For many women, the period before pregnancy is an important window of opportunity to optimize pregnancy outcomes. This is particularly so for those who have complex medical disorders, or couples who have experienced recurrent pregnancy loss. Likewise, women who have had a complicated pregnancy- particularly those who have experienced preeclampsia- face increased lifelong health risks. The post pregnancy period is also a window of opportunity to screen and offer health interventions to mitigate these risks.
Dr Kathy Paizis is a Renal Physician and provides Obstetric Medicine leadership at both Mercy Hospital for Women and Joan Kirner Hospital, Sunshine. Her PhD has led onto an active ongoing research program at Austin Health, particularly in the areas of renal transplant and in preeclampsia. She is one of the country’s leading experts in managing complex medical disorders, and will be addressing ‘Planning pregnancy in women with complex medical disorders’
Dr Elizabeth McCarthy is a Maternal Fetal Medicine sub-specialist, and founder of Mercy Perinatal’s STAR (STillbirth And Reproductive loss) service. This multidisciplinary team provides post loss and pre pregnancy care for women who have experienced perinatal loss, including recurrent miscarriage. Liz and her team are committed to providing evidence-based care for women following recurrent miscarriage, and she is perfectly placed to tell us about ‘Planning the next pregnancy after recurrent miscarriage: the current state of the evidence'
Finally, Dr Anthea Lindquist is an Obstetrician who completed her PhD in Oxford (with the amazing Professor Marion Knight, no less!!) prior to returning to Melbourne and establishing an outstanding Perinatal Epidemiology Research Program with Mercy Perinatal, funded by a prestigious NHMRC Fellowship. Her research focus is on long term outcomes for the mum and baby following pregnancy complications, and she will be addressing the important topic of 'Optimising post pregnancy care to reduce the health legacy of preeclampsia'
