The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Craig V. Towers, MD

Professor
Vice Chair, Research
Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Research Focus

Dr. Towers has focused on Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) in the pregnant population. Detoxification and maintenance studies have proved to be an important undertaking in our region and have reduced the number of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) babies in the neonatal intensive care unit at UTMC. Dr. Towers and his team are analyzing naltrexone, the implementation of long acting reversible contraception, the success of detoxification and newborn head size in chronically exposed neonates to opioid drugs that do not develop NAS, and the long-term outcome of NAS infants and mothers that fully detoxify. Other studies in this population include the measurement of levels of various other medications in neonatal cord blood and matching these with maternal levels (such as amphetamines, gabapentin and many of the antidepressant medications). He is also testing levels of buprenorphine and methadone in breastmilk. Studies outside of OUD include: evaluation of the safety of ibuprofen for short cervical lengths and pre-term contractions; perinatal transmission of Hepatitis C in pregnancy; the use of impedance cardiography in obese pregnant patients and patients with hypertension; and the increase in late preterm deliveries due to a lack of fetal lung maturity testing in Tennessee.

Education

Medical School
University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, KS

Internship
Wesley Medical Center, Wichita, KS

Residency
Wesley Medical Center, Wichita, KS

Fellowship
University of California, Irvine, CA

Certification

American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Current Publications

Towers CV, Knapper A, Gaylord M, Burnette T, Neal R, Hennessy M.
Torticollis in infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome. Journal of Perinatology. 2020 Jan 6. [Epub ahead of print]

Kurdziel-Adams G, Macfie J, Kors S, Fortner KB, Towers CV, Lydic R.
Opioid use in pregnancy: Borderline features and hepatitis C virus. Personality Disorders. 2019 Nov 14. Available in PubMed: Dec. 2019. [Epub ahead of print]

Macfie J, Zvara BJ, Stuart GL, Kurdziel-Adams G, Kors SB, Fortner KB, Towers CV, Gorrondona AM, Noose SK.
Pregnant women's history of childhood maltreatment and current opioid use: The mediating role of reflective functioning. Addictive Behaviors. 2019 Oct 4;102:106134. Available in PubMed: Dec. 2019.

Gregory E, Towers CV, van Nes J, Shumard K, Fortner KB, Weitz B.
Fetomaternal bleeding and neonatal hematocrit following Cesarean delivery: Routine versus transplacental transection. AJP Reports. 2019 Jul;9(3):e298-e301. Epub 2019 Sep 19.

Towers CV, Katz E, Weitz B, Visconti K.
Use of naltrexone in treating opioid use disorder in pregnancy. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2020 Jan;222(1):83.e1-83.e8. Epub 2019 Jul 31.

Towers CV, Katz E, Liske E, Hennessy M, Wolfe L, Visconti K.
Psychosocial background history of pregnant women with opioid use disorder: A prospective cohort study. American Journal of Perinatology. 2019 Jun 2. [Epub ahead of print]

Towers CV, Terry P, Rackley B, Hennessy M, Visconti K.
Fetal outcomes with detoxification from opioid drugs during pregnancy: A systematic review. American Journal of Perinatology. 2019 May 19. [Epub ahead of print]

Towers CV, Trussell J, Heidel RE, Chernicky L, Howard BC.
Incidence of maternal tachycardia during the second stage of labor: A prospective observational cohort study. The Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine. 2019 May;32(10):1615-1619. Epub 2017 Dec 10.

Towers CV, Hyatt BW, Visconti KC, Chernicky L, Chattin K, Fortner KB.
Neonatal head circumference in newborns with neonatal abstinence syndrome. Pediatrics. 2019 Jan;143(1). Epub 2018 Dec 10.

Towers CV, Compton S, Chattin K, Liske E, Smith C, Weitz B.
Neonatal outcome following delivery with a 1-minute apgar score of 1, 2, or 3 followed by an apgar score of >=7 at 5 minutes. Journal of Reproductive Medicine. 2018 Dec;63(6):501-504.

Towers CV.
Cervical insufficiency: Are some cases fetal induced? A report of 2 cases. Journal of Reproductive Medicine. 2018 Sep;63(5):473-475. Available in Scopus: Nov 2018.

Stuart GL, Shorey RC, France CR, Macfie J, Bell K, Fortner KB, Towers CV, Schkolnik P, Ramsey S.
Empirical studies addressing the opioid epidemic: An urgent call for research. Substance Abuse : Research and Treatment. 2018 Aug 12;12:1178221818784294. eCollection 2018.

Burnette T, Chernicky L, Towers CV.
The effect of standardizing treatment when managing neonatal abstinence syndrome. The Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine. 2018 May 14:1-5.

Towers CV, Weitz B.
Transplacental passage of vancomycin. The Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine. 2018 Apr;31(8):1021-1024. Epub 2017 Mar 28.

Towers CV, Shelton S, van Nes J, Gregory E, Liske E, Smalley A, Mobley E, Faircloth B, Fortner KB.
Preoperative cesarean section intravenous acetaminophen treatment for postoperative pain control: A randomized double-blinded placebo control trial. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2018 Mar;218(3):353.e1-353.e4. Epub 2017 Dec 21.

Towers CV, Fortner KB.
Infant follow-up postdelivery from a hepatitis C viral load positive mother. The Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine. 2018 Mar 27:1-81.

Current Presentations

Swengel J, Polin C, Towers C. An opioid-free cesarean delivery in the opioid addicted parturient with the use of the quadratus lumborum block: A Case Report. Presented at Society of Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology; 2019 May 1-5; Phoenix, AZ.

Towers CV, Katz E, Visconti K, Howard B, Wolfe L, Fortner K. Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) clinic - first 18 months: Detoxification and bridge device. Presented at Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine; 2019 Feb 10-16; Las Vegas, NV.

Towers CV, Katz E, Visconti K, Howard B, Hennessy M, Fortner K. Use of Naltrexone in treating pregnant women with opioid use disorder (OUD). Presented at Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine; 2019 Feb 10-16; Las Vegas, NV.

Gregory EJ, Towers CV, van Nes J, Weitz B, Shumard K, Fortner KB. Fetomaternal bleeding and neonatal hematocrit following Cesarean delivery: Routine versus transplacental transection. Presented at Central Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; 2018 Oct 17-20; Minneapolis, MN.

Richardson EA, Towers CV, Weitz B, Nieuwoudt C, Heidel RE, Wolfe L. Protein S functional activity and total protein S levels in normal pregnancy. Presented at Central Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; 2018 Oct 17-20; Minneapolis, MN.

Towers CV. Opiates in pregnancy. Presented at 25th Annual Summer Conference on Obstetrics and Gynecology (Invited Lecture); 2018 Aug 1-4; Naples, FL.

Towers CV. Pregnancy & the new substance addiction crisis. Presented at 25th Annual Summer Conference on Obstetrics and Gynecology (Invited Lecture); 2018 Aug 1-4; Naples, FL.

Towers CV. Viral infections in pregnancy: Influenza, varicell zoster, and parvo. Presented at 25th Annual Summer Conference on Obstetrics and Gynecology (Invited Lecture); 2018 Aug 1-4; Naples, FL.

Towers CV. Hepatitis B: Management in pregnancy. Presented at Contemporary Issues In Obstetrics and Gynecology (Invited Lecture); 2018 Jul 17-21; Sandestin, FL.

Towers CV. Hepatitis C: Management in pregnancy. Presented at Contemporary Issues In Obstetrics and Gynecology (Invited Lecture); 2018 Jul 17-21; Sandestin, FL.

Towers CV. The opioid crisis: Use, abuse, and dependency during pregnancy. Presented at Contemporary Issues In Obstetrics and Gynecology (Invited Lecture); 2018 Jul 17-21; Sandestin, FL.

Towers CV. Pros of detoxification from opiates during pregnancy (Post-Graduate Course). Presented at Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine 38th Annual Meeting; 2018 Jan 29 - Feb 3; Dallas, TX.

Towers CV. Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine President workshop/task force on opiate use disorder in pregnancy: Comorbidities seen in pregnant women with opiate use disorder. Presented at Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine 38th Annual Meeting; 2018 Jan 29 - Feb 3; Dallas, TX.

Towers CV. Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine President workshop/task force on opiate use disorder in pregnancy: Opiate detoxification during pregnancy. Presented at Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine 38th Annual Meeting; 2018 Jan 29 - Feb 3; Dallas, TX.

Towers CV. Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine President workshop/task force on opiate use disorder in pregnancy: Prenatal care of a pregnant woman with opiate use disorder. Presented at Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine 38th Annual Meeting; 2018 Jan 29 - Feb 3; Dallas, TX.

Towers CV, Hyatt BH, Visconti KC, Chernicky L, Chattin K, Fortner KB. Neonatal head circumference in newborns with neonatal abstinence syndrome. Presented at Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine 38th Annual Meeting; 2018 Jan 29 - Feb 3; Dallas, TX.

Towers CV, Katz E, Liske E, Howard B, Wolfe L, Fortner K. Psychosocial background of pregnant women with opiate use disorder (OUD). Presented at Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine 38th Annual Meeting; 2018 Jan 29 - Feb 3; Dallas, TX.