A message of gratitude from Dr. Janet Bodley, Chief, Sunnybrook’s DAN Women & Babies Program

As Chief of Sunnybrook’s DAN Women & Babies Program since 2023, I’ve encouraged collaboration with Sunnybrook’s care teams and researchers to build on our achievements, many of which are made possible by donors.

Collaboration – both within and outside of the DAN Women & Babies Program – is one of our greatest strengths.

In the past year, we’ve continued to align our program with other areas of care here in the Hospital. For example, we’re collaborating with teams at Sunnybrook’s Odette Cancer Program to support patients like Ada (pictured above) navigating cancer while growing a family.

We’ve also established a formal partnership between Sunnybrook’s Tory Trauma Program and our Accessible Care Pregnancy Clinic, the first of its kind in North America and supported by donors.

Collaboration among teams within the DAN Women & Babies Program also enables us to provide the highest quality care at the most critical moments for both mothers and babies, including across Maternal Fetal Medicine, Obstetrical and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit teams.

As you read more inspiring examples of outstanding care through collaboration in this report, know that the scope of our impact and reach is possible because of our collaboration with donors like you. Thank you.

Elevating the health of multiples and mothers

Sunnybrook is improving outcomes for twin infants and their mothers with two clinical firsts by high- risk obstetrician Dr. Nir Melamed, the Waugh Family Chair in Twin Fetal Medicine Research.

Dr. Melamed is the first in the world to develop and implement a decision-support tool to help guide the delivery of antenatal corticosteroids (ACS) used to mature the lungs of fetuses at risk of preterm birth. ACS has long been recognized as the single most effective intervention in preterm birth, but, until Dr. Melamed’s research, little was known about the optimal dose or ideal administration time.



The decision support tool is now being used by Sunnybrook’s clinical team to provide guidance and standardize the administration of ACS. Sunnybrook is also the first centre in North America to introduce a blood test capable of triaging women with suspected preeclampsia from other, less concerning causes of hypertension.

Dr. Melamed and his team validated the blood test with a 750-patient trial, showing it has high diagnostic accuracy in singleton and twin pregnancies.

Detecting high-risk pregnancies sooner

Supported by the Waks Family Chair in Maternal Fetal Medicine Research, Dr. Sascha Drewlo has achieved proof of concept of two potentially groundbreaking tools for detecting high-risk pregnancies as early as the first trimester.

High-risk pregnancies are currently diagnosed using imaging and blood testing, but the practice isn’t especially accurate in the first 12 weeks of gestation.

After discovering that the protein biomarkers found in the blood in late-stage pregnancy are also present in the cervical fluid soon after conception, Dr. Drewlo developed a rapid screening tool called Cervisense.

In a series of pilot tests, he showed that Cervisense can detect high-risk biomarkers significantly earlier than blood tests. Dr. Drewlo is now working with an industry partner to develop a prototype of the test that women can use at home.

A second diagnostic tool called Cerviguard is also showing promise at pinpointing cellular biomarkers for placental disorders leading to preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction and preterm birth.“

Our sample size was small but the potential impact is huge,” Dr. Drewlo says. About 80,000 North Americans per year are diagnosed with high-risk pregnancies, but only 20 per cent actually develop serious health concerns. “Cerviguard could help distinguish that 20 per cent so we can intervene earlier with personalized treatment strategies.”

With his donor-funded pilot data as proof of concept, Dr. Drewlo has applied for a national research grant to support a trial involving around 600 patients.

“Our best” for the tiniest patients

This past year, Sunnybrook cared for 100 “micro preemies,” the term for babies born before 26 weeks of gestation and weighing less than 1,500 grams. And other hospitals increasingly refer their youngest babies to Sunnybrook – sometimes from many hours away.

One reason why: Sunnybrook’s NICU has the best outcomes for micro preemies in the country.

“I could point to our innovative equipment and quality improvement initiatives to explain this. We’re collecting hundreds of data points from our NICU patients so we can find ways to optimize care,” says Dr. Asaph Rolnitsky, Chief of Sunnybrook’s Division of Newborn and Developmental Paediatrics.

“It’s also our philosophy that makes the difference. We believe that these babies deserve our best.”

Dr. Rolnitsky’s team is teaching this approach to more students, residents and fellows than ever before. Four international fellows are training with the team and will bring Sunnybrook expertise once they return home.

With donor support, Sunnybrook’s NICU has invested in trainings and parent-to-parent support, as well as cameras on each incubator, which offer families reassurance and connection when they are unable to be physically at the bedside.

Extending neonatal follow-up: A leader in long-term care

The first years of a child’s life are a critical period for growth and development, laying the foundation for long-term health and learning. Sunnybrook’s Neonatal Follow-Up Clinic offers an unmatched nine years of post-NICU care – the longest follow-up program of its kind in Canada.

“This extended period of monitoring allows us to provide ongoing, tailored support to families while generating essential data on child development, informing best practices in neonatal care,” says
Dr. Rudaina Banihani, Medical Director of the Neonatal Follow-Up Clinic.

BOOST: Enhancing family preparedness and infant well-being

The transition from hospital to home presents both opportunities and challenges for families. Building Optimal Opportunities for Smooth Transition (BOOST) is designed to bridge this critical phase, empowering parents with the skills, resources, and confidence to assume an active role in their child’s care. By integrating structured education with hands-on experience, BOOST ensures that families are able to manage their infant’s medical and developmental needs.

A unique feature of the program includes stroller walks, where parents can take their babies on walks around the hospital – even when oxygen support is required. These walks provide a sense of normalcy, connection, and support during an overwhelming time.

With 220 families having participated in BOOST, Dr. Banihani’s team is conducting a rigorous qualitative study to assess program impact and identify opportunities for future innovation.

The DAN Women & Babies Program is leveraging the latest surgical robotic technology to enhance complex gynaecological procedures.

The arrival of Sunnybrook’s first surgical robotic system last fall heralded a “giant leap forward” in complex gynaecological care and the training of next- generation specialists, says Dr. Jamie Kroft, one of three gynaecological surgeons trained in the technology.

“Sunnybrook’s gynaecologic surgery team was already taking on some of the most advanced cases with minimally invasive techniques. Now, thanks to the robot, we’re able to do even more complex procedures with the utmost precision, efficiency and safety,” explains Dr. Kroft.

This includes treatment of people living with endometriosis, a serious and often painful disease that occurs when uterine-like tissue grows outside of the organ instead.

It is estimated that 10 per cent of patients with a uterus have endometriosis, but the condition is challenging to diagnose and treat. The wait time to see a specialist like Dr. Kroft can take as long as 12 to 18 months.

Dr. Kroft hopes that will change with Sunnybrook’s new technology.

Within the first six months of obtaining the robotic system, Dr. Kroft and her colleagues, Drs. Herb Wong and Grace Liu, performed 67 more robot-guided gynecological surgeries.

15 of those involved patients with endometriosis, making Sunnybrook one of the only hospitals in Canada to routinely use a surgical robotic system for endometriosis care.

Dr. Kroft credits the robot with offering greater dexterity, enhanced precision, better 3D vision and improved ergonomics for surgeons during long procedures. The team will be able to perform even more complex cases in less time, leading to shorter times under anaesthetic and faster recoveries for patients.

Sunnybrook is also paving the way for what Dr. Kroft says is “the future of gynaecological surgery.” Plans are in the works for a new city-wide residency training program that will give gynaecology trainees access to the robotic surgery simulator.

Since Sunnybrook acquired the surgical robot, donor support is helping our teams leverage the new technology and increase access to precision surgery.