Obstetrics | Penn Today

Black babies are twice as likely to be born preterm. CHOP doctors are using COVID-19 to explore why

Heather Burris and Jaya Aysola of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about the pandemic’s effects on preexisting preterm birth and prenatal care disparities.

Pregnant person sits on a seat on public transit wearing a face mask.

Pregnant mothers’ antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 transfer to their fetuses

Antibodies to coronavirus in pregnant women cross the placenta efficiently, and are found at similar concentrations in their newborns, according to a large study from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine.

Evidence builds that pregnant women pass COVID antibodies to newborns

Scott Hensley and Karen Puopolo of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about their study of pregnancy and COVID-19. The team found evidence that COVID-19 antibodies can cross the placenta, though it’s still unknown if the amount of antibodies passed on can prevent newborns from contracting the virus.

How to regulate your blood sugar during pregnancy with a 7-day gestational diabetes meal plan

Kimberly Trout of the School of Nursing recommended a meal plan for people with gestational diabetes. Research suggests that about 80% of people with this condition can manage it with diet alone, she said.

Newborn baby with finger in its mouth swaddled in a blanket.

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.

I’m a pregnant doctor. Should I get the COVID vaccine?

Michal Elovitz of the Perelman School of Medicine said it’s possible that an mRNA-based vaccine could potentially cause harm to a developing fetus, but that there’s not enough data to know for sure. “To avoid having pregnant people guess, we should be advocating for more preclinical and clinical research focused on pregnant patients,” she said.

Premature baby in an incubator in the ICU.

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 person looks out the window with a hand on their stomach.

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.

Landscape photo of a park, with a sign that reads "Welcome to Historic Clark Park, University City, Established 1895"

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

Medical staff in Penn’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology are meeting the challenge of optimizing care for pregnant patients during the pandemic.

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