Researcher

Title

• Director of Research Training, University of Montreal, 2007.
• Obstetrician-Gynecologist, CHU Sainte-Justine, 1992.

• Diploma, American Board Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal-Fetal Medicine Division, 1992, with recertifications in 2001 and 2006.
• Fellowship in Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 1988-1990.
• Specialty in Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Montreal, 1988.
• MD, University of Montreal, 1984.

During my fellowship I focused on hemodynamic changes that occur in normal pregnancy and in pregnancy complicated by cardiovascular diseases. With this background, I developed an interest in twin pregnancy and fetal growth discordancy. I was instrumental in setting up a clinical data bank that has been in operation since 1994. In 2000, I participated in the first consensus statement on twins in Canada. I was the main coordinator of the subgroup on fetal growth in multiples. In 2005, Dr Klam (a fellow under my supervision) published a paper on the usefulness of abdominal circumference ratios in twins < 24 weeks to predict significant birth weight discordance. We reported that an AC ratio < 0.93 had the best sensitivity and positive predictive value to predict birth weight discordance in twins with one co-twin with fetal growth restriction < 10th percentile. This tool is useful in pregnancies of less than 24 weeks’ gestation when no fetal growth curve is available.

During my fellowship, I gained experience in maternal cardiac diseases and their management during pregnancy (in the intensive care unit and through invasive monitoring with Swan-Ganz catheter, etc.). Upon my return to Montreal, I set up a Maternal (acquired and congenital) Cardiac Disease and Pregnancy Clinic. The clinic requires a multidisciplinary approach involving an anesthesiologist, an internist, a (pediatric and adult) cardiologist and an ob-gyn (myself). All clinical data are included in a databank. The Montreal Heart Institute participates in patient care and follow-up. This clinic is unique in Canada and we have one of the most extensive patient lists in the data bank (%7e 350 cases) from the same tertiary center. We have a clinical discussion about our patients once every two months and the chief-resident or a fellow in fetomaternal medicine is involved in patient care and follow-up.

We recently submitted a paper (see below) from our data bank. With this expertise, I focus my research interest toward the fetal programming of vascular dysfunction in IUGR studied in a twin model. In 2006, I obtained a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for this study.

Presentations

• Jastrow N, Meyer P, Marcotte F, Dore A, Mercier L.A , Khairy P, Leduc L. Prediction of complications in pregnant women with cardiac diseases referred to a tertiary center. SOGC 65th Annual Clinical Meeting June 17-21, 2009. Best Oral Junior Research Presentation, senior author.
• Trop petit pour être en santé. Conference given during the Visioconférences médicales du Réseau universitaire mère-enfant, Montreal, April 28, 2009.
• Cardiopathies maternelles et grossesse. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Sherbrooke, February 3, 2009.
• Dionne MD, Leduc L (senior author). Quel intervalle pour un examen échographique de routine assure un suivi adéquat de la croissance chez des grossesses gémellaires? Journée française de recherche en obstétrique et gynécologie, Paris, December 4, 2008.
• Le Ray C, Hudon L, Leduc L (senior author). Intravascular intrauterine transfusions for red cell alloimmunization: Accuracy and improvement of a formula used in a Canadian tertiary center. Oral presentation at the 18th World Congress on Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chicago, August 24-28, 2008.