The F-MOM network is the national clinical research network dedicated to maternal health. Designated an F-CRIN network of excellence in 2025, it brings together a community of experts from 31 clinical departments and 14 research teams committed to clinical research, prevention, and the management of maternal morbidity.
F-MOM, the clinical research network for maternal health
The F-MOM clinical research network on maternal health draws on the expertise of GROG (Obstetrics and Gynecology Research Group), which, since 2010, has developed expertise in perinatal clinical research and maternal health. Building on these advances, the F-MOM network was created to promote maternal health as a specific area of focus.
Motherhood remains, in fact, the most vulnerable time in a woman’s life, with a risk of complications during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period that can affect not only her own short- and long-term health, but also that of her loved ones. This period also presents a window of opportunity to conduct screenings and implement prevention strategies that can improve women’s health. F-MOM aims to raise awareness of the importance of this period for women’s health and to increase visibility around research and innovations in maternal health.
F-MOM’s mission is therefore to:
- contribute to the prevention of maternal morbidity and its consequences on women’s health,
- to optimize care for women and mothers through the conduct of high-quality clinical studies,
- pooling expertise and promoting a woman-centered approach.
F-MOM aims to serve as a driving force in France for the establishment and implementation of national and international studies in maternal health, through participation in and support for multicenter, collaborative studies (support for study design and data centralization, assistance with RAPs).
Organization
The F-MOM network is currently coordinated by Dr. Catherine Deneux-Tharaux (Inserm Research Director in epidemiology, specializing in maternal health), and Dr. Aude Girault (Ph.D. in Obstetrics and Gynecology and epidemiologist specializing in maternal health), assisted by a clinical research project manager.
An executive committee composed of Prof. Tiphaine Barjat (Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology), Julie Blanc (Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology) and Drs. Laurent Chouchana (Ph.D. in Pharmacy, specializing in pharmacoepidemiology), Hugo Madar (Doctor of Obstetrics and Gynecology), and Prof. Loïc Sentilhes (Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology) governs the network in collaboration with the coordinators.
In addition, an independent international scientific committee oversees the quality of the research conducted within the network and advises on its strategic development priorities.
The F-MOM community has also expanded: today, 31 clinical obstetrics departments and 14 CICs and research teams spread across the country are members of the network, working in collaboration with patient associations to carry out the network’s scientific work.
F-MOM is your primary point of contact for any academic or industrial partnerships and provides a unique gateway to conducting high-quality clinical studies in the field of maternal health.
Scientific Expertise
The network is active in various areas of expertise:
Medical and Technical Expertise
- Obstetric hemorrhage
- Pregnancy-Induced Hypertensive Disorders
- Maternal Mental Health
- Drug Safety and Pregnancy
- Maternal Infections
- Thromboembolic Events During Pregnancy
- Chronic Conditions and Pregnancy
- Organization and Quality of Maternal Care
- Innovation, AI & Maternal Health
- Maternal Health in the SNDS
Clinical Research Expertise
- Compliance with Good Clinical Practice
- Advice on regulatory compliance and adherence to ethical guidelines
- Methodological and operational support for clinical departments involved in research and support for clinical research teams in hospitals: multicenter randomized controlled trials and multicenter or population-based cohort studies
- Contribution to the establishment of registries and biobanks
Completed Projects and Notable Results
Led by GROG, the predecessor of F-MOM, clinical research studies have led to concrete advances in maternal health, including these recently completed studies*:
*Non-exhaustive list. You can view all the studies here: https://cngof.fr/grog/
A multicenter, randomized, open-label study evaluating the impact of intermittent oxytocin administration during labor on neonatal and maternal morbidity.
2,459 patients were enrolled in 21 maternity wards.
A multicenter, randomized, double-blind study evaluating the impact of prophylactic administration of tranexamic acid on postpartum hemorrhage following cesarean section.
4,551 patients were enrolled in 27 maternity hospitals.
A multicenter randomized trial evaluating the efficacy of early intrauterine balloon tamponade for the management of immediate postpartum hemorrhage following vaginal delivery.
403 patients were enrolled in 18 maternity hospitals.
An international randomized trial comparing the efficacy of an intermediate dose versus a fixed low dose of heparin in reducing thromboembolic events during pregnancy and the postpartum period in women with a history of thromboembolic events.
1,110 patients were enrolled across 9 European countries, including 26 maternity hospitals in France.
A multicenter, randomized, double-blind study evaluating the impact of oral citrulline administration on gestational duration and neonatal and maternal outcomes in women with preeclampsia.
115 patients were enrolled at 2 maternity hospitals
A national observational study aimed at evaluating the effects of the choice of delivery method (scheduled cesarean section or vaginal delivery) on perinatal morbidity and mortality among women who had previously undergone a cesarean section.
16,800 women included from 106 maternity hospitals
A study of a national French cohort of pregnant women, aimed at assessing the risks of bleeding associated with aspirin use during pregnancy and in the postpartum period.
Cohort of 5,774,333 pregnancies from the SNDS between 2015 and 2022
Current Projects
Led by GROG, the precursor to the F-MOM network, numerous clinical studies on maternal health have been initiated and will be supported by the F-MOM network. Among these studies*:
*Non-exhaustive list. You can view all the studies here: https://cngof.fr/grog/
Multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted at 24 maternity hospitals testing the impact of intravenous versus oral iron administration on the prevalence of postpartum depression at 8 weeks among anemic women following a cesarean delivery.
2,860 women to be enrolled
A multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted in 22 maternity wards testing the impact of early screening for preeclampsia using the Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF) triple test, (an algorithm combining maternal clinical, ultrasound, and biochemical parameters) on maternal and perinatal morbidity.
14,500 women to be enrolled
A multicenter, double-blind randomized controlled trial conducted in 31 maternity wards to assess the impact of tranexamic acid on the incidence of postpartumfollowing cesarean delivery in women with placenta previa or low-insertion placenta.
1,380 women to be enrolled
Multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted in 21 maternity wards evaluating aspirin prophylaxis to prevent preeclampsia and maternal-fetal morbidity in nulliparous women with pregnancies resulting from assisted reproductive technology (ART), a population identified as high-risk.
1,164 women to be enrolled
Multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted in 32 maternity wards to assess the impact of labor induction versus spontaneous labor on the incidence of cesarean sections and maternal-fetal morbidity among nulliparous women with low obstetric risk.
4,200 women to be enrolled
Systematic literature review evaluating the effect of cabergoline for the suppression of lactation on psychiatric risk in mothers.
Contact the F-MOM Network
Would you like to learn more, or do you have suggestions or collaboration opportunities to propose? You can contact the network right away by sending an email to: fmom@inserm.fr
