India Eaford, MD, a Vincent fellow in Maternal-Fetal Medicine, is studying how patterns of maternal blood sugar during pregnancy impact maternal and neonatal outcomes. One of her recent projects, presented at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, examined how well hemoglobin A1c — a common blood test used to estimate average blood sugar levels — reflects glucose patterns in early pregnancy among individuals with pregestational diabetes. Pregnancy causes physiologic changes that may affect the accuracy of A1c, therefore the study also used data from continuous glucose monitors, which measure glucose levels throughout the day, to determine whether first-trimester A1c accurately represents both recent and preconception glucose levels. Her research suggests that A1c in early pregnancy may underestimate average glucose levels compared with continuous monitoring, which could influence how clinicians interpret A1c results and manage diabetes during pregnancy. Dr. Eaford’s additional research projects focus on the use of metformin in the treatment of gestational diabetes, as well as quality-improvement initiatives investigating social determinants of health screening, interventions aimed at reducing cesarean deliveries for first-time mothers, development of postpartum anemia protocols, and ultrasound techniques.

Faculty Mentor
Camille E. Powe, MD, Co-Director, Diabetes in Pregnancy Program, Mass General Hospital | Mass General Brigham, Associate Professor of Medicine, Associate Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School

Career Path
MD:  University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, 2016–2020
OB/GYN Residency:  Howard University Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2020–2024
Vincent Fellowship:  2024–2027

Select Publications

Arlin Delgado, MD, a Vincent fellow in Maternal-Fetal Medicine, is focused on deciphering the role of weight gain in pregnancy, which has been associated with multiple adverse maternal outcomes in pregnancy, including hypertensive disorders such as pre-eclampsia. However, few studies have examined the rate and amount of weight gain, particularly in early pregnancy, and the risk of hypertensive disorders. The aim of her retrospective cohort study is to better understand the association between a patient’s total gestational weight gain, including the rate of weight gain over time, and the development of hypertensive disorders. She hypothesizes that individuals who gain more weight and exceed commonly recommended gestational weight gain targets in the first and second trimesters will have a higher risk of developing pre-eclampsia. With this information, Dr. Delgado hopes to be able to better understand target weight goals in pregnancy and develop interventions for curbing excessive gestational weight gain to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes, notably hypertensive disorders. In other research studies, she is focused on defining normative point-of-care lactate levels in the intrapartum and immediate postpartum period, as well as understanding the risk of preterm birth for a subsequent pregnancy after a term index pregnancy complicated by preterm labor.

Faculty Mentor
Mark Clapp, MD, MPH, Medical Director for Perinatal Analytics, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Vincent OB/GYN Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Career Path

MD:  George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2015–2019
OB/GYN Residency:  University of South Florida Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2019–2023
Vincent Fellowship:  2023–2026

Select Publications

Logan Mauney, MD, a Vincent Fellow in Maternal-Fetal Medicine, is studying how screening and treatment of iron deficiency in the third trimester of pregnancy impacts birth outcomes and the patient experience. Iron deficiency with or without anemia, a common condition exacerbated by pregnancy, increases patients’ risk of severe morbidity at birth and is associated with multiple symptoms such as fatigue, weakness and headaches. Most clinicians currently don’t test for iron deficiency in pregnancy even though it is easily treated. To date, there are no studies evaluating the impact of a screening protocol for iron deficiency on birth outcomes. Dr. Mauney aims to fill this gap through a randomized clinical trial, which will enroll around 150 patients, to evaluate a novel protocol for screening and treating iron deficiency. His study and the potential wide-scale adoption of this approach to screening and treatment of iron deficiency in pregnancy have immense potential to improve both maternal and perinatal outcomes.

Faculty Mentor
Mark Clapp, MD, MPH, Medical Director for Perinatal Analytics, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Vincent Department of OB/GYN, Mass General

Career Path
MD:  Columbia Medical School, 2013–2018
OB/GYN Residency:  Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Massachusetts General Hospital Integrated OB/GYN Residency, 2018–2022
Vincent Fellowship:  2022–2025

Select Publications