Wednesday, 08 October 2014 17:00
Peninsula Square
London
SE10 0DX
United Kingdom
The deadline for abstract submissions for oral presentation is July 10th 2014. Abstracts for poster presentation only can be submitted up to two weeks before the event. You can download the instructions for authors at
Session Chair:
Mr Joost Schuitemaker, Managing Director, IQ Products, The NetherlandsSession Chair:
Professor Ray Iles, Chief Scientist, The ELK-Foundation for Health Research and MAP Diagnostics, UK
Talk title to be confirmed
How can biomarkers be used to improve the management of pre-eclampsia
The talk will summarizes new observations of key roles for circulating angiogenic factors in diagnosing, managing and, treating preeclampsia. We will review the literature that alterations in circulating angiogenic factors in preeclampsia correlate with the diagnosis and adverse outcomes particularly when the disease presents prematurely. Measurement of these angiogenic biomarkers has also shown to differentiate preeclampsia and its complications from other disorders that present with similar clinical profiles. We will also review the evidence that modulating these factors can have therapeutic effects suggesting a future role for angiogenic factors in treatment and prevention of preeclampsia.
The role of nutrition and genetics during pregnancy
Dr Anne Parle-McDermott, Lecturer in Genetics, Dublin City University, Ireland
The B vitamin, folate, is an important nutrient during pregnancy in the prevention of birth defects. While it is widely accepted that a folic acid supplement can prevent neural tube defects (NTD) if taken periconceptionally, the exact mechanism of how prevention is occurring is not clear. What also needs to be considered, is whether folate supplementation has any additional effects outside of NTD prevention. This talk will describe the latest discoveries in relation to how human genetic variation can impact on pregnancy and how folic acid supplement could potentially be modifying our genome.
Catheter Ablation of Arrhythmia in Pregnant Women
Dr John Ferguson, Associate Professor, University of Virginia Medical Center, USA
Fetal haemodyanic assessment by magnetic resonance imaging
Dr Mike Seed, Pediatric Cardiologist and Radiologist, SickKids, Toronto, Canada
Ultrasound provides high spatial and temporal resolution imaging of the fetal heart and Doppler yields a wealth of information about fetal cardiovascular physiology. However, due to inherent limitations of the technique, ultrasound is not routinely used to measure an important parameter of haemodynamics; blood flow. Furthermore, ultrasound provides no information about a second key parameter of cardiovascular function, the oxygen content of blood. We sought to develop a MRI technique to measure fundamental elements of fetal circulatory physiology including oxygen delivery, oxygen consumption, cardiac output and the distribution of blood flow and oxygen across the fetal circulation.
Associate Professor Susanne Georgsson Öhman, Senior Lecturer, Karolinska Institutet Department of women’s and children’s health, Stockholm, Sweden
In Sweden pregnant women are offered ultrasound in the second trimester. Combined Ultrasound and Biochemical screening (CUB) may be offered for risk estimation for chromosomal aberrations but new non invasive test methods with this puspose are in an explosive development. Invasive test; amniocentesis or chorion villus sampling, is offered when the risk for chromosomal aberrations is high due to screening test results, due to the maternal age or due to increased worry. It is essential for the parents to be to have access to correct, non-directive information to be able to make decisions, informed choices, about prenatal examinations, and this is a great challenge for the antenatal health care.
Was the Mona Lisa’s Smile the Result of a Pregnancy-associated Condition
Dr William Maloney, DDS, Clinical Associate Professor, New York University, USA
