Meet our professors: Liesbeth Scheepers
Since April 2026, Dr Liesbeth Scheepers has been Professor of Obstetrics at Maastricht University (UM). She has also worked as a gynaecologist-perinatologist at MUMC+ for almost twenty years. Her appointment was soon followed by another success: she received a major grant for her research into the dosage of antenatal corticosteroids in cases of threatened preterm birth. With great dedication, she has been committed for years to improving care for mothers and babies, both in the consulting room and through large-scale research.
“One overarching goal is central to my work: providing appropriate care. In the Netherlands, obstetric care is divided rather rigidly. Pregnant women at low risk of complications are seen by midwives, while those at higher risk see a gynaecologist. But in reality, there is no clear-cut boundary between high and low risk; it is about tailoring care to the individual. Often, several factors come into play, and expectant parents themselves also have clear ideas about what they want.”
During the three days a week that Liesbeth works at MUMC+ as a gynaecologist, she encounters a wide range of questions from pregnant women. She also regularly receives requests for care that fall outside the guidelines. For example, a woman who wants to give birth vaginally after four caesarean sections, despite a one to two per cent chance that the scar could rupture, potentially with fatal consequences for the baby.
“In the past, the attitude was: what the doctor says goes. That has changed: pregnant women now have more control over their own care. As healthcare professionals, it is our job to provide honest information and explain the risks. Even if I consider something high risk and the patient does not, the choice is hers. You can compare it to a cloudy sky: one person takes an umbrella at the first sign of a cloud because they do not want to get soaked, while another simply carries on walking. My job is to explain what the weather forecast looks like; the decision is up to the patient.”
Predicting risks and helping pregnant women weigh them up is the common thread running through Liesbeth’s work. A good example is the EXPECT prediction model, which Liesbeth developed with her colleagues to assess pregnancy complications such as pre-eclampsia. The model is now used throughout Limburg.
It is known that women at increased risk of pre-eclampsia have a 30 per cent lower risk if they take aspirin from 12 weeks of pregnancy. Using the model, the risk of severe complications in first pregnancies decreases by more than 40 per cent. By providing pregnant women with concrete figures, those at increased risk are more likely to choose aspirin and are more motivated to take it.
“The results with these kinds of models have been very good so far. It turns out that care becomes better and less expensive when people are involved in decision-making. That is particularly interesting given the increasing capacity problems in healthcare. We also see that people are more satisfied because they are involved in the decision-making process. In addition, pregnant women are more likely to take their prescribed medication, and medical outcomes are better.”
The fact that Liesbeth’s research is having an impact far beyond the provincial borders is evident from the international research project for which she recently received a grant of almost €3 million together with a colleague from Ghent. The project is entitled Dose reduction of antenatal corticosteroids: a pragmatic non-inferiority randomised controlled trial. The research focuses on medication use in cases of threatened preterm birth. When a baby may be born prematurely, pregnant women are given antenatal corticosteroids. These help accelerate the baby’s lung maturation, thereby improving the chances of survival and the health of the newborn. However, there are also some concerns.
“We have been using this medication for 50 years at a dosage that was once established based on experiments with sheep; it has never been properly studied in humans. At the same time, studies of placentas show that the current dosage results in peak concentrations that are probably unnecessary. In fact, in children who are ultimately born at term, we see indications of a slightly increased risk of ADHD and autism associated with the high dosage.”
Together with colleagues from 18 hospitals in the Netherlands and Belgium, Liesbeth is now investigating whether a much lower dose is equally effective. If the study shows that the dosage can be reduced, this could have an impact on millions of children worldwide. The results are expected to be available in four years. Despite her busy research agenda, Liesbeth has no intention of leaving her work at the hospital behind.
“I love the fact that, on the one hand, I can provide appropriate care to individual patients in the hospital and, on the other, improve care at a higher level for a large group of pregnant patients.”
Liesbeth’s research fits seamlessly with the mission of GROW, a specialised research institute of Maastricht University and MUMC+. Within GROW, researchers, doctors and healthcare professionals work together every day on complex issues relating to oncology, reproduction, pregnancy and childbirth. Liesbeth also strongly believes in collaboration within her research projects.
“Everything I do is teamwork. In Limburg, for example, there is the Limburg Birth Care Consortium, where paediatricians, gynaecologists, midwives and maternity care assistants work together to continuously improve obstetric care. We are proud, for example, that the EXPECT prediction model is now being used throughout Limburg and is producing good results. Hopefully, we can also roll it out across the rest of the Netherlands.”
With her appointment as professor and the start of the new research project, Liesbeth’s schedule is particularly full. Balancing her work as a doctor with conducting research brings the necessary demands. Nevertheless, Liesbeth has plenty of plans for the future. Her dream for the next ten years? To develop a dynamic prediction model that takes into account all the individual factors surrounding childbirth, so that outdated protocols can finally make way for personalised maternity care.
Text: Romy Veul
Did you enjoy reading this article? Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn for more.