Ranked Best Hospital for OB/GYN in the Nation: Q&A With Nawal Nour, MD, MPH

Headshot image of Nawal Nour, MD, MPH standing in hallway smiling with arms crossed

Brigham and Women’s Hospital is ranked #1 in the nation for obstetrics and gynecology by U.S. News & World Report 2022-23. Nawal Nour, MD, MPH, chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, discusses how the team’s dedication and perseverance has contributed to this major accomplishment.

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Menopausal Hormone Therapy Linked to Increased Risk of Pituitary Adenoma

Woman sitting down holding a pack of menopausal hormone therapy pills

David J. Cote, MD, PhD, and Meir J. Stampfer, MD, DrPH, of the Channing Division of Network Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and colleagues have conducted the first prospective study of associations between pituitary adenoma and the use of oral contraceptives or menopausal hormone therapy.

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Brigham Leaders Present at PAS 2022

Over the shoulder view of woman standing at a podium with laptop, presenting to a seated audience

Leaders from the Brigham’s Department of Pediatric Newborn Medicine presented their latest research to thousands of attendees at the 2022 Pediatric Academic Societies’ meeting. The department had a strong presence at this event, which took place April 21 – 25, 2022, in Denver, CO.

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Blood Test Offers Better Prediction of Preeclampsia Risk

Researcher in lab setting selecting from upright plasma samples on table

Researchers have shown that a novel molecular signature from a single blood sample can identify women at risk of preeclampsia months before presentation. They also report that molecular signatures accurately track gestational age, independently of clinical factors, and could advance the study of other complications.

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Inquire About Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Patients With Endometriosis

Woman sitting on bed and holding abdomen, suffering from endometriosis pain

In the first study of its kind, Iwona Gabriel, MD, PhD, and Vatche A. Minassian, MD, MPH, of the Urogynecology Group, and colleagues found women and adolescents with surgically confirmed endometriosis are at substantially greater risk than others of having multiple lower urinary tract symptoms.

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Both Types of Liquid Human Milk Fortifier Promote Growth of Very-Low-Birthweight Infants

Newborn baby in NICU

Brigham researchers recently confirmed that administration of acidified human milk fortifier is associated with higher incidence of metabolic acidosis in the first weeks of life for very-low-birthweight infants, but the type of fortifier was not an important determinant of growth during the NICU stay.

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Improving Microbial Balance in Female Genital Tract May Boost Health Outcomes

Raina Fichorova, MD, PhD, director of the Laboratory of Genital Tract Biology, is a leader in studying host-microbe interactions in the female reproductive tract. Her efforts have included developing a novel “live” biotherapeutic treatment, which she has patented and is now working to bring into clinical trials.

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Galectin-mediated Immunity Is Dysregulated in Protozoan–Viral–Bacterial Female Genital Tract Infections

3D Rendering Galectin-3

Raina N. Fichorova, MD, PhD, and Hidemi S. Yamamoto, BA, of the Laboratory of Genital Tract Biology in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Brigham, and colleagues have discovered concurrent exposure to Trichomonas vaginalis and bacterial vaginosis dysregulates the expression of galectins.

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COVID-19–related Psychological Factors Can Interfere with Mother–Infant Bonding

Mother holds and looks down at newborn infant

In a nationwide online survey of pregnant and postpartum women, Cindy H. Liu, PhD, and Carmina Erdei, MD, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and colleagues determined that psychological factors related to COVID-19, particularly grief, pose unique hazards to mother–infant bonding.

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Several “Forever” Chemicals Are Associated With Increased Risk of Late-onset Preeclampsia

David E. Cantonwine, PhD, of the Division of Maternal–Fetal Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and colleagues recently conducted the first study of PFAS and preeclampsia that distinguished between early- and late-onset preeclampsia, which have different risk factors, severities and pathophysiologies.

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