New Office Locations
New Jersey Perinatal Associates is proud to announce the recent opening of two new offices. Both locations have convenient access to major highways in newly renovated office spaces. Ample parking is also available. NJPA Parsippany Office 299 Cherry Hill Road Suite 103 Parsippany, NJ 07054 NJPA Paramus Office 650 From Road Suite 160 Paramus, NJ 07652 Please contact us at 973-322-5287 to make an appointment
COVID-19 Q&A
Does SARS-Co-V 2 infection during pregnancy increase the risk of stillbirth? A Morbidity and Mortality report (MMWR) released by the CDC on September 16th, 2020, reported a stillbirth rate of 3.2% among pregnant patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. A MMWR released on November 19th, 2021, found that the adjusted risk of stillbirth in pregnant patients with a COVID-19 diagnosis was 4 times higher than the risk in patients without COVID-19 infection who delivered during the period of Delta variant predominance. A higher severity of maternal illness was associated with the risk of stillbirth. These studies do have critical gaps such as missing data on the gestational age at the time of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the timing of stillbirth in relation to the infection. This potential increase in the risk of stillbirth continues to support the strong recommendation for COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy. Vaccination is the best method to reduce maternal and fetal complications of SARS-CoV-2 infection. SMFM, ACOG and the CDC continue to recommend that pregnant, postpartum and lactating people and those considering pregnancy receive the COVID-19 vaccination and well as the booster shot when eligible. As with the primary vaccine series, the booster shot can be given at any stage during pregnancy and postpartum.
COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters
The CDC, SMFM and ACOG recommend that pregnant people receive a COVID-19 booster shot at least 5 months after their primary series for mRNA-based vaccines (ie, Pfizer or Moderna) and at least 2 months after their primary vaccination with the J&J/Janssen vaccine. As with the primary series, the booster dose can be given at any stage during pregnancy and postpartum. The CDC is currently recommending that everyone who is eligible receive a booster shot. COVID-19 booster doses, along with the original series of vaccine doses, can be administered along with other vaccines.
Meet our perinatologist…
Leon G. Smith, Jr., MD
Dr. Leon Smith is a valued member of our team at New Jersey Perinatal Associates. He received his medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, DC, and went on to complete his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the Tulane University Affiliated Hospitals in New Orleans, Louisiana. He then completed his fellowship training in maternal-fetal medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas in 1991. Dr. Smith is board-certified in both obstetrics & gynecology and maternal-fetal medicine and has been named a Top Doctor by Castle Connolly, New York Magazine, NJ Monthly and Inside Jersey. Dr. Smith’s research interests include prenatal diagnosis and obstetrical infections. He has extensive experience contributing to peer-reviewed journal articles and presenting lectures on a variety of topics in his field.