Trends in obstetric research

Never before have opportunities for research in reproductive sciences been so great and never before have relative resources been so limited. The challenge is to increase research studies as they form an integral part of good medicine. It has been suggested that the amount of obstetric medical research in the UK is declining, a major cause for concern, given the scale of morbidity caused by obstetrics disorders. The British Maternal and Fetal Medicine Society hold an annual congress with publication of all abstracts in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. This study reviewed abstracts from 1997 to 2007 and categorised the research methodology, serving as a reasonable proxy for the volume of clinical investigation in UK obstetrics. Research studies requiring ethical approval dropped from 30% to 15% of the total in a decade. These figures prognosticate the future of research upon which many advances in medical care depend.