PeriGen's Dr. Emily Hamilton Presents in Opening Session at Prestigious Birth 2015 Conference in Brazil

Obstetrics physician introduces groundbreaking research on methods to assess labor progress and intervention

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Apr 06, 2015, 08:35 ET

CRANBURY, N.J., April 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- PeriGen, the global leader in applying real-time clinical decision support to obstetrics (OB) systems, announced today that Emily Hamilton, M.D.C.M., F.R.C.S.C, F.A.C.O.G., senior vice president of clinical research, was a featured speaker in the opening session at the recent prestigious Birth: Clinical Challenges in Labor and Delivery conference in Fortaleza, Brazil.

Dr. Hamilton's presentation titled "Diagnosis and Clinical Significance of Disorders of the Active Phase of Labor" offered research-based evidence revealing that traditional labor curves -- the historical and modern standard measure of labor progress in terms of cervical dilation against time -- are too broad and imprecise to provide useful indications as to whether labor is progressing safely for the mother and baby.

Dr. Hamilton demonstrated mathematically that new labor curves, which use an adaptive stimulus/response method to measure cervical dilation and fetal descent relative to the frequency of contractions and other factors, provide far more useful information. Clinicians can then use this data to determine more accurately whether an intervention, such as a cesarean section or the introduction of oxytocin to enhance contractions, is required. Graphical displays make it easy to see when worrisome trends are developing. The presentation was received with considerable enthusiasm by physician and midwife attendees, many of whom are global leaders in the obstetrics community.

"The fact that roughly 50 percent of cesarean births occur because of 'slow' progress in labor underlines the great importance of having a reliable way to assess labor progress," said Dr. Hamilton. "The primary indicator that labor has begun is the presence of contractions. So if that is the driving force, it stands to reason that we should be measuring dilation and descent relative to contractions. When doing the math you find it's a far better way of assessing progress."

Unlike many perinatal conferences which provide information on rare diseases or research at the molecular level, Birth Brazil focuses on the practical clinical challenges facing every obstetrical team during childbirth. It draws experts and thought leaders from around the world who come together to discuss the most important issues regarding birth.

The 2015 conference was co-chaired by Roberto Romero, M.D., D. Med. Sci., chief of Perinatology Research Branch and Program Director for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Intramural Division, at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institute of Health, Department of Health and Homeland Services, and editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology; and Gian Carlo Renzo, M.D., F.R.C.O.G. (hon), F.A.C.O.G. (hon), professor and chairman of the Department of OB/GYN, director of the Centre for Perinatal and Reproductive Medicine, Director of the Midwifery School, the University of Perugia, and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Medicine.

Speakers present by invitation only, and opportunities are offered solely to those who have distinguished themselves through their contributions to the better understanding of factors affecting labor and delivery in the clinical setting. Dr. Hamilton directs PeriGen's research teams to develop and refine innovative decision support-based fetal monitor technologies designed to help clinicians prevent birth-related injuries. Under her leadership and vision, risk-reduction perinatal technology systems have come of age in obstetrical care.

"Advances on labor assessment methods have the potential to affect millions of births every year," said Dr. Hamilton. "As a long-time researcher in OB, it was gratifying to see the enthusiastic response generated from the concepts and actual data presented. I look forward to exploring the topic further and sharing my findings with the obstetrics community in the months to come. I truly feel the paradigm of how we assess labor progress is shifting."

Download Dr. Hamilton's photo here.

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About PeriGen, Inc.
PeriGen, Inc., is an innovative provider of fetal surveillance systems employing patented, pattern-recognition and obstetrics technologies that empower perinatal clinicians to make confident, real-time decisions about the mothers and babies in their care. PeriGen's customer-centric team of clinicians and technologists builds the most advanced systems available to augment obstetric decision-making and improve communications among the clinical team at the point of care, while supporting data flow between healthcare IT systems. PeriGen offers the only FDA-cleared EFM pattern recognition system that is validated by the NICHD. Visit us at www.PeriGen.com.

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