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

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Taylor Freret, MD, EdM, a Vincent Fellow in Maternal-Fetal Medicine, is studying the optimal time at which to initiate blood pressure medications in the postpartum period. Postpartum hypertension is a major cause of maternal morbidity, prolonged length of inpatient stay, and readmissions. To date, few studies have considered the optimal time to initiate treatment, with national organizations recommending waiting until a patient has moderate hypertension. Dr. Freret hypothesizes that waiting until moderate hypertension develops may be associated with worse maternal outcomes. She is studying whether initiating blood pressure medications earlier — when a patient has mild hypertension — is associated with reduced maternal complications.

Faculty Mentor
Ilona Goldfarb, MD MPH, Vice Chair of Quality and Safety and Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Vincent Department of OB/GYN, Mass General

Career Path
MD, EdM:  Harvard Medical School, 2012–2017
OB/GYN Residency:  Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Massachusetts General Hospital Integrated OB/GYN Residency, 2017–2021
Vincent Fellowship:  2020–2023

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Molly Siegel, MD, a Vincent Fellow in Maternal-Fetal Medicine, is studying how epidural anesthesia may impact the results of peripartum toxicology testing, which is routinely used in obstetrics and seen as an objective means of gathering data about recent substance use in pregnant individuals. In particular, she is investigating if epidural use of fentanyl to relieve labor pain may lead to a positive peripartum toxicology test, as this can have significant repercussions unique to pregnancy including anxiety and stigma, treatment program consequences for those with a history of substance-use disorder who are engaged in treatment, referrals to child welfare and custody decisions. It is therefore imperative to understand if medications routinely used in labor could impact the results of these toxicology tests. By measuring the amount of fentanyl in urine before and after epidural placement for pregnant women in labor and their newborns, Dr. Siegel hopes to understand if epidurals can lead to positive peripartum toxicology tests, as these results may be falsely attributed to non-prescribed opioid use.

Faculty Mentor
Sarah N. Bernstein, MD, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Vincent OB/GYN Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital

Career Path
MD:  Harvard Medical School, 2012–2016
OB/GYN Residency:  University of California, San Francisco, 2016–2020
Vincent Fellowship:  2020–2023

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