Scientific Program

FULL PROGRAMME FOR THE COURSES IS AVAILABLE HERE 

09.00 – 17.30

COURSE 1

ULTRASOUND IN LABOUR AND DELIVERY

Course Directors: Tornbjorn M. Eggebo (Norway); Karim Kalache (Qatar)

09.00 – 17.30

COURSE 2

TECHNIQUES OF CESAREAN DELIVERY AND SURGICAL MANAGEMENT OF PPH

Course Directors: Vincenzo Berghella (USA); José M Palacios-Jaraquemada (Argentina)

09.00 – 17.30

COURSE 3

ACUTE EMERGENCIES (DIC, AF EMBOLISM, HEART FAILURE, ANESTHESIA ETC)

Course Directors:  Krzysztof Kuczkowski (USA); Luis Pacheco (USA)

09.00 – 13.00

COURSE 4

COMMON PROBLEMS IN LABOUR

Course Directors: Tim Draycott (UK); 

13.30 – 17.30

COURSE 5

INTRAPARTUM FETAL MONITORING

Course Directors: Diogo Ayres De Campos (Portugal); Gerry H. Visser (The Netherlands)

13.30 – 17.30

COURSE 6

SIMULATION: TWIN VAGINAL DELIVERY; BREECH VAGINAL DELIVERY

Course Directors: Jon Barrett (Canada); Sarah Rae Easter (USA)

09.00 – 16.30

COURSE 7

SIMULATION SKILL COURSE: ULTRASOUND IN THE MANAGEMENT OF OBSTETRICAL EMERGENCIES

Organized by: EGEO group (Ecografia Gestione Emergenze Ostetriche) and SIEOG

Faculty: Giuseppe Rizzo; Tullio Ghi; Bianca Masturzo; Alice Suprani; Arianne Kerner; Federica Bellussi; Filomena Aloisio

08.00 – 10.30

SESSION 1
DEFINITION, DIAGNOSIS AND MONITORING OF NORMAL TERM LABOR – PART 1
Chairs: Gian Carlo Di Renzo, Italy; Roberto Romero, USA

08.00 – 08.30

Classical concepts of labor progress and nomenclature of labor disorders
Roberto Romero, USA

08.30 – 09.00

The diagnosis of labor at term: life must be lived forward but can only be interpreted backward
Roger Smith, Australia

09.00 – 09.25

Prolonged Latent Phase of Labor: diagnosis and management
Aaron Caughey, USA

09.25- 09.50

Friedman and Zhang: the labour curves’ debate
Emily Hamilton, Canada  

09.50 – 10.00

Discussion

10.00 – 10.30

Special Lecture

The obstetrical dilemma: what is it and what does it mean for biology, evolution, and clinical obstetrics?
Mihaela Pavlicev, USA

10.30 – 10.50

BREAK, POSTER VIEW, EXHIBITS

10.50 – 12.45

SESSION 2
THE SECOND STAGE OF LABOR
Chairs: Aaron Caughey, USA; Tim Draycott, UK

10.50 – 11.05

Assessment of Progress in the Second Stage of Labor: Digital, Ultrasound, Magnetic Monitoring and Others
Dan Farine, Canada

11.05 – 11.25

Second Stage of Labor: Protracted Descent and Arrest – Diagnosis and Management
Aaron Caughey, USA

11.25 – 11.45

What is the real effect of epidural analgesia in the second stage of labor?
Krzysztof Kuczkowski, USA

11.45 – 12.05

When should women push and for how long in the second stage of Labor
Jon Barrett, Canada

12.05 – 12.25

Is there a role for episiotomy in modern obstetrics?
Anwar Nassar, Lebanon

12.25 – 12.45

Discussion

12.45 – 13.30

BREAK, POSTER VIEW, EXHIBITS

13.30 – 15.30

SESSION 3
MONITORING OF TERM LABOR
Chairs: Gerard H. Visser, the Netherlands; Daniel Surbek, Switzerland

13.30 – 13.50

Fetal heart rate assessment during labor
Diogo Ayres De Campos, Portugal

[LECTURE PREVIEW]

13.50 – 14.05

Simplifying EFM Interpretation
Emily Hamilton, Canada

14.05 – 14.25

How to monitor uterine contractions?
Steven Koenen, The Netherlands

[LECTURE PREVIEW]

14.25 – 14.45

The controversy about ST segment: randomized clinical trials and meta-analyses, and the way forward
Karl Rosen, Sweden

[LECTURE PREVIEW]

14.45 – 15.10

Umbilical cord pH gases and lactate: normal values, diagnosis of metabolic and respiratory acidemia, and clinical implications
Edwin Chandrahran, UK

15.10 – 15.20

Head station in labour monitoring
Irina Mogilevkina, Russia

15.20 – 15.30

Discussion

15.30 – 15.50

BREAK, POSTER VIEW, EXHIBITS

15.50 – 16.10

FIGO SPECIAL LECTURE

50 years of Rh disease prophylaxis: looking back and going forward
Gian Carlo Di Renzo, Italy

Introduced by: Gerry H. Visser, The Netherlands

16.10 – 18.20

SESSION 4
INDUCTION AND ACCELERATION OF LABOUR
Chairs: Mike Robson, Ireland; Ian Nijhuis, The Netherlands 

16.10 – 16.30

What is new about Oxytocin: Physiology, Method of Administration and Adverse Events
Daniel Surbek, Switzerland

16.30 – 16.50

Prostaglandins for the Induction of Labor
Fabio Facchinetti, Italy

16.50 – 17.10

Mechanical methods for induction of labor
Janesh Gupta, UK

[LECTURE PREVIEW]

17.10 – 17.30

Definition of a failed induction of labor
Dan Farine, Canada

17.30 – 17.50

Should every women be induced at 39 weeks?
Aaron Caughey, USA

17.50 – 18.10

Incidence, risks, benefits and audit of acceleration of labour with oxytocin
Mike Robson, Ireland

18.10 – 18.20

Discussion

18.20 – 18.50

KEYNOTE LECTURE

Current understanding of the mechanisms responsible for the onset of labor
Roger Smith, Australia

Introduced by Roberto Romero, USA

19.00 – 20.00

OPENING CEREMONY

Introduction
Chairs: Gian Carlo Di Renzo, Italy; Roberto Romero, USA  

Opening Lecture:
Labor and delivery through the centuries: the holistic view of a stakeholder
Donatella Lippi, James Newhouse, Italy

20.00 – 21.30

WELCOME RECEPTION

08.00 – 10.20

SESSION 5
OPERATIVE DELIVERY
Chairs: Vincenzo Berghella, USA; Tim Draycott, UK

08.00 – 08.20

Why and when to intervene in the 2nd stage of labor
Aaron Caughey, USA

08.20 – 08.40

Teaching providers to self-regulate delivery force during shoulder dystocia
Edith Gurewitsch Allen, USA

08.40 – 09.00

Vacuum and forceps: pros and cons
Bruno Carbonne, France

09.00 – 09.15

Amniotic fluid lactate to monitor theuterine metabolic status and predict cesarean section 
Eva Wiberg-Itzel, Sweden

[LECTURE PREVIEW]

09.15 – 09.25

POP-OUT Trial
Persistent Occiput Posterior position: OUT comes following manual rotation. A prospective double blinded RCT exploring the impact of prophylactic manual rotation on operative delivery rates
Hala Phipps & Bradley de Vries, Australia

09.25 – 09.45

Cesarean delivery in the 2nd stage: difficulties and tips
Vincenzo Berghella, USA

[LECTURE PREVIEW]

09.45 – 10.05

Breech deliveries: how to do it?
Frank Louwen, Germany

10.05 – 10.15

Short Video Communication: Managing uterine inversion
Sabrina Kuah & Hagar Haviv, Australia

10.15 – 10.20

Discussion

10.20 – 10.50

FIGO SPECIAL LECTURE:
Can the rate of cesarean delivery be reduced: why and how?
Gerry H. Visser, The Netherlands

Introduced by Carlos Fuchtner, Bolivia

10.50 – 12.20

SESSION 6
THE PELVIC FLOOR
Chairs: Corinne Hubinont, Belgium; Michael Stark, Germany

10.50 – 11.10

Pelvic floor childbirth injury: mechanisms, consequences, and long-term prognosis
Katariina Laine, Norway

11.10 – 11.30

The pelvic floor after spontaneous and operative delivery: insights deriving from imaging techniques
Jan Deprest, Belgium

11.30 – 11.50

How to repair 3rd or 4th degree lacerations
Michael Stark, Germany

11.50 – 12.10

Discussion

12.10 – 12.50

LUNCH TIME, POSTER VIEW, EXHIBITS

12.50 – 14.10

SPECIAL SYMPOSIUM
POST PARTUM HEMORRHAGE PREVENTION: INCREASING THE QUALITY OF EVIDENCE
Chairs: Loïc Sentilhes, France; Gian Carlo Di Renzo, Italy

12.50 – 12.55

Introduction
Gian Carlo Di Renzo, Italy

12.55 – 13.15

CHAMPION: The largest prevention trial in postpartum hemorrhage
Mariana Widmer, WHO Switzerland

13.15 – 13.35

Impact of CHAMPION study on a Cochrane network meta-analysis
Ioannis Gallos, UK

[LECTURE PREVIEW]

13.35 – 13.55

IMax: Comparative clinical trial in the UK setting
Tim Draycott, UK

13.55 – 14.05

DISCUSSION

14.05 – 14.10

Closing remarks
Loïc Sentilhes, France

14.10 – 16.15

SESSION 7
CESAREAN DELIVERY : THE MOST COMMON OPERATION IN THE WORLD
Chairs: Dan Farine, Canada; Gerard H. Visser, The Netherlands

14.10 – 14.35

How to perform a Cesarean delivery: a critical appraisal of surgical technique
Michael Stark, Germany

[LECTURE PREVIEW]

14.35 – 15.00

Perioperative care of patients with Cesarean delivery (skin, antibiotics, catheterization, heparin, oxytocin vs prostaglandins)
Vincenzo Berghella, USA

15.00 – 15.20

Cesarean scar defects: implications and repair alternatives
José M. Palacios jaraquemada, Argentina

15.20 – 15.40 

Anesthetic challenges for cesarean delivery: problems and complications
Krzysztof Kuczkowski, USA

15.40 – 16.00

Classification of Cesarean delivery and monitoring of utilization of the procedure around the world
Michael Robson, Ireland

16.00 – 16.15

Discussion

16.15 – 16.40

BREAK, POSTER VIEW, EXHIBITS

16.40 – 18.40

SESSION 8
POSTPARTUM HEMORRHAGE, PLACENTAL IMPLANTATION DISORDERS AND SPECIAL CHALLENGES
Chairs: Eric Jauniaux, UK; Carlos Fuchtner, Bolivia

16.40 – 17.00

The prevention of postpartum hemorrhage – an evidence-based approach
Corinne Hubinont, Belgium

17.00 – 17.20

Anomalies of placenta implantations and risk of PPH
Eric Jauniaux, UK

17.20 – 17.40

Management of postpartum hemorrhage in cases of invasive implantation
Huixia Yang, China

17.40 – 18.00

The special challenge of Cesarean delivery in obese patients or those with leiomyomas
Dan Farine, Canada

18.00 – 18.10

Discussion

18.10 – 18.40

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

The Odon Device: a revolution in the vaginal assisted delivery
Tim Draycott, UK

Introduced by Gian Carlo Di Renzo, Italy 

18.40

ADJOURN

08.00 – 10.00

SESSION 9
MECHANISMS OF DISEASE FOR THE PRETERM LABOR SYNDROME – Part 1
Chairs: Roberto Romero USA; Jerome Strauss III, USA

08.00 – 08.25

The preterm labor syndrome and the role of intra-amniotic infection
Roberto Romero, USA

08.25 – 08.50

The vaginal microbiota as a predisposing factor to preterm delivery: controversy, new findings, and the role of prebiotics, probiotics and synbiotics
Phillip R Bennett, UK

08.50 – 09.10

Uterine overdistension (multiple gestations, polyhydramnios, and Mullerian Duct abnormalities) and preterm labor
Dan Farine, Canada

09.10 – 09.30

Maternal anti-fetal rejection
Nardy Gomez-Lopez, USA

[LECTURE PREVIEW]

09.30 – 09.40

Discussion

09.40 – 10.00

BREAK, POSTER VIEW, EXHIBITS

10.00 – 11.30

SESSION 10
MECHANISM OF DISEASE FOR THE PRETERM LABOR SYNDROME -Part 2
Chairs: Hanns Helmer, Austria; Kristina Adams-Waldorf, USA

10.00 – 10.20

Vascular disorders and spontaneous and indicated preterm birth
Asma Khalil, UK

10.20 – 10.40

New developments in the diagnosis and management of patients with preterm PROM (induction of labor, new antibiotic regimens, magnesium sulfate)
Maria Teresa Gervasi, Italy

10.40 – 11.00

Gene-Environment interactions and Preterm Birth: the vaginal microbiome and fetal  genome
Jerome Strauss III, USA

11.00 – 11.20

Genetic predisposition to preterm birth
Louis Muglia, USA

11.20 – 11.30

Discussion

11.30 – 13.00

SPECIAL SESSION
CHILDREN BORN TOO SOON IN THE WORLD: HOW MANY, WHERE AND WHY?  WHAT DO THE POLICY MAKERS NEED TO KNOW AND DO
Chairs: Flavia Bustreo (FIGO); Stacey D. Stewart (March of Dimes)

13.00 – 13.30

LUNCH BREAK

13.30 – 15.00

SESSION 11
PREDICTION OF PRETERM LABOR AND BIRTH
Chairs: Yves Ville, France; Eduardo Fonseca, Brazil

13.30 – 13.50

Historical and clinical risk factors (history of preterm birth, body mass index, lifestyle, inter pregnancy interval)
Bo Jacobsson, Sweden

13.50 – 14.15

Insights into the mechanisms responsible for cervical remodeling
Gunter Wagner, USA

[LECTURE PREVIEW]

14.15 – 14.35

The uterine cervix and preterm birth risk assessment: new and emerging technologies
Sonia Hassan, USA

14.35 – 14.50

Biochemical markers in vaginal fluid and maternal blood (PaMG1, Fibronectin, phosphorylated IGFBP-1 and proteomic markers)
Gian Carlo Di Renzo, Italy

14.50 – 15.00

Discussion

15.00 – 16.45

SESSION 12
PREVENTION
Chairs: Sonia Hassan, USA: Jon Barrett, Canada

15.00 – 15.20

Progesterone for the prevention of preterm birth: 17OHP-C and vaginal progesterone in patients with a prior history
Eduardo Fonseca, Brazil

15.20 – 15.40

Vaginal progesterone for patients with a sonographic short cervix: singletons and twins
Roberto Romero, USA

15.40 – 16.00

The role of cerclage in the prevention of preterm birth
Vincenzo Berghella, USA

[LECTURE PREVIEW]

16.00 – 16.20

The role of cervical pessary in singletons and twins
María M. Goya Canino, Spain

16.20 – 16.40

How to deliver a malformed preterm fetus
Yves Ville, France

16.40 – 16.45

Discussion

16.45 – 17.00

BREAK, POSTER VIEW, EXHIBITS

17.00 – 18.20

SESSION 14
MANAGEMENT OF ACUTE PRETERM LABOR
Chairs: Asma Khalil, UK: Philip R. Bennett, UK

17.00 – 17.20

Tocolysis – is it worth it?
Hanns Helmer, Austria

17.20 – 17.40

Steroids: beneficial or poisons?
Gerard H. Visser, The Netherlands

17.40 – 18.00

Magnesium sulfate for neuroprotection: a critical appraisal of the evidence
Agustin Conde-Agudelo, Colombia

18.00 – 18.20

Antibiotic administration to treat intra-amniotic inflammation in patients with preterm labor and intact membranes, preterm PROM and acute cervical insufficiency
Roberto Romero, USA

18.20 – 19.30

SESSION 15
THE OUTCOME
Chairs: Ariadne Malamitsi-Puchner, Greece; Patrick O’Brien, UK

18.20 – 18.40

Delayed clamping of the umbilical cord: life saving in preterm neonates – evidence from RCTs and meta-analyses
Enrico Lopriore, The Netherlands 

[LECTURE PREVIEW]

18.40 – 19.00

Managing pregnancies at the limits of viability
Patrick O’Brien, UK

19.00 – 19.20

The “golden hour” – importance of resuscitation in the early preterm neonate
Despina Briana; Ariadne Malamitsi Puchner, Greece

[LECTURE PREVIEW]

19.20 – 19.30

Discussion

19.30 – 20.00

CLOSING LECTURE 

Reflections on World Prematurity Day (Why to have it)
Gianpaolo Donzelli, Meyer Foundation, Italy

Introduced by Stacey D. Stewart, USA

20.00 – 20.10

CONCLUDING REMARKS
Roberto Romero and Gian Carlo Di Renzo 

20.10

END OF THE CONGRESS