11/15
Obstetrics
Toward more optimal birth outcomes
Toward more optimal birth outcomes
A new study from Penn Nursing is the first to assess hospital vaginal birth rates rather than cesarean rates, which can further quality improvement initiatives that focus on encouraging vaginal birth rather than on decreasing the cesarean birth rate.
No change in preterm birth or stillbirth in Philadelphia during pandemic
No change in preterm birth or stillbirth in Philadelphia during pandemic
Challenging earlier reports, a CHOP-Penn Medicine study employed a rigorous analysis of a diverse, urban pregnancy cohort and found no significant changes.
Pregnant Black and Hispanic women more likely to be exposed to coronavirus
Pregnant Black and Hispanic women more likely to be exposed to coronavirus
Penn researchers found the rate of virus exposure among pregnant Black and Hispanic women to be five times higher than among white and Asian women.
Can spending time in nature prevent or lessen postpartum depression?
Can spending time in nature prevent or lessen postpartum depression?
Nurtured in Nature, a pilot project in Black communities conducted by Penn Medicine’s Eugenia South, aims to find out.
Pregnant in the pandemic: How Penn Medicine supports new and expectant parents
Pregnant in the pandemic: How Penn Medicine supports new and expectant parents
Medical staff in Penn’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology are meeting the challenge of optimizing care for pregnant patients during the pandemic.
A cost-effective drug combination for women suffering miscarriage
A cost-effective drug combination for women suffering miscarriage
A pretreatment medication for women who suffer miscarriages called mifepristone is not only more clinically effective when combined with misoprostol, but also more cost effective
Penn Medicine birth marks a milestone in uterus transplant clinical trial
Penn Medicine birth marks a milestone in uterus transplant clinical trial
The birth is Penn’s first as part of its uterus transplant clinical trial, and second in the United States following a deceased donor transplant.
If you’re black and pregnant, heart disease diagnosis may come too late
If you’re black and pregnant, heart disease diagnosis may come too late
A Penn study finds black women are diagnosed with peripartum cardiomyopathy significantly later than white women, which likely explains disparities in outcomes.
Why are so many women still dying from childbirth?
Why are so many women still dying from childbirth?
Experts from Penn discuss the role that social determinants, socioeconomics, and racism play, and how the University is addressing the maternal mortality crisis head on.
Battle of the bacteria: Studying the causes of and protectors against premature birth
Battle of the bacteria: Studying the causes of and protectors against premature birth
Seven types of bacteria and certain immune factors in a woman’s vagina and cervix may be responsible for increasing the risk of spontaneous preterm birth or protecting against it.
In the News
WHYY (Philadelphia)
As FDA requires national breast density notification, Delaware Valley women say more counseling is needed
Peter Gearhart of the Perelman School of Medicine says that providers are still playing catch up to newer research and data about breast density and screening outcomes for breast cancer.
FULL STORY →
Philadelphia Inquirer
Can texting new parents to report their blood pressure help address maternal mortality? Penn thinks so
The Heart Safe Motherhood program, created by Sindu Srinivas and Adi Hirshberg of the Perelman School of Medicine, helps new mothers follow up on high blood pressure screenings with text reports rather than in-person visits.
FULL STORY →
The Washington Post
Tua the endangered orangutan gives birth to a baby at Philadelphia Zoo
A Penn Medicine obstetrician partnered with a team at the Philadelphia Zoo to help a critically endangered orangutan give birth.
FULL STORY →
Daily Mail (U.K.)
Florida’s new law will let women have C-sections outside of hospitals, but doctors warn of deadly complications
Alice Abernathy of the Perelman School of Medicine says that Florida’s new birthing centers represent a bad band-aid on a chronic issue that will make outcomes worse rather than better.
FULL STORY →
NBC News
Florida to allow doctors to perform C-sections outside hospitals
Alice Abernathy of the Perelman School of Medicine says that Florida’s “advanced birth centers” are a poor substitute for quality obstetrical care, though they’re being billed as something that gives people more choices.
FULL STORY →
Today
Meet the women who pioneered the development of IVF
Wanda Ronner of the Perelman School of Medicine explores the history of the women scientists who played a crucial role in the development of IVF.
FULL STORY →