David Somerset

Biography

Dr David Somerset trained and qualified in the UK, first in Obstetrics & Gynaecology, and then as a sub-specialist in Maternal Fetal Medicine.

His first Staff post was at the John Hunter Hospital in NSW, Australia, where after three years he became Head of Maternal Fetal Medicine, and was elected to the RANZCOG Board of Directors. He re-established a successful fetal blood transfusion service at the John Hunter Hospital.

He came to Canada in 2007, and worked at St Joseph’s Health Care in London, Ontario and The IWK Health Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia before coming to Calgary in 2010. He was appointed Lead for Fetal Therapy in 2014, re-establishing the suspended fetal blood transfusion program in Calgary as the Provincial centre for this procedure. Since then he has successfully introduced further fetal therapy procedures, and leads Quality Control and Audit for these.

He no longer provides obstetric care, concentrating on prenatal diagnosis and treatment, and working primarily at the Calgary Maternal Fetal Medicine Centre.

Publications

Oluyomi-Obi T, Kuret V, Puligandla P, Lodha A, Lee-Robertson H, Lee K, Somerset D, Johnson J, Ryan G. (2017). Antenatal predictors of outcome in prenatally diagnosed congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). J Pediatr Surg. 52(5):881-888.

Welsh A, McLintock C, Gatt S, Somerset D, Popham P, Ogle R (2008). Guidelines for the use of recombinant activated factor VII in massive obstetric haemorrhage. Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol. 48:12-6

Fox C, Martin W, Somerset DA, Thompson PJ, Kilby MD (2008). Early Intraperitoneal Transfusion and Adjuvant Maternal Immunoglobulin Therapy in the Treatment of Severe Red Cell Alloimmunization prior to Fetal Intravascular Transfusion. Fetal Diagn Ther.  23(2):159-63. Epub 2007 Nov 26.

Edwards M, McKenzie F, O'Callaghan S, Somerset D, Woodford P, Spilsbury J,

Fietz M, Fletcher J (2006). Prenatal Diagnosis of congenital disorder of glycosylation type Ia (CDG-Ia) by cordocentesis and transferrin isoelectric focussing of serum of a 27-week fetus

with non-immune hydrops. Prenat Diagn. 26:985-8.

Somerset DA, Moore A, Whittle MJ, Martin W, Kilby MD (2006). An audit of outcome in intravascular transfusions using the intrahepatic portion of the fetal umbilical vein compared to cordocentesis. Fetal Diagn Ther. 21:272-6.

Chan JCY, Somerset DA, Ostojic N, Cox P, Young P, Brueton L, Kilby MD (2005). Omphalopagus conjoining and twin-twin transfusion syndrome. Prenatal Diagnosis 25: 612-614

Tonks A, Wyldes M, Somerset DA, Dent K, Abhyankar A, Bagchi I, Lander A, Roberts E, Kilby MD (2004).Congenital Malformations of the Diaphragm: Findings of the West Midlands Congenital Anomaly Register 1995-2000. Prenatal Diagnosis 24: 526-604

Somerset DA, Zheng Y, Kilby MD, Sansom DM, Drayson MT. (2004) Normal human pregnancy is associated with an elevation in the immune suppressive CD25+/CD4+ regulatory T cell subset. Immunology 112: 38-43

Somerset DA, Jauniaux E, Strain AJ, Afford S, Kilby MD (2000). Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) concentration in matched samples of maternal venous blood and fetal cord venous and arterial blood: evidence for control of fetal liver development. J Soc Gynecol Inv 7: 333-337.

Somerset DA, Strain AJ, Afford S, Whittle MJ, Kilby MD (2000). Hepatocyte growth factor activator (HGF-A) and its zymogen in human placenta. Placenta.21: 615-620.

Somerset DA, Li X-F, Afford S, Strain AJ, Ahmed A, Sangha RK, Whittle MJ, Kilby MD. (1998) Ontogeny of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and its receptor (c-met) in human placenta: reduced HGF expression in intra-uterine growth restriction. Am J Path 153: 1139-1147.

Kilby MD, Verhaeg J, Gittoes N, Somerset DA, Clark PMS, Franklyn JA. (1998) Fetal serum thyroid hormone concentrations and placental thyroid hormone receptor expression in normal human pregnancy and pregnancy complicated by intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). J Clin Endocrinol Metabol 83: 2964-2971.

Somerset DA, Raine-Fenning N, Gordon C, Weaver,JB, Kilby MD. (1998) Intravenous immunoglobulin therapy in compromised pregnancies associated with anti-phospholipid antibodies and systemic lupus erythematosus. Eur J Obstet Gynaecol Reprod Biol 79: 227-229.

19. M, Kilby MD, Somerset DA, Howie AJ, Gupta A, Wood TJ, Afnan M, Stewart PM. (1998) 11b hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 in human pregnancy and reduced expression in intra-uterine growth restriction.  Hum Reproduction. 13: 799-804.

Somerset DA, Das-Munchi T, Godman B, Swain I & Dooley MMP. (1995) Induction of labour using prostaglandin E2 gel: the effect of changing the time of first insertion. J R Soc Med  88: 105-107.

Somerset DA, Murrills AJ & Wheeler T (1993) Screening for fetal distress in labour using the umbilical artery blood velocity waveform. Br J Obstet Gynaecol 100: 55-59.