As an obstetrician-gynecologist who specializes in high-risk pregnancies, Uma Reddy, MD, MPH, says she enjoys taking care of mothers—and children—when they need it most.
“If you have an uncomplicated pregnancy, the baby is staring off life on the right foot. But if you have complications, that can set the child up for a lifetime of increased risks and chronic diseases,” explains Dr. Reddy, who is director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine. “For me, it’s exciting to be right there at the beginning and try to maximize a mother and baby’s health. And for high-risk pregnancies, where women have concerns, it’s rewarding to see a healthy birth.”
Dr. Reddy treats women whose pregnancies are considered complicated for a number of reasons, including a mother or child with a heart defect, a baby with a birth defect, or women who have previously experienced a stillbirth or a preterm birth.
“Ten percent of pregnancies in the United States are complicated by a preterm birth, which is when a baby is born before 37 weeks,” Dr. Reddy explains. “It’s a common complication and our goal is to prevent another preterm birth if a woman has already had one. We also treat a variety of maternal medical conditions, such as women who have diabetes, high blood pressure, or connective tissue disorders like lupus that might put them at higher risk of complication.”
Dr. Reddy’s research focuses on stillbirth, including examining causes and ways to better prevent it. She spent much of her career at the National Institutes of Health, where she led the Maternal Fetal Medicine Units Network, which funds multiple clinical trials across the country.
Dr. Reddy is also a professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at Yale School of Medicine.
