Professor Caroline de Costa
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Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology BA (USyd), MBBS (London University), FRCOG (Fellow of the Royal College of Gynaecology), FRANZCOG (Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists), FRCS (Glasgow), MPH (USyd), PhD |
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Office: |
JCU Clinical School, Cairns Base Hospital, Cairns |
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Phone: |
(07) 4226 6545 |
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Fax: |
(07) 4226 6831 |
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Email: |
Biography
Caroline de Costa is Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the Clinical School at James Cook University School of Medicine, Cairns Campus in North Queensland, Australia. Caroline has 39 years experience in the practice of obstetrics and 36 years in the area of obstetrics research, in particular obstetric epidemiology. She has been a specialist obstetrician and gynaecologist for 32 years. Caroline was born and educated in Sydney. Caroline studied medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, in Dublin, and graduated MB BS (London University) and LRCP&SI in 1973. After completing residency in Port Moresby General Hospital, Papua-New Guinea, she returned to Ireland and undertook specialist training there and in the United Kingdom. In 1980 Caroline returned to Port Moresby for a further 18 months before moving back to Sydney where she spent 17 years in private practice. In 1999 she moved to Cairns and took up her present appointment in 2004.
Teaching
In her university role Caroline teaches the medical students of JCU in their fifth and sixth years as well as supervising honours and research students.
Research/General Interests
In her current practice Caroline is deeply involved in improving outcomes for indigenous women in the area of obstetrics and gynaecology. She is currently conducting research into possible interventions to reduce the incidence of foetal alcohol syndrome amongst the children of indigenous women in Far North Queensland. She is also currently conducting research into the efficacy of dark chocolate in reducing the incidence of pre-eclampsia among primigravid women in Far North Queensland and Canberra. She also has an interest in caesarean section, including the history and social implications of this common operation as well as techniques and risks of the surgery. She has been active and successful in public movements to reform abortion law. Caroline’s interests include:
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Obstetric Epidemiology
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Indigenous Health
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Gynaecological Cancer Screening
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Foetal Alcohol Syndrome & its prevention
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Abortion Service provision
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Abortion Law Reform
Professor de Costa is a regular reviewer for:
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Medical Journal of Australia
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ANZJOG
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Australian Prescriber
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Canadian Medical Journal
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Indian Medical Journal
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The Lancet
Recent Publications
Brown, J., Thompson, M., Sinnya, S., Jeffery, A., de Costa, C.M., & Woods, C. (2013). Pre-incision antibiotic prophylaxis reduces the incidence of post-caesarean surgical site infection. Journal of Hospital Infection, 83, 68-70. doi: 10.1016/j.jhin.2012.08.014
Asa, I., De Costa, C .M. , & Mola, G. (2012). A prospective survey of cases of complications of induced abortion presenting to Goroka hospital, Papua New Guinea, 2011. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 52 (5). pp. 491-493.
De Costa, C.M., & McKenna, E. (2012). Gynaecological assessment in the elderly. Medicine Today, 13 (12). pp. 27-32.
De Costa, C.M. (2012) 'Hi Lucille, I’m Doctor Gold' – the changing roles of women in obstetrics and gynaecology. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 52 (6). pp. 508-512.
Phillips, T., Eltherington, J., de Costa, C.M., & Woods, C. (2012). Knowledge of abortion law and provision of abortion services amongst tertiary students in Far North Queensland (In press). Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
Bendall, A., de Costa, C.M., Woods, C., & Howat, P. (2012). Vitamin D levels in pregnant women booking for antenatal care in Far North Queensland (In press). Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
De Costa, C.M. (2012). Medical abortion: The Australian experience. Expert Review of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 7(1), 25-30.
Jayaratnam, S., De Costa, C.M. , Howat, P. (2011) Developing an assessment tool for maternal morbidity 'near-miss': a prospective study in a large Australian regional hospital. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 51 (5). pp. 421-425.
De Costa, C., & Pols, H. (2011). Shifting paradigms. O & G Magazine, 13 (4). pp. 11-15.
De Costa, C.M. , Miller, F. (2011) American resurrec tion and the 1788 New York doctors' riot. The Lancet, 377 (9762). pp. 292-293.
Davis, N., de Costa, C.M. (2011). Primary dysmenorrhoea. O & G Magazine, 13 (1), pp. 36-37.
De Costa, C.M. (2011). Induced abortion. In D.Bradford, D. Russell and C. Fairley (Eds.) Sexual health. Victoria: IP Communications.
De Costa. C.M. Miller, F. (2011). The art of medicine: American resurrection and the 1788 New York doctors’ riot. The Lancet, 377, pp. 292-293.
De Costa, C.M., Russell, D., Carrette, M.(2010) Views and practices of induced abortion among Australian Fellows and specialist trainees of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Medical Journal of Australia, 193 (1). pp. 13-16.
De Costa, C.M., Russell, D., Carrette, M. (2010) Abortion in Australia still to emerge from the 19th century. The Lancet, 375 (9717). pp. 804-805.
Sanga, K., de Costa, C.M., Mola, G.(2010) A review of maternal deaths at Goroka General Hospital, Papua New Guinea 2005-2008. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 50 (1). pp. 21-24.
De Costa, C.M. (2010) The long barren years of Catherine de Medicis: a gynaecologist’s view of history. O & G Magazine, 12 (3). pp. 55-57.
Downing, S., McNamee, H., Penney, D., Leamy, J., de Costa, C.M. , Russell, D.B. (2010) Three years on: a review of medical terminations of pregnancy performed in a sexual health service. Sexual Health, 7 (2). pp. 212-215.
Robson, S., de Costa, C.M. (2009). Forceps delivery: Science wears its art on its sleeve. O & G Magazine, 11 (4), 19-20.
De Costa, C.M. (2009). Childbed fever: A major cause of maternal mortality. O & G Magazine, 11 (1), pp. 45-46.
De Costa C.M. The King versus Aleck Bourne. Medical Journal of Australia 2009 Aug 17, 2009.
De Costa C.M.:Sarah Bernhardt’s Missing Leg. The Lancet, 25 July 2009.
De Costa C.M., Mohoric-Stare D: Knowledge of Emergency Contraception: a study carried out together with Cairns Base Hospital registrar Dominica Mohoric-Stare. Australia and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, June, 2009.
De Costa C.M., Wenitong M: 'Could the Baby Bonus be a bonus for babies?' Medical Journal of Australia 2009 Mar 2;190(5):242-3.
Arnold JL, de Costa C.M., Howat PW: 'Timing of transfer for pregnant women from Queensland Cape York communities to Cairns for birthing'. Medical Journal of Australia 2009 May 18:190 (10):594-96.
De Costa C.M., Howat P: 'Admitting term infants to neonatal intensive care units in Australia'. Birth, 2008 Sep;35(3):259.
Coyne KL, de Costa C.M., Heazlewood RJ, Newman HC: 'Pregnancy characteristics of women giving birth to children with fetal alcohol syndrome in Far North Queensland'. Australia and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology', 2008 Jun;48(3):240-7.
De Costa C.M., Russell DB, de Costa NR, Carrette M, McNamee HM: 'Introducing early medical abortion in Australia: there is a need to update abortion laws.' Sex Health. 2007 Dec;4(4):223-6.
De Costa C.M.: 'Snow at Christmas'. Medical Journal of Australia 2007 Dec 3-17;187(11-12):690-2.
De Costa C.M., Miller F: 'Sarah Bernhardt's 'Doctor God': Jean-Samuel Pozzi (1846-1918)'. Australia and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecolog, 2007 Oct;47(5):352-6.
De Costa C.M., Rane A: 'Why would anyone be an academic?' Medical Journal of Australia 2007 Sept17;187(6):374-5.
De Costa C.M., Russell DB, de Costa NR, Carrette M, McNamee HM: 'Early medical abortion in Cairns, Queensland: July 2006 - April 2007'. Medical Journal of Australia 2007 Aug 6;187(3):171-3. Review.
De Costa C.M., Calcutt C: 'Antenatal care implications of population-based trends in Down syndrome birth rates'. Medical Journal of Australia 2007 Jun 18;186(12):663.
De Costa C.M.: 'Early medical abortion in Australia: more common than statistics suggest?' Medical Journal of Australia 2006 Sep 18;185(6):341.
Links
Caroline de Costa is the author of many health books and works of fiction – details of these may be found on this site: http://carolinede costa.com/index.html.
