus as the baby outgrows its space. Normally an enzyme controls this tension by allowing the uterus to stretch. If the enzyme is absent or fails, premature labour frequently results because "stretch" makes the uterus more responsive to oxytocin, a hormone that causes uterine contractions. This study aims to define how stretch, a purely mechanical factor, triggers labour and how it might be controlled to prevent premature labour.