Around one to two percent of women experience recurrent pregnancy loss or recurrent miscarriages. Around 20 percent of recurrent pregnancy loss is due to immunologic causes. With gradually increasing awareness of some immunologic diseases like antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), there have been calls for a venue to discuss updates in diagnosing and managing such diseases.
Last October 13, 2016, the Section of Allergy and Immunology of the University of the Philippines – Philippine General Hospital headed by Dr. Marysia Stella T. Recto and Dr. Lara Theresa A. Aleta organized the first Reproductive Immunology Congress in the Philippines. It was held at the New World Hotel Manila Bay. Around 180 obstetricians and immunologists from all over the country attended.
A total of nine lectures were given by several Filipino experts in the fields of Immunology, Fetal and Maternal Medicine, and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. Two foreign speakers were also invited –- Professor Asher Bashiri and Dr. Sung Ki Lee, both obstetricians from Israel and South Korea, respectively. Topics ranged from basic immunology in pregnancy, causes of recurrent pregnancy loss, to diagnostic and treatment modalities used for said pregnancy-related disorders.
Following the success of the event, the organizers are planning to hold a second Reproductive Immunology Congress in October 2017.