More than 700 participants from around the world are expected to attend the Mid-Pacific Conference on Birth and Primal Health Research from Oct. 26-28 at the Hawai‘i Convention Center.

The meeting, which was preceded in February 2010 by the Mid-Atlantic Conference on Birth and Primal Health Research in the Canary Islands, is being held in the Pacific for the first time.

It will feature a lineup of the world’s foremost authorities on prenatal advancements and childbirth, and draw participation from nearly 40 different professions, according to show organizers.

In more than 25 workshops and 40 poster presentations, medical experts from more than three-dozen countries will discuss recent scientific and technical advances that are expected to influence the future of childbirth.

Major themes include the impact of microorganisms and antibiotic exposure on fetal development, as well as the impact of synthetic oxytocin use and cesarean sections during childbirth.

The meeting is expected to generate more than $2.6 million in state revenue, according to show organizers.

“Our primary objective is to present research and inspire questions that will greatly influence the history of childbirth,” said Dr. Michel Odent, the president of the conference.

He added, “Many of the most vital stages of human development occur in the womb, and the way we are born has significant long-term consequences, so it is important to continue these conversations on a global scale.”

Experts will include Elisabeth Bik from Stanford University’s School of Medicine, who is researching newborn bacterial colonization during and after birth; professor, renowned surgeon and author Michael Stark from Berlin, who helped create a new simplified technique of caesarean section; and Dr. Mario Merialdi, coordinator for maternal and perinatal health at the World Health Organization, who will discuss implementing global thinking at a local level.

“More than half of all participants are expected from countries throughout the world, including strong representation from the Pacific Rim countries such as Australia and Japan,” said Joe Davis, SMG general manager of the Hawai‘i Convention Center.

He added, “Hawai‘i’s world-class medical facilities and research opportunities make our state an ideal place for medical and scientific meetings of global importance.”

Also expected to attend are Big Island Mayor Billy Kenoi, Professor Lesley Page, president of London’s Royal College of Midwives, and Cathy Collins-Fulea, vice president of the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

The meeting is part of a strong 2012 lineup of medical gatherings at the Hawai‘i Convention Center.

In November, the American Medical Association House of Delegates Interim Meeting will draw several thousand members; in May, more than 14,500 attendees gathered for the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) 112th Annual Session; and more than 1,000 attendees participated in the 31st-annual American Pain Society scientific meeting.