Does the Trip down the Birth Canal Take More Time if Labor Is Induced?
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Duration of the second stage was not affected by induction, but nulliparas had excess risk for cesarean delivery and postpartum hemorrhage.
Excessive Weight Gain in Pregnancy Leads to Higher Birth Weight
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Birth weight was related to maternal weight gain in consecutive pregnancies in the same mother.
By Bruce Soloway, MD
September 28, 2010
Covering:
Ludwig DS and Currie J., Lancet 2010 Sep 18; 376:984
Smokers Are Hurting More Than Themselves
Psychiatry Summary and Comment
Nicotine, whether through the placenta or secondhand smoke, is associated with psychiatric problems.
By Steven Dubovsky, MD
September 27, 2010
Covering:
Ekblad M et al., Arch Gen Psychiatry 2010 Aug; 67:841
Hamer M et al., Arch Gen Psychiatry 2010 Aug; 67:850
Additional Active Management of Labor's Third Stage Might Lower Risk for Postpartum Hemorrhage
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Injection of oxytocin into the intraumbilical vein diminished postpartum blood loss substantially.
Gestational Age and Risk for Cerebral Palsy: A Surprising Discovery
Among term and postterm newborns, CP prevalence is lowest at 40 weeks' gestation and highest at 37 and
Perinatal Regionalization: Does Level III Make a Difference?
Very low birth weight infants and very preterm infants have significantly higher mortality rates when delivered in non–level III hospitals.
Do Antiviral Drugs Taken During Pregnancy Cause Birth Defects?
Women's Health Summary and Comment
First-trimester use of acyclovir was not associated with excess risk for major birth defects.
By Anna Wald, MD, MPH
September 16, 2010
Covering:
Pasternak B and Hviid A., JAMA 2010 Aug 25; 304:859
Mills JL and Carter TC., JAMA 2010 Aug 25; 304:905
Timing of Antibiotic Prophylaxis for Cesarean Delivery
Women's Health Summary and Comment
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that, when feasible, antimicrobial prophylaxis should be given within 1 hour of the start of surgery.
By Allison Bryant, MD, MPH
September 16, 2010
Covering:
Committee on Obstetric Practice., Obstet Gynecol 2010 Sep; 116:791
Is Prenatal Exposure to Organophosphate Pesticides Associated with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder?
Maternal prenatal pesticide levels were associated with attention problems in 5-year-old boys.
By Martin T. Stein, MD
September 15, 2010
Covering:
Marks AR et al., Environ Health Perspect 2010 Aug 19
Later Effects of Psychological Abuse During Pregnancy
Psychiatry Summary and Comment
Postpartum depression risk increases with psychological abuse, even without physical or sexual violence.
Stillbirths and Neonatal Deaths in Survivors of Childhood Cancer
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Risk was elevated among women who received irradiation to the uterus and ovaries before menarche.
By Bruce Soloway, MD
September 7, 2010
Covering:
Signorello LB et al., Lancet 2010 Aug 21; 376:624
Maternal Weight Gain During Pregnancy Leaves a Big Impression
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Free
Greater weight gain led to higher birthweight independent of genetic factors.
Waiting to Conceive After Miscarriage: The Long and Short of It
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Intervals shorter than the WHO-recommended 6 months might be in order.
A Consistent Way to Evaluate Causes of Stillbirth
Women's Health Summary and Comment
The Stillbirth Collaborative Research Network's Initial Causes of Fetal Death is a standardized method for assigning cause of death in stillbirths.
Methamphetamine-Related Perinatal Morbidity Confirmed
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Methamphetamine use during pregnancy was associated with adverse perinatal outcomes, including preterm birth and neonatal mortality.
Does Injectable Contraception Contribute to Postpartum Depression?
Women's Health Summary and Comment
A retrospective cohort study of midwestern postpartum women suggests it does not.
By Andrew M. Kaunitz, MD
August 26, 2010
Covering:
Tsai R and Schaffir J., Contraception 2010 Aug; 82:174
Lopinavir/Ritonavir in Pregnancy: What's the Right Dose?
Standard dosing might not be adequate, according to a new pharmacokinetic study.
By Charles B. Hicks, MD
August 23, 2010
Covering:
Best BM et al., J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2010 Aug 1; 54:381
Light Alcohol Consumption During Early Pregnancy: The News Might Not Be So Bad
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Free
Women who consumed low levels of alcohol during the first trimester did not incur higher risk for behavioral problems in their children.
Does Vitamin C and E Supplementation Protect Against Preeclampsia in Women with Type 1 Diabetes?
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Only in those study participants who had low baseline vitamin status.
By Anna Wald, MD, MPH
August 19, 2010
Covering:
McCance DR et al., Lancet 2010 Jul 24; 376:259
Metformin vs. Clomiphene in Women with PCOS
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Pregnancy and live birth rates were not higher and miscarriage rates were not lower in women with polycystic ovary syndrome who received metformin (regardless of body-mass index).
By Robert W. Rebar, MD
August 19, 2010
Covering:
Johnson NP et al., Hum Reprod 2010 Jul; 25:1675
Late Preterm Birth Is Associated with Respiratory Morbidity in the U.S.
Even at 34 to 36 weeks' gestation, newborns are at higher risk for respiratory morbidity.
Pelvic Irradiation for Childhood Cancer Raises Risk for Stillbirth Among Subsequent Offspring
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Pelvic irradiation in girls (but not testicular irradiation in boys) was associated with excess risk for stillbirth or neonatal death among their offspring.
Vaginal Birth After Previous Cesarean Delivery: Updated Guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Women's Health Clinical Practice Guideline Watch
Free
Recent data enable more-specific recommendations for managing pregnant patients who have experienced previous cesarean delivery.
By Allison Bryant, MD, MPH
August 5, 2010
Covering:
Obstet Gynecol 2010 Aug; 116:450
Labor Induction and Risk for Cesarean Delivery
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Risk was nearly doubled for women who underwent labor induction compared with those in whom labor was spontaneous.
Which Repair Technique Is Best for Obstetric Anal Sphincter Tears?
Women's Health Summary and Comment
End-to-end repair was more likely to prevent anal incontinence than was overlapping repair.
