Should More Women Give Birth Outside The Hospital?

From NPR, “A recent recommendation from doctors in the United Kingdom raised eyebrows in the United States: The British National Health Service says healthy women with straightforward pregnancies are better off staying out of the hospital to deliver their babies. …Shah was asked by the New England Journal of Medicine to respond to the British recommendation. He compared birth outcomes … Read More

New Report Finds WV Leads Nation in Drug Overdose Deaths

From The Charleston Gazette, “West Virginia has the highest rate of overdose deaths in the U.S., according to a report released Wednesday, further spotlighting Appalachia’s festering drug abuse problem that is also fueling a rise in hepatitis C in one of the nation’s poorest regions. There were about 34 drug overdose deaths per 100,000 West Virginia residents from 2011-13, up … Read More

Limited Access To Obstetrics Care, Alabama as Unfortunate Case Study

From NPR, “Only 17 of 54 of Alabama’s rural counties have hospitals that offer obstetrics services. It’s one of the state’s greatest healthcare challenges. …Imagine you’re about nine months pregnant, and you start to fill those twinges – contractions – that indicate your baby’s on the way. As the contractions get stronger, you have to consider what to do. If … Read More

Dr. Robert C. Nerhood Receives the 2015 Outstanding District Service Award

From ACOG.com, “Dr. Nerhood’s outstanding contributions to District IV are invaluable and instrumental to ACOG’s mission of advancing women’s health care. Dr. Nerhood has made significant contributions to District IV. His ACOG activities include serving as the West Virginia Section vice chair/chair (1992–1998), chair (2001–2004), and District IV Graduate Medical Education Committee chair. His greatest achievement, however, is his work … Read More

Protecting Our Infants Act Co-Sponsored by Sen. Ayotte

From Political News, “U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) announced that she is co-sponsoring legislation being introduced by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senator Robert Casey (D-PA) that would direct the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop a strategy to address the alarming number of infants diagnosed with newborn withdrawal after being exposed to opioids while … Read More

Lily’s Place Offers Love, Treatment for Drug-Addicted Newborns

From The Charleston Gazette: “Four years ago, Mary Brown held a drug-addicted infant in her arms for the first time while volunteering at Cabell Huntington Hospital. Afterward, she asked herself what she was doing with her life and decided to devote herself to a mission: helping newborns who are addicted to drugs. On Saturday, Brown hosted community members at Lily’s … Read More

Education Essential to Cutting Drug Use In Pregnancy

From The Charleston Gazette: “Education is key to reversing the state’s growing problem of drug use among pregnant women, a state advocate for healthy childbirth said Wednesday. “I think a lot of it has to do with education,” said Sandy Young, a member of the Drug Use in Pregnancy committee of the West Virginia Perinatal Partnership. “We educate the communities, … Read More

Research Finds Smoking As Risky As Alcohol, Drugs During Pregnancy

From The Charleston Gazette: “Getting pregnant women to stop smoking is just as important as getting them to stop using alcohol and illicit drugs, a researcher and psychologist told health-care providers Friday morning. Beth Bailey, a psychologist who serves as program director for the Tennessee Intervention for Pregnant Smokers, said doctors sometimes tend to prioritize having pregnant women stop using … Read More

The Benedum Foundation Awards West Virginia Perinatal Partnership Grant

From the Charleston Daily Mail: “The Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation is helping, once again, to improve the lives of babies in West Virginia. The Benedum Foundation has awarded the West Virginia Perinatal Partnership a grant to improve the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care of babies born to mothers addicted to drugs during pregnancy. The grant will help care for babies … Read More