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Obstetrics
Racial disparities in postpartum visits decreased with telehealth
A new study shows disparities in postpartum visit attendance improved considerably for Black patients after telehealth was implemented.
An active research team brings better health care for postnatal patients
Katie Luzi Costantini and Chester County Hospital’s research department have worked out how obstetrics providers can better meet the needs of patients after giving birth and throughout the “fourth trimester.”
Five from Penn elected to National Academy of Medicine
Five Penn experts have been elected to the National Academy of Medicine for their contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care, and public health.
A summer optimizing obstetrics health care
Second-year student Antoilyn Nguyen spent their summer as a researcher analyzing labor and delivery charts as part of a long-term cohort study to standardize labor induction for better and more equitable results.
A novel method for monitoring the ‘engine’ of pregnancy
By combining optical measurements with ultrasound, researchers were able to study oxygen levels in the placenta, paving the way for a better understanding of this complex, crucial organ.
High blood pressure conditions during pregnancy increase cardiovascular disease risk 10 years later
A Penn Medicine study sheds light on challenges and potential solutions; Black women are particularly affected.
Daily micronutrient supplements during pregnancy reduce birth complications
The results of a six-year study of nearly 100,000 women in Botswana suggest iron plus folic acid and vitamins is better at reducing adverse birth outcomes compared to iron or folic acid alone.
A mental health specialist is helping underserved moms find their way
Lissette “Mitzy” Liriano, Chester County Hospital’s maternal mental health specialist, leads a support group called Moms Supporting Moms, in addition to dividing her time between the hospital and the mental health clinic, where she monitors a largely Hispanic population for mental health needs.
Key to detecting ovarian cancer early may be in the fallopian tubes
A lack of early detection or prevention strategies for ovarian cancer is a major cause of poor outcomes for patients, and most do not have a family history or inherited genetic risk, so there is a pressing need for the development of earlier detection methods.
Sister physicians share passion for local and global health equity
Trina and Nicole Salva are both OB/GYNs in Philadelphia whose outreach extends to underserved communities in the city, and to the Philippines—their family’s birthplace.
In the News
For pregnant women and their newborns, COVID vaccine offers better protection than prior infection
Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia found that COVID vaccinations provide more robust protection for pregnant mothers than COVID infection, with a quote from CHOP’s Dustin Flannery.
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Revoke approval of preterm birth drug, FDA advisors say
Susan Ellenberg of the Perelman School of Medicine says that the FDA rejection of preterm birth drug 17-OHPC represents a return to square one.
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Don’t pay for cord-blood banking
Steve Joffe of the Perelman School of Medicine says that the rarity of cord blood use doesn’t lend itself to a successful business model for private cord blood banks.
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What to know before getting an IUD
Sarita Sonalkar of the Perelman School of Medicine says that IUDs are safe and effective.
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Penn Medicine’s first living-donor uterus transplant leads to new life and new friendship
Penn Medicine personnel performed a successful live-donor uterus transplant. “How you define success is not if the organ is surviving transplant, like other transplants,” said Nawar Latif. “The outcome we need is to have a healthy baby at the end.”
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Uterus transplant enables woman to have a baby after doctors said she couldn’t
Kathleen O’Neill of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about a Penn Medicine uterus transplant trial. “These women have ovaries, they have eggs, they just don’t have the uterus to gestate the pregnancy,” said O’Neill. “So once we are able to give them that uterus, the vast majority get pregnant and have babies.”
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