According to the CDC* approximately 70 percent of pregnant women in the U.S. take at least one prescription drug, whether it’s for a chronic condition like colitis or diabetes, or just seasonal allergies. The medical professionals who treat pregnant patients need to be as informed as possible when confronted with a need for prescribing medication.
Mother & Child Health Coalition is hosting a meeting tomorrow of the Metro KC Breastfeeding Collaborative, and has invited an expert in the field to help educate and prepare local clinicians to make the best choices for their pregnant patients. The event is open to all health professionals and the general public from around the metro area.
Thursday, August 11, 2016, 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Community Room B
Rodgers Health Center
825 Euclid Ave., Kansas City, MO 64124
Goals of the Meeting – Attendees will be able to:
- List some of the most common medications taken during pregnancy and any side effects warranting concern.
- Assess psychotropic medications and their effects upon pregnancy and breastfeeding.
- Describe some of the most impactful medications upon breastfeeding and their contraindications.
Presenter: Carl Weiner, MD, MBA, FACOG, University of Kansas Medical Center
Dr. Carl Philip Weiner is the K.E. Krantz Professor and Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Professor of Integrative and Molecular Physiology, University of Kansas School of Medicine, and Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kansas School of Pharmacy.
Born in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, Dr. Weiner received his B.A. from Lehigh University, his M.D. from the Medical College of Georgia, and his master’s in Business Administration from Loyola College. Upon completion of his clinical training, Dr. Weiner joined the faculty at the University of Iowa College of Medicine where he rose to the rank of professor with tenure in seven years. There, he began one of the first multi-disciplinary fetal diagnosis and treatment units in the country. He then became the Crenshaw Professor and Chair at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, where his team received one of nine U.S. Public Health Service designations as a National Center of Excellence for Women’s Health Care. He remained there until 2006 when he accepted the KE Krantz Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Under his direction, the University of Kansas Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology has risen into the ranks of the top 30 nationally.
Dr. Weiner has received awards for clinical care, teaching and research. He has over 240 peer-reviewed publications, multiple patents and currently edits seven textbooks, including international best sellers such as HIGH RISK PREGNANCY: Management Options, now in its 5th edition, and DRUGS FOR PREGNANT AND LACTATING WOMEN now entering its 3rd edition. He is the recipient of more than 45 research-funding awards and has recently developed highly accurate blood tests performed at 12-16 weeks of pregnancy that identify women destined for either preterm birth before 33 weeks or severe early onset preeclampsia before 34 weeks.
MCHC Mission: Every child deserves a healthy start; it is the best gift a community can give its children and itself. Mother & Child Health Coalition works together with community partners and families to promote wellness and advocate excellence in health care. For more information please visit www.mchc.net
Questions? Contact Paul Cesare, meeting organizer, at pcesare@mchc.net or (816) 283-6242 x239.
*Source: http://www.cdc.gov/pregnancy/meds/treatingfortwo/data.html
Further reading: http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/08/08/486907088/when-pregnant-women-need-medicine-they-encounter-a-void
