Maternal-Fetal and Perinatal Medicine Research

In addition to the broad range of research available at the University of Rochester, the MFM division is active in both basic science and clinical research.

Much of the research is in collaboration with other divisions and departments, and we take a broad, team based approach to most research questions.

Learn more about some of the areas of active Maternal-Fetal and Perinatal Medicine research below, and learn more each faculty member’s and fellow’s area of interest on their profile pages.

Some of the active areas of research of the faculty & fellows in Maternal-Fetal medicine and selected abstract/articles include:

Viral Infection of the Placenta & Immunology of Pregnancy

• Olson-Chen, C.; Balaram, K.; Hackney, D. "Chlamydia trachomatis and adverse pregnancy outcomes: meta-analysis of patients with and without infection". Maternal and Child Health Journal. 2018; : 1-10.
• Olson-Chen C, Thornburg LL, Hackney DN. "Does increased peripheral C-reactive protein predate the occurrence of a short cervical length?" The journal of maternal-fetal & neonatal medicine : the official journal of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine, the Federation of Asia and Oceania Perinatal Societies, the International Society of Perinatal Obstetricians.. 2014 Jul 0; 27(11):1138-41. Epub 2013 Oct 24.

Preterm Birth, Preterm Rupture of Membranes

• Lynch TA, Olson-Chen C, Colihan S, Meyers J, Holloman C, Li D, Link H, Torres P, Kim A, King DJ, Eckman C, Varlamov A, Dexter S, Pressman EK, Soto-Torres E, Malshe A. "Preterm Prelabor Rupture of Membranes: Outcomes with Expectant Management until 34 versus 35 Weeks." American journal of perinatology.. 2018 Dec 15; Epub 2018 Dec 15.
• Toscano M, Li D, Dye T, Olson-Chen C. "Antepartum Contraceptive Counseling in Women with Preterm Birth." American journal of perinatology.. 2019 Jan 4; Epub 2019 Jan 04.
• Lynch TA, Szlachetka K, Seligman NS. "Second trimester uterocervical angle and spontaneous preterm birth in twins." The journal of maternal-fetal & neonatal medicine : the official journal of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine, the Federation of Asia and Oceania Perinatal Societies, the International Society of Perinatal Obstetricians.. 2019 Feb 3; :1-7. Epub 2019 Feb 03.

Maternal Obesity & Diabetes

• Zozzaro-Smith PE, Bacak S, Conway C, Park J, Glantz JC, Thornburg LL. "Association Between Obesity During Pregnancy and the Adequacy of Prenatal Care." Maternal and child health journal.. 2016 Jan; 20(1):158-63.
• Ozcan T, Bacak SJ, Zozzaro-Smith P, Li D, Sagcan S, Seligman N, Glantz CJ. "Assessing Weight Gain by the 2009 Institute of Medicine Guidelines and Perinatal Outcomes in Twin Pregnancy." Maternal and child health journal.. 2017 Mar 0; 21(3):509-515

Substance Use Disorders in Pregnancy

• Nnoli A, Seligman NS, Dysart K, Baxter JK, Ballas SK. "Opioid Utilization by Pregnant Women with Sickle Cell Disease and the Risk of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome." Journal of the National Medical Association.. 2018 Apr 0; 110(2):163-168. Epub 2017 Apr 28.
• Sodki M, Rizzo G, Augustyniak A, Seligman NS, Zych-Krekora K, Respondek-Liberska M, . "Retrospective cohort study of prenatally and postnatally diagnosed coarctation of the aorta (CoA): prenatal diagnosis improve neonatal outcome in severe CoA." The journal of maternal-fetal & neonatal medicine : the official journal of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine, the Federation of Asia and Oceania Perinatal Societies, the International Society of Perinatal Obstetricians.. 2018 Sep 5; :1-5. Epub 2018 Sep 05.

Nutrition & Environmental Exposures in Pregnancy

• Delaney KM, Guillet R, Fleming RE, Ru Y, Pressman EK, Vermeylen F, Nemeth E, O'Brien KO. "Umbilical Cord Serum Ferritin Concentration is Inversely Associated with Umbilical Cord Hemoglobin in Neonates Born to Adolescents Carrying Singletons and Women Carrying Multiples." The Journal of nutrition.. 2019 Feb 15; Epub 2019 Feb 15.
• Assibey-Mensah V, Glantz JC, Hopke PK, Jusko TA, Thevenet-Morrison K, Chalupa D, Rich DQ. "Ambient Wintertime Particulate Air Pollution and Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy in Monroe County, New York". Environmental Research. 2019; 168: 25-31

Ultrasound Evaluations of the Uterus and Fetus

• Toscano M; Grace D; Pressman EK; Thornburg LL. "Does transvaginal ultrasound at 13-15 weeks improve anatomic survey completion rates in obese patients?". Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine. 2019; 23: 1-7.
• Zozzaro-Smith P, Gray LM, Bacak SJ, Thornburg LL. "Limitations of Aneuploidy and Anomaly Detection in the Obese Patient." Journal of clinical medicine. 2014 Jul 17; 3(3):795-808. Epub 2014 Jul 17.
• Ho, M. "Evaluation of suspected fetal skeletal dysplasia for the referring physician". Ultrasound Clinics. 2013; 8: 31-38.
• Lynch TA; Glantz JC; Drennan K. "Prenatal Prediction of Difficult Intubation in Periviable Neonates Using Standard Fetal Biometric Parameters". American Journal of Perinatology. 2019; 36(6): 594-599.
• Lynch TA, Szlachetka K, Seligman NS. "Ultrasonographic Change in Uterocervical Angle is not a Risk Factor for Preterm Birth in Women with a Short Cervix." American journal of perinatology.. 2017 Sep 0; 34(11):1058-1064. Epub 2017 Jun 05.

Perinatal Epidemiology, Perinatal Quality

• Glance LG, Glantz JC, Stevens TP, Faden E, Kreso MA, Pyne SG, Wissler RN, Fichter J, Gloff MS, Dick AW. "Measuring Childbirth Outcomes Using Administrative and Birth Certificate Data". Anesthesiology. 2019; ePub ahead of print.
• Kacica MA; Glantz JC; Xiong K; Shields EP; Cherouny PH. "A Statewide Quality Improvement Initiative to Reduce Non-Medically Indicated Scheduled Deliveries". Maternal Child Health Journal. 2017; 21(4): 932-941.
• Glance LG, Dick AW, Glantz JC, Wissler RN, Qian F, Marroquin BM, Mukamel DB, Kellermann AL. "Rates of major obstetrical complications vary almost fivefold among US hospitals." Health affairs.. 2014 Aug 0; 33(8):1330-6.

Selected Publications & Presentations 2019 - Present

Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Annual Meeting, February 2020, Grapevine, TX

Oral Presentations

• Hollenbach, SJ; Gray L; Pressman EK; Drennan K; "Detecting the Maternal in Morality: A Data fusion Approach to improving pregnancy-associated mortality ascertainment".

Poster Presentations

• Stefanie J. Hollenbach, M.D., M.S., Loralei Thornburg, M.D., J. Christopher Glantz, M.D., M.P.H, Elaine Hill, Ph.D. Modern Echoes of Historic Institutionalized Racism: Associations Between Previously "Redlined" Districts and Current Obstetric Outcomes.
• Stefanie J. Hollenbach, M.D., M.S., Jihye Baek, Loralei Thornburg MD, Helen Feltovich MD, MS, Richard K. Miller, PhD, Kevin Parker, PhD, Stephen McAleavey, PhD. Placental H-scan Sonography Demonstrates Feasibility of an Ultrasound-Based Method for Generation of a Placental Biomarker.
• Stefanie J. Hollenbach, M.D., M.S., Loralei Thornburg MD, Helen Feltovich MD, MS, Richard K. Miller, PhD, Kevin Parker, PhD, Stephen McAleavey, PhD. Elasticity Imaging of Placental Tissue Demonstrates Potential for Disease State Discrimination.
• Stefanie J. Hollenbach, M.D., M.S., Loralei Thornburg, M.D., J. Christopher Glantz, M.D., M.P.H, Elaine Hill, Ph.D. Evaluating Social Determinants of Obstetric Outcomes at the Intersection of Birth Databases and "Big Data".
• Stefanie J. Hollenbach, M.D., M.S., Loralei Thornburg MD, Helen Feltovich MD, MS, Richard K. Miller, PhD, Kevin Parker, PhD, Stephen McAleavey, PhD. Placental Elasticity Imaging Demonstrates Feasibility of an Ultrasound-Based Method for Generation of a Placental Biomarker.
• Lynch, T; Westen, E; Szlachetka, K; Drennan, K; "The DECIDE study:  Evaluating biochemical markers of fetal cardiac dysfunction in diabetes"; Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine Annual Meeting 2020.
• Marinescu PS, Young RC, Adair D, Hern B, Pressman EK, Seligman NS. Uterine Fasciculation-Like Signals: A novel pattern of uterine bioelectric activity. SMFM Annual meeting 2020, Grapevine, TX.
• Nicasio E, Pressman EK, Thornburg LL, Seligman NS. A Novel Audit Tool for documentation in deliveries with low APGAR score and resultant neonatal encephalopathy. SMFM Annual meeting 2020, Grapevine, TX.
• Roman A, Zork N, Haeri S, Schoen CN, Saccone G, Colihan S, Gimovsky AC, Seligman NS, Zelig C, Martinelli P, Berghella V. Physical Exam Indicated Cerclage in Twin pregnancy, Randomized Clinical Trial.
• Seligman NS, Havens S, Victor-Halliday A, Walden B, Pressman EK, Thornburg LL. Improving documentation of high-risk perinatal events: effectiveness of real-time chart audits. SMFM Annual meeting 2020, Grapevine, TX.
• Toscano M, Wood J, McIntosch S, Seligman NS. Reversal of intention for elective termination of pregnancy is associated with inadequate prenatal care utilization.
• Toscano, M. Westen, E. Laniewski, S. Malshe, A. Placental weight as a novel prognostic marker for neonatal survival in congenital heart disease.
• Westen, Wittlieb-Weber, Rees, Olson-Chen, Malshe. MCA PSV predicts neonatal hematocrit in congenital heart disease.
• Westen, E; Lynch, T; Szlachetka, K; Drennan, K; "The DECIDE study: Correlating adverse neonatal outcome and biochemical markers of cardiac dysfunction"; Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine Annual Meeting 2020.

CREOG & APGO Annual Meeting, February 2020, Orlando, FL 

• Kaufman L, Dermady K, Seligman N, Garry D, Gilchrist K, Leonard C. A collaborative, multidisciplinary approach to curricular development in addressing the opiate crisis- tools to apply now and design approach to apply later.

Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Annual Educational Conference, February 2020, San Diego, CA

• ​​Olson-Chen C, Lynch K, Thornburg L. Ob/Gyn fellowship research boot camp improves baseline knowledge.

Society for Reproductive Investigation Annual Meeting, March 2020, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Poster Presentations

• Marinescu PS, Miller LA, Young RC, Adair D, Hern B, Pressman EK, Seligman NS. Uterine Electromyography:  Novel Uterine Bioelectrical Signalling Patterns Lead To Advances In Understanding of Uterine Contractile Activity.  
• Marinescu PS, Young RC, Adair D, Hern B, Galas E, Pressman EK, Seligman NS.  Uterine Simulation Index:  A Promising Technique for the Personalized Use of Oxytocin. 
• Marinescu PS, Young RC, Adair D, Hern B, Pressman EK, Seligman NS.  Contraction Synchronization Predicts the Onset of "True" Labor. 
• Stefanie J. Hollenbach, M.D., M.S., Jihye Baek, Loralei Thornburg MD, Helen Feltovich MD, MS, Richard K. Miller, PhD, Kevin Parker, PhD, Stephen McAleavey, PhD. H-Scan Imaging of Placental Tissue Demonstrates Potential for Disease State Discrimination.
• Ahern N, Dermady K, Garry D, Kaufman L, Dreyer D, Kacica M, Leonard C, Yukhayev, A, Seligman NS. Knowledge May Not be the Barrier to Care for Pregnant Women with Opioid Use Disorder: The ACOG District II Education "Bundle”.
• Olson-Chen C, Chen Y. Financial strain and gestational age at delivery: a pathway analysis.

Oral Presentations

• Hollenbach, Cochran, Waldrop, Abbott, Harrington. Fetal Rh Antigen is Present Consistently Throughout Cells in the Maternal Circulation in Early Pregnancy.  
  • Winner of SRI President’s Presenter’s Award, which recognizes the 25 most meritorious abstracts submitted by individuals still in training

Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Annual Meeting, February 2022, Virtual

Oral Presentation

• Marinescu PS, Young RC, Miller LA, Llop J, Pressman EK, Seligman NS. EMG provides insights into preterm birth: Mid-trimester cervical shortening is associated with abnormal myometrial activation.

Poster Presentations

Thursday:

• 245: Adkins AA, Dom AM, Malshe AK, Lynch TA, Olson-Chen C.  Expectant management of PPROM until 36 weeks reduced neonatal morbidity without increasing chorioamnionitis.
• 219: Marinescu PS, Roy A, Young RC, Pressman EK, Seligman NS.  Directional uterine EMG sensors identify bioelectrical activity in obese patients.
• 644: Paraison LE, Dom AM, Ganpo-Nkwenkwa NS, Thornburg LL, Hollenbach S. Patient body composition is largely ignored in evidence informing hypertension guidelines in pregnancy.
• 546: Toscano M, Marini T, Saavedra AC, Arroyo J, Baran TM, Drennan K, Dozier A, Zhao Y, Castaneda B. Testing a deep learning algorithm for automatic detection of prenatal ultrasound for under-resourced communities.

Friday:

• 691: Dom AM, Cagino SG, Voss KA, Lynch TA, Olson-Chen C. Latency from PPROM to delivery is not altered with discontinuation of antibiotics after 48 hours. 
• 740: Olson-Chen C, Lennon C, Katzman PJ, Fernandez ID, Thornburg LL, van Wijngaarden E. Placenta accreta spectrum diagnosed on pathology increases the risk of secondary postpartum hemorrhage. 
• 761: Orzolek C, Mather A, Ly V, Lin J, Szlachekta K, Betstadt S, Thornburg LL, Pressman E. Does the COVID-19 pandemic alter management choice for nonviable pregnancy, ectopic or termination? 
• 954: K Bland, E Hill, M Chaskes, N Seligman. The opioid epidemic: how have buprenorphine waivered OB/GYNs impacted treatment availability in New York?