Breast/chestfeeding is beneficial for infants and parents, and stigmatization of substance use in pregnancy has been historically linked to punitive approaches with a disproportionate impact on minority populations. Dr. Marielle Gross advanced an empirically informed ethical analysis of this issue based on the current U.S. guidelines.
Read more: https://jcannabisresearch.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42238-022-00127-y
Dr. Marian Jarlenski and PhD candidate Noelle Spencer reviewed the perceived safety of cannabis, nicotine, and tobacco use among US women of reproductive age.
Read more about this study here: https://oce-ovid-com.pitt.idm.oclc.org/article/00003081-202206000-00014/HTML
Our FemTech Collaborative proposed a set of guiding principles for building technology that proactively identifies and addresses critical gaps in health care for people socially and economically marginalized people who are capable of pregnancy.
You can read this publication here: https://www.jmir.org/2022/4/e36338
Looking at Dr. Dara Mendez, Dr. Esa Davis, and their team's study on stress trends throughout pregnancy and postpartum, the COVID-19 pandemic may have adverse implications for birthing populations in the U.S.
Our associate director, Dr. Marian Jarlenski, wrote an invited commentary on Medicaid policy and pregnancy outcomes. Read more here:
Dr. Elizabeth Krans' recent study shows that preventative care can improve outcomes for pregnant people and their families.
Dr. Marian Jarlenski and Dr. Dara Mendez will investigate the implementation of and effects of 3 equity-focused policies in Pennsylvania's Medicaid program: a payment incentive available to Medicaid health plans that achieve excellent outcomes for Black pregnant persons and young children; bundled payment model for pregnancy care that rewards providers who reduce racial inequities; and implementation of Regional Accountable Health Councils to design equity-focused community interventions.
Faculty member Dr. Michele Levine recently published findings on the relationship between loss of control eating during pregnancy and traumatic events during childhood.
Little is known about the differential effects of COVID-19 on pregnant women with and without substance use disorders. Associate Dir. Marian Jarlenski, PhD, MPH, faculty member Elizabeth Krans, MD, MSC, and their team did a retrospective cohort study to find out.
