Professor Christine MacArthur BSc, MSc, PhD, FMedSci

Professor of Maternal and Child Epidemiology

• FMedSci, Fellow, Academy of Medical Sciences, UK 2020
• PhD Epidemiology 1978
• MSc Epidemiology/Public Health 1974
• BSc (Hons) Social Sciences 1972

Christine MacArthur obtained a BSc in Social Sciences in 1972.  She was then awarded a 2 year ESRC (then SSRC) studentship to study for a research based MSc in the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Manchester, which she obtained in 1974.  Alongside working as a researcher, she obtained a PhD in 1978, which was a trial of anti-smoking education in pregnancy. Following a 3 year period working at Christie Hospital in Manchester on cancer epidemiology she moved to Department of Social Medicine, University of Birmingham in 1981 to work with Professor George Knox.  She has stayed since then, first as a research fellow, becoming a senior research fellow, then a Reader in 1995 and in 2000 she was promoted to Professor of Maternal and Child Epidemiology.  She was elected to Academy of Medical Sciences in 2020.

Teaching Programmes

• Medicine and Surgery MBChB
• POSH BMedSci 
• Public Health MPH/PG Diploma/PG Certificate

Christine is interested in supervising doctoral research students in the following areas:

• Trials and other quantitative studies on health problems following childbirth and on evaluation of maternity health services.

If you are interested in studying any of these subject areas please contact Christine directly, or 
for any general doctoral research enquiries, please email mds-gradschool@contacts.bham.ac.uk

The main emphasis of Professor Christine MacArthur’s research over the last 40 years has been on aspects of women’s childbirth-related health and care.  This has comprised the generation of hypotheses in large observational studies and investigation of related interventions in randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Her collaborations are numerous and include local colleagues, those elsewhere in UK and internationally. Completed and ongoing studies include:

• APPEAL: Antenatal Preventative Pelvic floor Exercises (PFME) and Localisation - delivery of PFE education and support by midwives for women during pregnancy - including feasibility RCT 
• Cohort study of women who gave birth in 1993/4 (ProLong) in Birmingham, Aberdeen and New Zealand to investigate incontinence.  Women followed at 6 years and 12 years and recently at 26 years.  
• RCT of pelvic floor muscle exercise (PFME) for women with urinary incontinence at 3 months postpartum followed up at 1 and 6 years; nested in ProLong cohort. (PINT)  
• RCT of PFME to prevent prolapse; nested in ProLong cohort (PREVPROL) 
• RCT of Assets-based feeding help Before and After birth for improving breastfeeding (ABA-feed) 
• Maternal health study: cohort study of first time mothers followed to 10 years postpartum, with colleagues at University of Melbourne including data on incontinence and other postnatal morbidity.  
• Population based cohort study in rural Pakistan of urinary incontinence, uterine prolapse and obstetric fistula. 
• RCT of intravenous remifentanil patient-controlled analgesia versus intramuscular pethidine for pain relief in labour (RESPITE)  
• RCT of a breastfeeding peer support service on breastfeeding initiation and continuation (HoBBITT). Two systematic reviews supported this work. 
• RCT of upright versus lying down position in the second stage of labour in nulliparous women with a low dose epidural (BUMPES) 
• RCT of effect of low-dose mobile versus traditional epidural techniques on mode of delivery (COMET) 
• Cluster RCT of effects of redesigned midwifery-led postnatal care on women’s health up to 12 months postpartum. 
• Health After Childbirth; cohort study of health problems up to 9 years after birth among 11701 women based on questionnaires to women linked to obstetric records.  
• RCT of effect of a pregnancy outreach worker service on antenatal care engagement, psychological health and infant outcomes in multi-ethnic women with social risk (ELSIPS) 
• RCT of the effectiveness of physical activity for reducing postnatal depression (PAM-PeRS) 
• RCT trial of preventing obesity in pregnancy (POPS). 
• RCT of aerobic exercise for women with menopausal vasomotor symptoms (Active Women).  
• Quasi-RCT of effects of anti-smoking health education on infant size at birth; and subsequent follow up of children at age 9.