Jennifer Kurinczuk

Last updated
Jennifer J. Kurinczuk
Alma mater University of Leicester
Scientific career
Institutions

Jennifer J. Kurinczuk FFPH is a British physician who is a Professor of Perinatal Epidemiology and Director of the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit at the University of Oxford. In 2019 she was named an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kurinczuk investigated the neonatal complications of coronavirus disease.

Contents

Early life and education

Kurinczuk wanted to be a doctor as a child. [1] She eventually studied medicine at the University of Leicester and graduated in 1985. [2] During her undergraduate degree, Kurinczuk enjoyed her courses in epidemiology. [1] She worked as a junior hospital doctor. She was awarded a Wellcome Trust research fellowship to train in epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, where she worked toward a doctoral degree. Kurinczuk returned to the University of Leicester, where she worked in public health. [1]

Research and career

In 1992 Kurinczuk moved to Australia, where she joined the recently formed Telethon Kids Institute and worked as a perinatal epidemiologist. [3] After seven years in Australia, Kurinczuk returned to the United Kingdom, where she was made Senior Lecturer at the University of Leicester. [1] At Leicester established a Master's course in epidemiology. She was awarded a National Health Service (NHS) Career Scientist fellowship, and in 2003 took her funding to the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit at the University of Oxford. [2] In 2008 Kurinczuk was made Deputy Director, and in 2011 Director of the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit. [1] [2] Her research considers the physical and mental health of mothers and babies, and how research can be used to inform policy. [4]

In particular, Kurinczuk studies the origins and consequences of neonatal encephalopathy, a neurological disorder that occurs in the earliest days of life. [5] She led the Congenital Anomaly Register (CAR) for Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire (OBB), a portal that collected information on babies born with congenital abnormalities. The information was used to better understand the causes of these abnormalities, to improve the quality of testing facilities and to enhance NHS services. [6]

She studied the health risks associated with women who have had Caesarean sections having subsequent natural births, and showed that it was safer for women to have another Caesarean. [7] [8] She led Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK (MBRRACE-UK), a programme which monitored maternal deaths between 2009 and 2013. [9] In 2015 MBRRACE-UK) showed that whilst maternal deaths were falling, women could receive better care, and suicides could be prevented. [10] She was named an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in 2019. [11]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kurinczuk investigated the neonatal complications of coronavirus disease. She studied the incidence of neonatal coronavirus disease, as well as its clinical presentation and treatment options. [12] Kurinczuk and Marian Knight studied the risks associated with being pregnant during the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. She analysed the outcomes of over 400 pregnant women admitted to all of the hospitals in the United Kingdom with a maternity unit during a five-week period. Her study demonstrated that pregnant women were not more likely than non-pregnant women to contract severe forms of coronavirus disease. She demonstrated that black and minority ethnic pregnant women were more likely than white women to be hospitalised with coronavirus disease. [13]

Kurinczuk and the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit were awarded an Athena SWAN silver award for their work on gender equality. [14]

Selected publications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caesarean section</span> Surgical procedure to deliver a baby through an incision in the mothers abdomen

Caesarean section, also known as C-section, cesarean, or caesarean delivery, is the surgical procedure by which one or more babies are delivered through an incision in the mother's abdomen. It is often performed because vaginal delivery would put the mother or child at risk. Reasons for the operation include obstructed labor, twin pregnancy, high blood pressure in the mother, breech birth, shoulder presentation, and problems with the placenta or umbilical cord. A caesarean delivery may be performed based upon the shape of the mother's pelvis or history of a previous C-section. A trial of vaginal birth after C-section may be possible. The World Health Organization recommends that caesarean section be performed only when medically necessary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stillbirth</span> Death of a fetus before or during delivery, resulting in delivery of a dead baby

Stillbirth is typically defined as fetal death at or after 20 or 28 weeks of pregnancy, depending on the source. It results in a baby born without signs of life. A stillbirth can often result in the feeling of guilt or grief in the mother. The term is in contrast to miscarriage, which is an early pregnancy loss, and sudden infant death syndrome, where the baby dies a short time after being born alive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Preterm birth</span> Birth at less than a specified gestational age

Preterm birth, also known as premature birth, is the birth of a baby at fewer than 37 weeks gestational age, as opposed to full-term delivery at approximately 40 weeks. Extreme preterm is less than 28 weeks, very early preterm birth is between 28 and 32 weeks, early preterm birth occurs between 32 and 34 weeks, late preterm birth is between 34 and 36 weeks' gestation. These babies are also known as premature babies or colloquially preemies or premmies. Symptoms of preterm labor include uterine contractions which occur more often than every ten minutes and/or the leaking of fluid from the vagina before 37 weeks. Premature infants are at greater risk for cerebral palsy, delays in development, hearing problems and problems with their vision. The earlier a baby is born, the greater these risks will be.

A home birth is a birth that takes place in a residence rather than in a hospital or a birthing center. They may be attended by a midwife, or lay attendant with experience in managing home births. Home birth was, until the advent of modern medicine, the de facto method of delivery. The term was coined in the middle of the 19th century as births began to take place in hospitals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Breech birth</span> Birth of a baby bottom first

A breech birth is when a baby is born bottom first instead of head first, as is normal. Around 3–5% of pregnant women at term have a breech baby. Due to their higher than average rate of possible complications for the baby, breech births are generally considered higher risk. Breech births also occur in many other mammals such as dogs and horses, see veterinary obstetrics.

Labor induction is the process or treatment that stimulates childbirth and delivery. Inducing (starting) labor can be accomplished with pharmaceutical or non-pharmaceutical methods. In Western countries, it is estimated that one-quarter of pregnant women have their labor medically induced with drug treatment. Inductions are most often performed either with prostaglandin drug treatment alone, or with a combination of prostaglandin and intravenous oxytocin treatment.

In obstetrics, gestational age is a measure of the age of a pregnancy taken from the beginning of the woman's last menstrual period (LMP), or the corresponding age of the gestation as estimated by a more accurate method, if available. Such methods include adding 14 days to a known duration since fertilization, or by obstetric ultrasonography. The popularity of using this measure of pregnancy is largely due to convenience: menstruation is usually noticed, while there is generally no convenient way to discern when fertilization or implantation occurred.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Group B streptococcal infection</span> Medical condition

Group B streptococcal infection, also known as Group B streptococcal disease or just Group B strep infection, is the infectious disease caused by the bacterium Streptococcus agalactiae. Streptococcus agalactiae is the most common human pathogen belonging to group B of the Lancefield classification of streptococci—hence the name of group B stretococcal (GBS). Infection with GBS can cause serious illness and sometimes death, especially in newborns, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems. The most severe form of group B streptococcal disease is neonatal meningitis in infants, which is frequently lethal and can cause permanent neuro-cognitive impairment.

Caesarean delivery on maternal request (CDMR) is a caesarean section birth requested by the pregnant woman without a medical reason.

In case of a previous caesarean section a subsequent pregnancy can be planned beforehand to be delivered by either of the following two main methods:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maternal–fetal medicine</span> Branch of medicine

Maternal–fetal medicine (MFM), also known as perinatology, is a branch of medicine that focuses on managing health concerns of the mother and fetus prior to, during, and shortly after pregnancy.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to obstetrics:

A pre-existing disease in pregnancy is a disease that is not directly caused by the pregnancy, in contrast to various complications of pregnancy, but which may become worse or be a potential risk to the pregnancy. A major component of this risk can result from necessary use of drugs in pregnancy to manage the disease.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neonatal infection</span> Human disease

Neonatal infections are infections of the neonate (newborn) acquired during prenatal development or within the first four weeks of life. Neonatal infections may be contracted by mother to child transmission, in the birth canal during childbirth, or after birth. Neonatal infections may present soon after delivery, or take several weeks to show symptoms. Some neonatal infections such as HIV, hepatitis B, and malaria do not become apparent until much later. Signs and symptoms of infection may include respiratory distress, temperature instability, irritability, poor feeding, failure to thrive, persistent crying and skin rashes.

Azra Catherine Hilary Ghani is a British epidemiologist who is a professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at Imperial College London. Her research considers the mathematical modelling of infectious diseases, including malaria, bovine spongiform encephalopathy and coronavirus. She has worked with the World Health Organization on their technical strategy for malaria. She is associate director of the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19 in pregnancy</span> Medical condition

COVID-19 infection in pregnancy is associated with several pregnancy complications. However, pregnancy does not appear to increase the susceptibility of becoming infected by COVID-19. Recommendations for the prevention of COVID-19 include the same measures as non-pregnant people.

Anna Louise Hansell is a British physician who is Professor of Environmental Epidemiology and Director of the Centre for Environmental Health and Sustainability at the University of Leicester. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hansell studied the relationship between pollution and COVID-19.

Marian Knight is a British physician who is a Professor of Maternal and Child Population Health at the University of Oxford. She is an Honorary Consultant of Public Health for Public Health England. During the COVID-19 pandemic Knight studied the characteristics and outcomes of pregnant women who tested positive for COVID-19.

Louise Clare Kenny is a British physician who is Professor and Executive Pro-Vice-Chancellor at the University of Liverpool. She was elected an Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2022 New Year Honours.

Jane Hirst is an Australian professor and an academic obstetrician at The George Institute for Global Health, Imperial College London UK. She is the Clinical Chair at the George Institute for Global Health UK and the School of Public Health at Imperial College, London, and is a Visiting Professor at the University of Oxford. She conducts research in preventing cardio metabolic complications in women after high-risk pregnancy conditions such as gestational diabetes and preeclampsia, and understanding the effects of climate change on the health of women and girls.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Jenny Kurinczuk — Diversity Projects". www.diversityprojects.ox.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 2020-08-09. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  2. 1 2 3 "People | NPEU". www.npeu.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  3. ↑ Stanley, Fiona (1998-12-14). "The TVW Telethon Institute for Child Health Research". The Medical Journal of Australia. 169 (11): 630–633. doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.1998.tb123440.x. S2CID   12508304.
  4. ↑ "Professor Jenny Kurinczuk". Health Research Authority. Archived from the original on 2023-03-20. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  5. ↑ "Disordered brain function in newborn babies – trying to measure the scale of the problem" (PDF). University of Birmingham. Retrieved 2020-05-16.[ permanent dead link ]
  6. ↑ "CAROBB | NPEU". www.npeu.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  7. ↑ "Outcomes of birth options after a previous Cesarean section". ScienceDaily. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  8. ↑ MacRae, Fiona. "Natural birth 'more risky' after caesarean section". The Times . ISSN   0140-0460 . Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  9. ↑ "perinatal depression and suicide | Science Media Centre" . Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  10. ↑ "Maternal suicides – more could be prevented". medicalxpress.com. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  11. ↑ "Professor Jenny Kurinczuk feted by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists | NPEU". www.npeu.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  12. ↑ "NEONATAL COMPLICATIONS OF CORONAVIRUS DISEASE (COVID-19)" (PDF). Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  13. ↑ "Pregnant women are not at greater risk of severe COVID-19 than other women, but most of those who have problems are in their third trimester | NPEU". www.npeu.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  14. ↑ "Working in the NPEU | NPEU". www.npeu.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
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