Embargoed for Release

M E D I A A D V I S O R Y

WHAT: The Maternal, Infant and Reproductive Health Research Unit (MIRU) of the Women’s College Research Institute is hosting the Pregnancy and Birth Current Clinical Issues Conference to provide up-to-the-minute information about pregnancy and birth to health professionals involved in pregnancy care from across Canada. Expected to attend the conference will be 300 family physicians, obstetricians, nurses, midwives and doulas from B.C. to Baffin Island.

This annual conference is vital for sharing evidence-based information about a wide range of topics related to birthing. Each year over 300,000 babies are born in Canada, and knowing what are the safest ways to give birth for both mom and baby are of critical interest to health care professionals and the patients they serve.

Highlights of this year’s topics are listed below. An agenda with a detailed list of speakers and presentations is attached.

WHEN: Friday, December 15, 2006 7:15 am – 4:00 pm

WHERE: Marriott Toronto Eaton Centre 525 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario

WHY: The speed at which knowledge changes is ever-increasing, and knowledge translation through professional publications alone is not enough. This conference provides health professionals an opportunity to hear the latest information directly from the researchers themselves, along with an opportunity to ask questions and learn from others in their field. This annual conference is the one of the biggest knowledge exchange events on the topic of birthing held in Canada each year.

MEDIA ARE INVITED TO ATTEND THIS CONFERENCE.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND TO ARRANGE MEDIA REGISTRATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Norma Meneguzzi Spall Partners and Edell (416) 686-9110 or [email protected]

1 HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2006 PREGNANCY AND BIRTH CLINICAL ISSUES ANNUAL CONFERENCE – FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15TH, 2006

 Work in pregnancy: what can we tell women?

Dr. Ellen Mozurkewich, Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology/ Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan will be speaking on risks posed by working during pregnancy. As many as 80% of women now work throughout their pregnancies, and it is important for health professionals and women to know that certain types of work are correlated with increased risks. Women at risk are those in jobs requiring them to stand for more than three hours (such as nurses and teachers), those working long days, doing physically demanding work, or assigned to shift work or night work. They face the risk of pre-term birth, or giving birth to babies that are small for gestational age. The mothers are at increased risk of hypertension / pre- eclampsia. Dr. Mozurkewich will be presenting information from her own research and clinical practice.

 When women’s decisions differ from caregiver recommendations

Dr. Jeff Nisker, Coordinator, Health Ethics and Humanities; Professor, Obstetrics- Gynaecology and Oncology at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario will be speaking about the complex ethical issues relating to women’s right to choose or refuse medical care, including comments on the nature of informed consent, and the obligation to continue to provide care when women reject medical advice. Dr. Nisker will be using case descriptions, such as the ethical issues raised if a woman who has previously had multiple C-sections decides to attempt labour and vaginal delivery, against advice that such a choice may endanger herself and her child.

 Maternal Body Mass Index – when bigger is not better

Dr. Cindy Maxwell, Medical Disorders of Pregnancy Program, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario will be speaking on Maternal Body Mass Index – when bigger is not better. Obesity is a growing problem in our society, and pregnancy is not exempt from the challenges obesity poses. Obese women are more prone to gestational diabetes, have higher rates of dysfunctional labour because obese moms tend to have bigger babies, are more in need of C-sections for delivery and more at risk of operative complications such as injury to other organs, post-operative infection, etc.