Jenny's mission at the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit (NPEU) is to conduct methodologically rigorous research to provide evidence to improve the care provided to women and their families during pregnancy, childbirth, the newborn period and early childhood as well as promoting the effective use of resources by perinatal health services.
Her particular research focuses on the causes and consequences of conditions from conception through pregnancy which affect newborn babies some of which have subsequent effects on the health of the babies as they grow and develop during childhood and beyond. These include newborn brain dysfunction (neonatal encephalopathy), cerebral palsy and congenital anomalies (sometimes also called birth defects), and the health and development of children born following assisted conception, for example IVF.
Jenny is also involved in: leading the MBRRACE-UK collaboration responsible for the national maternal, newborn and infant clinical outcome review programme; studies of near miss maternal morbidity; and the evaluation of paediatric surgical interventions for congenital anomalies.