MoM (mothers on medications) / Cords Research Group

MoM/Cords is a young research group conducting studies within the fields of perinatal pharmacoepidemiology, pediatrics and neonatology. The members are clinically active which enables rapid implementation of our results in clinical practice.

Our studies are mainly focused into two areas:

  • Research on neonates exposed to maternal pharmacological treatment during pregnancy and/or breastfeeding.
  • Effects of sustained cord circulation and early skin-to-skin care of term and preterm infants. 

Selected ongoing studies

The MoM study

The study is composed of several observational studies on infants to mothers treated with chronic medications in the perinatal period, included in our clinical follow-up program. The studied medications include psychiatric drugs such as lamotrigine and lisdexamfetamine, as well as different immunomodulating agents.

The CONCEPTION study

Transfer of prednisolone into human breast milk and plasma of breastfeeding children - A low intervention cohort study with biobanking of breast milk and plasma. This study is a part of the European CONCEPTION collaboration and is conducted in collaboration with Uppsala University.

The chronic medications in lactation study 

Study performed together with Center for Better Beginnings at University of California San Diego, consisting of studies on breastfeeding frequency and duration amongst mothers treated with chronic medications and on the composition of human milk from mothers treated with antidepressant and anti-inflammatory medications. These studies are performed on data in the prospectively collected MotherToBaby-Register as well as milk samples from the Mommy’s Milk Human Milk Biorepository

The PreDECESS study

The PreDECESS study (Preterm DElayed Cord clamping and Early Skin-to-Skin contact) is a multi-center study lead by Linköping University. Stabilization with delayed cord clamping and skin-to-skin with the mother will be compared to the previous practice to stabilize the neonate on a resuscitation table in an adjacent room. Vaginally born infants with a gestational age of 30-35 weeks will be included in the study. 

CordCS

CordCS is an observational study on placental transfusion and maternal blood loss at cesarean sections. We will analyze the correlation between cord clamping time, administration of oxytocin and remaining placental blood volume as well as maternal blood loss. CordCS is a preparational study within the SUCCECS project.

The SUCCECS study 

The SUCCECS study (SUstained Cord Circulation at Emergency Cesarean Section) is a multicenter study with a stepped wedge randomized cluster design. Resuscitation with delayed cord clamping during cesarean section of term non-vigorous neonates will be compared to the standard care of immediate cord clamping and separation of mother and neonate.

Researchers

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Jenny Svedenkrans

Affiliated to Research

MD, PhD, Senior Consultant in Neonatology and Research Group Leader (PI). Jenny is the local PI for the CONCEPTION, PreDECESS and CordCS studies and the co-PI of the SUCCECS study.

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Essi Whaites Heinonen

Affiliated to Research;Postdoctoral Researcher

MD, PhD, Specialist in Neonatology, Postdoctoral Researcher and Co-PI for the MoM-studies. Essi is currently performing a postdoctoral research stay at Center for Better Beginnings at University of California San Diego, performing studies on the effects of chronic medications on breastfeeding and the composition of human milk, as well as nausea and vomiting of pregnancy.

Katarina Wide

Affiliated to Teaching/Tutoring

MD, PhD, Associate professor. Senior Consultant in Pediatrics and in Pediatric Neurology. Katarina has a long experience within perinatal pharmacoepidemiological studies with a special focus on neurotropic drugs, and functions in the research group as a senior advisor.

Lisa Forsberg

Affiliated to Research

MD, PhD, Specialist in Pediatrics and Affiliated Researcher. Lisa was one of the funding members of the group and continues providing the group with her expertise within the field.

Ingrid Alvarez

Phd Student

MD, Specialist in Neonatology and Resident in Pediatric Cardiology, PhD-student. Her PhD-project “Psychoactive drugs and breastfeeding” focuses on effects in neonates exposed to psychoactive drugs through breastfeeding.

Anna Claréus

Phd Student

MD, Specialist in Pediatrics and Resident in Neonatology, PhD-student. Her PhD-project “Aspects of cord clamping time and stabilization of neonates at cesarean sections” includes preparational studies for and sub-studies within the SUCCECS project, including the CordCS project.

Emma Honkaniemi

MD, PhD, Senior Consultant in Pediatrics. Emma is clinically active at Liljeholmen outpatient clinic.

Karin Nilsson

MD, Specialist in Pediatrics at Liljeholmen Outpatient Clinic. 

Aliide Sjögren

Affiliated to Research

MD. Aliide is working on follow-up studies of children born extremely preterm.

Collaborations

We have several on-going collaborations with other departments at the Karolinska Institutet, with the Health Care in Region Stockholm and with other Swedish universities including Lund University, Gothenburg University, Uppsala University and Linköping University. We also actively contribute to the Swedish internet-based information databases Janusmed Fosterpåverkan and Janusmed Amning. 

Our international collaborations include the European CONCEPTION project and collaborations with Center for Better Beginnings at University of California San Diego, and researchers behind the Belpreg-register at KU Leuven, Belgium and the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort-study (MoBa) at Oslo University, Norway. 

Since 2018, we actively participate in the yearly conferences of European Network of Teratology Information Services (ENTIS), sharing our research and being a part of the active European pharmacoepidemiological networking community. 

Funding

Our research group has received funding from 

  • The Swedish Research Council, 
  • The Center for Innovative Medicine (CIMED), 
  • Region Stockholm (ALF Project), 
  • The Swedish Society of Medicine, 
  • Edith och Erik Fernströms Foundation, 
  • General Maternity Hospital Foundation, 
  • The Samaritan Foundation for paediatric research, 
  • Mjölkdroppen foundation (Föreningen Mjölkdroppen), 
  • The Swedish order of Freemasons, 
  • Solstickan foundation, 
  • H R H Crown Princess Lovisas Society for Child Care,  
  • Söderström Königska Foundation.
JS
Content reviewer:
13-09-2024