by Anav Silverman
Professor Asher Bashiri, director of the maternity center at the Soroka University Medical Center in Be’er Sheva, is slated to lead this year’s second World Congress on Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL), which begins January 19 in Cannes, France.
Influential doctors from more than 50 nations will convene together at the four-day conference.
“The 2017 Congress is an important platform to share the latest research and development on the sensitive subject of miscarriage,” Prof. Bashiri told the Tazpit Press Service (TPS).
“Getting medical professionals together to share their studies and research is an opportunity to shed some light on this neglected issue,” Bashiri said.
Bashiri organized the first world conference on recurrent pregnancy loss in 2016, which also took place in Cannes, in the belief that international collaboration will ultimately lead to finding a cure. “Last year, we had more than 200 delegates come to the conference, and it was a success,” Bashiri said.
“An estimated five percent of women suffer from RPL each year,” he said.
For more than 15 years, Bashiri has run the recurrent pregnancy loss clinic at Soroka Medical Center, part of the Clalit Health Service system, which is supported in the United States by the Israel Healthcare Foundation.
The clinic’s unique database includes information on more than 1,000 patients on all clinical aspects of the problem. According to Bashiri, the clinic has had many success stories.
While there are many documented causes of spontaneous abortion, in about half of the occurrences there is no identified cause, leading to frustration and anxiety for couples who are concerned about future pregnancies. This year’s congress will address the medical issues leading to a clearer understanding of the causes of miscarriage, increasing awareness, and improving the response and care of affected women.
“The Israel Healthcare Foundation recognizes and supports the ongoing Israeli research which we look forward to presenting during the congress,” said Bashiri, who also serves as the director of the obstetrics and gynecology clerkship for advanced medical students at Ben Gurion University of the Negev.
Over the four-day conference, a variety of subjects will be discussed, including research conducted at Soroka Medical Center about infertility among women with recurring miscarriages, uterine malformations and fetal abnormalities, and how to emotionally support women who miscarry.
“With years of experience in this field, the one thing I can say to patients who are suffering from RPL, is not to give up. It is important to find a dedicated clinic and a specialist who can provide professional support,” Bashiri told TPS.
“With an opportunity for the top professionals in the field to join forces, progress is being made towards a better outcome for RPL,” Bashiri said.
