As genetic and genomic sequencing become incorporated into newborn screening for hearing loss, patients may look to obstetricians for guidance on genetic testing decisions.

Auditory screening of newborns, mandated by most states in recent decades, now reaches an estimated 98 percent of newborns in the United States and has significantly reduced the average age for identifying congenital deafness. But adding genetic testing could drive more accurate diagnosis and personalized management during infancy’s critical window when the brain’s speech and language center is developing rapidly.
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Predicting which IVF embryos are most likely to produce a healthy pregnancy is an ongoing challenge in the field. For embryologist Catherine Racowsky, PhD, it is a theme across her varied work as director of the IVF Lab at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, as a researcher of new techniques to find the healthiest embryos and as incoming president of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine.

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With placenta accreta contributing to rising rates of severe maternal morbidity nationwide, the Program for Surgical Obstetrics and Placental Abnormalities at Brigham and Women’s Hospital is zeroing in on antepartum risk stratification as a tool for preserving maternal health.
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According to the World Health Organization, more than half of all married or in-union women of reproductive age use some form of contraception. Additionally, the number of women around the globe who either use contraception or have an unmet need for family planning is expected to grow by more than 900 million over the next decade.
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Oral opioids are regularly prescribed in the United States following cesarean delivery. But in the face of the growing opioid epidemic, the wisdom of this practice is under increasing scrutiny.
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Seven to eight percent of pregnancies end in spontaneous preterm birth. About five percent of pregnancies involve preeclampsia. The problem is, we do not do a good job predicting which women are at heightened risk for these issues.
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Uterine leiomyomatas, also known as uterine fibroids, are the most common pelvic tumor in women. About 75 percent of women will develop fibroids, and the average affected uterus has six to seven of these tumors. Cynthia Morton, PhD, at Brigham and Women’s Hospital is active in studying gene variants that cause fibroid tumors and can influence risk as well.

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Cynthia Morton, PhD

In the effort to identify genetic drivers of fibroids, the lab of Cynthia Morton, PhD, at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) is at an international crossroads. In recent years, Morton and investigators worldwide have been studying the molecular and genetic background of fibroids that may contribute to their development and growth.

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The increasing frequency of placenta accreta is raising new questions about the best way to manage this dangerous condition. At Brigham and Women’s Hospital researchers are creating a body of data to learn if some women with previa-accreta can be selected for a later delivery, if placenta accreta requires general anesthesia, and potential future risks for women who have had accreta during pregnancy.

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