School of Medicine student Claire Wegner is investigating how congenital heart disease is diagnosed — and how earlier detection could save newborn lives.
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University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) student Claire Wegner is investigating how congenital heart disease is diagnosed — and how earlier detection could save newborn lives.
As a participant in the Program for Research Initiated by Students and Mentors (PRISM), Wegner spent her summer in the Division of Pediatric Cardiology under the mentorship of Alicia Heather Chaves, MD, MAS, where she analyzed data from mothers and infants affected by congenital heart disease.
Early diagnosis is critical, Wegner stressed, saying, “It has been shown that infants who are diagnosed prenatally have much better outcomes than those who are diagnosed postnatally.”
That prenatal diagnosis, she continued, allows expectant mothers and their care teams to plan deliveries at hospitals equipped to provide specialized treatment, ensuring that newborns receive critical care without delay.
Wegner’s research found that mothers of Latino or Hispanic ethnicity, as well as those who prefer a non-English language, are significantly less likely to receive a prenatal diagnosis. Understanding why, she said, is the key to addressing preventable gaps in care.
“These findings are going to help remove barriers to prenatal care and hopefully improve access to care for underserved populations,” she said.
Watch the video Q&A below as Wegner discusses her work and read more here.