New professor of obstetrics and gynaecology - Sophia Brismar Wendel
Sophia Brismar Wendel is a new professor at the Department of Women's and Children's Health as of May 18. She has conducted research on complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Her studies have led to changed guidelines at Swedish hospitals.
Every year, approximately one hundred thousand babies are born in Sweden. Most deliveries are uncomplicated, but a small percentage are associated with complications such as stillbirth, bleeding, or pelvic floor injuries. Sophia Brismar Wendel is a physician who conducts research on preventing these complications.
"I am driven by seeing change and want to conduct patient-centered clinical research that leads to new knowledge and better outcomes in healthcare," says Sophia.
Studies That Changed Guidelines
During her work at Danderyd Hospital, Sophia has initiated several multi-center studies – research projects involving collaboration between multiple hospitals.
In the EVA study, she examined diagonal incision during vacuum extraction delivery. The study showed that a diagonal incision – rather than a straight one – reduced the risk of pelvic floor muscle injury in first-time mothers. This led to new guidelines.
Another study, SWEPIS, examined the timing of labor induction. The study showed that induction at 41 weeks compared to 42 weeks was associated with reduced occurrence of stillbirth, without increasing complications for either mother or baby. This also resulted in changed guidelines.
The third major study, MISOBEST, compared generic misoprostol with registered brand-name medication for labor induction. The study showed that the generic medication was as effective as the brand-name version but cost approximately two percent of the price. This also led to changed guidelines.
"There are many things in obstetrics that are still done based on tradition and clinical experience, where more basic research and evidence is needed to find safer solutions," explains Sophia.
AI-Based Decision Support for CTG Interpretation
Currently, Sophia Brismar Wendel is working on a project that develops an AI-based decision support system for CTG interpretation – a monitoring technique that records the fetus's heartbeat during labor. Correct CTG interpretation is relevant for clinical decision-making during delivery.
Future Outlook
As a professor, Sophia hopes to build collaborations between clinical research and basic research to investigate pregnancy-related diseases and delivery complications.