Day 2 | Session 3| Concurrent | Maternity care reaching our communities
Reducing preventable stillbirth: a solution focused on equity and access
Our tools for detecting the failing placenta are imperfect. If a blood test could identify which pregnancies were at risk of adverse outcome due to placental insufficiency- and those that weren't- this could transform care. Such a test could close existing equity gaps, ensuring that all women in late pregnancy could have accurate and reliable information with which we could triage risk and personalise care.
Professor Sue Walker AO, FAHMS, GAICD
Sheila Hanbury Chair of Maternal Fetal Medicine
Head of Department, Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Newborn Health, The University of Melbourne
Co-Director Mercy Perinatal, Mercy Hospital for Women
Professor Sue Walker is the Sheila Handbury Chair of Maternal Fetal Medicine and Head of Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Newborn Health at The University of Melbourne. Sue is also co-director of Mercy Perinatal - a 3 pillar centre of excellence committed to clinical care, education and research in high-risk pregnancy. Her own research interests focus on improving the detection and management of fetal growth disorders, treatments for pre-eclampsia, and prevention of stillbirth.
How can we utilise angiogenic biomarker testing (sFlt-1/PlGF) to improve care for mothers with hypertension in pregnancy?
The multisystem disorder of preeclampsia can be difficult to diagnose, particularly in mothers with preexisting medical disorders. Angiogenic biomarkers have the potential to reduce misdiagnoses, identify those at increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcome and support surveillance and care of lower risk individuals closer to home.
Dr Ruth Hughes
Obstetrician Physician, Christchurch Women's Hospital
Senior Clinical Lecturer, University of Otago
Dr Ruth Hughes is a practicing Obstetric Physician and a Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Otago, Christchurch Women’s Hospital.
Ruth is passionate about improving pregnancy outcomes for mothers with medical disorders. She is a member of the NZSSD Diabetes in Pregnancy working group, which focuses on improving health care delivery to pregnant mothers across New Zealand through collaboration and research.
Her research focus includes diabetes in pregnancy, and screening for placental insufficiency using the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio.
Pregnancy ultrasound by midwives – improving access for rural whānau
An overview of the Rural Maternity & Midwifery Chapter of Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network’s Pilot initiative to train rural midwives in basic early pregnancy ultrasound.
Shelley also gained Early Pregnancy Ultrasound Accreditation last year and will share insights into the impact this has made in her community of the Far North where she currently works as a Rural Midwife and Midwifery Manager at Kaitaia Hospital.
Shelley Tweedie (Ngāti Maniapoto)
Midwife Manager
Kaitaia Hospital
Shelley Tweedie - Ngāti Maniapoto, Midwife Manager at Kaitaia Hospital. An experienced Midwife who completed her Midwifery education and career in Otautahi before moving to remote rural Midwifery, 6 years ago.
Shelley initially worked as a community-based remote rural Lead Maternity Carer (LMC) Midwife in the Far North and then as the Clinical Midwife Manager for Kaitaia Hospital.
Shelley’s time in her different roles has provided her with first hand experience and a deep understanding of the realities and challenges of rural health service delivery and the importance of thinking innovatively to develop rural maternity services that promote and support hauora and health equity for whānau Māori and rural communities.