Research by Cedars-Sinai OB-GYN Experts Featured at Scientific Conference

The virtual 42nd Annual Pregnancy Meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) takes place from Jan. 31 to Feb. 5. High-risk pregnancy experts from around the nation will present over 1,100 oral and poster presentations on cutting-edge research. 

During the conference, Cedars-Sinai physicians and scientists will present findings of their research and are available to comment on a wide variety of topics, including COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy after childbirth, preeclampsia, postpartum depression, and childbirth outcomes for people with inflammatory bowel disease.

Below are listed some of the many papers being presented by Cedars-Sinai experts in maternal-fetal care.  For more information or to set up interviews, please contact Laura.Coverson@cshs.org.

• Artificial Intelligence Improves Detection of Patients at Risk for Preeclampsia. Kimberly D. Gregory, MD, MPH, Melissa S. Wong, MD, MHDS, will present evidence for improving the identification of patients at risk for preeclampsia–a pregnancy-related hypertensive disorder and a leading cause of death associated with childbirth. The use of natural language processing–a branch of AI–to review electronic health records identified the largest group of patients who would be considered at risk for developing the disease and who might benefit from preventive therapies. Oral presentation on Saturday, Feb. 5 at 8 a.m. EST.
• Survey of the Childbirth Experience During the Pandemic: Postpartum Vaccine Hesitancy. Kimberly D. Gregory, MD, MPH. Those who participated in the Childbirth Experience Survey (CBEX) gave birth during the pandemic and noted their anxiety and fears about breastfeeding, fertility, and vaccine safety. Researchers found that incomplete information on vaccine side effects, the absence of pregnant people in vaccine trials, and personal values and preferences contributed to significant COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Poster presentation on Thursday, Feb. 3, 10:30 a.m.–12 p.m. EST.
• Use of Personal-Device-Based Point-of-Care-Ultrasound (P-POCUS) in Clinical Care. Cecilia B. Leggett, MD, and Melissa S. Wong, MD, MHDS, share findings that the use of portable ultrasound probes that rely on cell phones or tablets for displaying images–as opposed to large ultrasound machines–saves time in clinical decision-making during intrapartum care in labor & delivery units. Poster presentation on Thursday, Feb. 4, 3:45 p.m.–5:10 p.m. EST.
• Racial Disparities Identified in Treatment for Preeclampsia Risk. Kimberly D. Gregory, MD, MPH, Melissa S. Wong, MD, MHDS, present data showing that Black pregnant people are less likely to be recommended for aspirin prophylaxis for preeclampsia–a  therapy shown to reduce adverse outcomes in patients at risk for the hypertensive disease. Poster presentation on Friday, Feb. 4, 10:30 a.m.–12 p.m. EST.
• Use Of Oxytocin as a Low-Dose Intravenous Push at Time of Cesarean Delivery. Gabriela Dellapiana, MD, Richard M. Burwick, MD, MPH. Historically, oxytocin has been given as a high-dose IV infusion at delivery to reduce blood loss. Researchers investigated whether low-dose oxytocin might be equally effective and found that less oxytocin successfully prevented blood loss at cesarean section. Poster presentation on Friday, Feb. 4, 3:45 p.m.–5:15 p.m. EST.