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Centre for Preterm Birth: Highest risk mothers, highest risk babies
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Area of focus: obstetrical medicine

Sunnybrook offers a full spectrum of obstetrical services, from pre-pregnancy counseling for women at risk, through to the time of birthing. Obstetricians, nurse practitioners, midwives, anaesthetists and family physicians all provide obstetrical care. The Pregnancy and Kidney (PreKid) Clinic is the largest of its kind in Canada, managing women with all types of renal disease including those with glomerulonephritis, kidney transplant recipients as well as women on hemodialysis. In addition to high impact clinical research that is generated by this clinic, it is a highly sought educational experience for maternal-fetal medicine, nephrology and general internal medicine residents. Pregnant women with other conditions receive care in partnership with nephrologists, oncologists, psychiatry, trauma surgeons, haematologists and endocrinologists.

Current studies

See current obstetrical medicine studies »

Specialized pregnancy clinics

Sunnybrook has over 15 specialized pregnancy clinics and programs, including Canada's first clinic for women pregnant with multiples, a clinic for women with mobility disorders, a clinic that offers early neonatal anatomy scanning and comprehensive genetic screening, and the Subsequent Pregnancy Program that cares for women who are pregnant after a previous late pregnancy loss or death of a baby.

In addition to these clinics, Sunnybrook clinicians are committed to changing health care practice through the ongoing creation, translation, and application of new knowledge and to lead in the development, application, and promotion of quality and safe practices system wide that improve the patient experience and outcomes. In October 2015, staff from the DAN Women & Babies Program co-led an international consensus meeting to discuss the current evidence, management, and challenges related to international pregnancy care after stillbirth, and to initiate the development of an International Consensus Statement on Care of the Family Pregnant Subsequent to Stillbirth. The introduction of this consensus statement will better standardize and improve the world-wide care of families impacted by stillbirth and be adopted and endorsed by medical, nursing, allied health, and perinatal loss organizations. The Consensus Statement is scheduled to be finalized in 2016.

In November 2015, staff from the DAN Women & Babies Program became involved with supporting the introduction and implementation of new healthcare legislation: Private Members Bill 141: Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness, Research and Care Act. During Public Hearings, Sunnybrook clinicians provided deputations to the Standing Committee on Social Policy in support of Bill 141. In December 2015, Sunnybrook hosted a meeting with MPP Mike Colle to discuss opportunities for Sunnybrook to continue to provide provincial leadership and clinical expertise on care of families experiencing perinatal loss. In collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and the Provincial Council for Maternal and Child Health, DAN Women & Babies staff have been invited to participate in a working group to provide recommendations for provincial care strategies and priority research setting, with the goal of advancing the understanding of perinatal loss and appropriate preventative interventions and supports.