Preventing Unnecessary C-Sections through Labor Induction Research

On this episode of Advances in Care, host Erin Welsh and Dr. Moeun Son, OB/GYN and Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist at NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine, discuss Dr. Son’s perspective on treating patients who face a high-risk pregnancy and might need a caesarian delivery.

Dr. Son explains that even though c-sections are a highly common and safe delivery option for many women, they’re not often not the top option in a woman’s birth plan, and don’t carry the same benefits as natural labor. She outlines the standard methods for labor induction to prevent the necessity of a c-section, which includes the administration of a synthetic form of the hormone oxytocin.

Beyond her work with patients, Dr. Son is also passionate about researching alternative methods for labor induction and preventing unnecessary c-sections. She and her colleagues designed a study to promote natural oxytocin release through nipple stimulation – mimicking breastfeeding through the use of a hospital grade breast pump. The success of that treatment eventually led to the The Stimulation To Induce Mothers Study – or STIM Study. Today, it’s an ongoing trial that aims to compare the effectiveness of natural oxytocin versus synthetic oxytocin in helping women give birth vaginally.

Dr. Son hopes that this research will broaden birthing options for women experiencing a high-risk pregnancy, and add more safe and effective treatment methods to the field of women’s health.

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Dr. Moeun Son is board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Maternal-Fetal Medicine. In her practice, she focuses on women with high-risk pregnancies, from pre-existing maternal conditions to babies with health anomalies. She is the principal investigator on many clinical research projects, including various randomized clinical trials. Dr. Son also serves as the Program Director of the MFM Fellowship Program at Weill Cornell

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