Turning Up the Force: Oxytocin Dosing Regimens in Labor Induction
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Free
High-dose oxytocin did not raise risk for cesarean delivery and was not associated with adverse perinatal outcomes.
Let 'er Drip: Oxytocin Infusion for Minimizing Postcesarean Blood Loss
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Adding intravenous oxytocin infusion after a bolus lessened the need for additional uterotonic agents.
Preconception Counseling: Delivering the Promise of Healthy Mothers and Babies
Evidence of benefit is clear, but preconception care has yet to become routine.
Plan Way Ahead to Prepare for Pregnancy
Women's Health Patient Information
Becoming informed and healthy — and using effective contraception until you're ready to become pregnant — will make for the best possible outcomes for you and your baby.
Shoulder Dystocia: Beating the Clock Safely
Women's Health Summary and Comment
More than half of infants with neonatal depression had head-to-body delivery intervals >4 minutes, but a definitive cutoff time could not be delineated.
Lactation Support Can Help Fend Off Postpartum Depression
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Help for breast-feeding pain while in the hospital was associated with lower risk for developing postpartum depression.
Good Delivery Outcomes for Expectant Mothers with Multiple Sclerosis
Neurology Summary and Comment
Free
A large, population-based cohort study found no increase in adverse neonatal and delivery outcomes.
As the Fetus Turns: Risk for Cesarean Delivery After External Cephalic Version
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Women who delivered within 4 days of successful external cephalic version had higher risk for cesarean delivery than did those who delivered
Reining in Repeat Cesarean Deliveries
Women's Health Practice Watch
Free
Lowering the U.S. cesarean delivery rate requires a multifaceted approach.
Preventing Pregnancy Loss in Women with Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome
Oncology and Hematology Summary and Comment
Free
Use of low-dose prednisolone during the first trimester seemed to improve rates of live births among women who had experienced APS-related pregnancy losses.
SSRIs, Early Pregnancy, and Congenital Malformations
Women's Health Summary and Comment
A nationwide Finnish report shows excess risk for fetal cardiovascular malformations with SSRI exposure.
Obstetric Outcomes in Women with Epilepsy
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Women with epilepsy who used antiepileptic drugs were at excess risk for complications during pregnancy and delivery.
By Autumn Klein, MD, PhD
July 28, 2011
Covering:
Borthen I et al., BJOG 2011 Jul; 118:956
CDC Updates Its Guidelines on Postpartum Contraceptive Use
Women's Health Clinical Practice Guideline Watch
Free
In recognition of excess risk for venous thromboembolism after delivery, timing of postpartum initiation of combined hormonal contraception is restricted.
Cesarean Delivery at the Edge of Viability
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Free
The number of cesarean deliveries at extremely early gestational ages is growing; clinical conditions rather than race or ethnicity influence delivery mode.
By Allison Bryant, MD, MPH
July 21, 2011
Covering:
Batton B et al., Obstet Gynecol 2011 Jul; 118:43
Tucker Edmonds B et al., Obstet Gynecol 2011 Jul; 118:49
Accounting for Rising Cesarean Delivery Rates
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Primary cesarean rates contributed 50% of the increase; nonreassuring fetal status was the most common indication.
For Labor Induction, Two Balloons Are Not Necessarily Better Than One
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Single- and double-balloon cervical catheters had similar efficacy, but the latter were associated with higher risk for operative deliveries.
First-Trimester SSRI Exposure and Congenital Anomalies
Psychiatry Summary and Comment
Specific antidepressants are associated with risk for cardiovascular or neural-tube defects in a population-based study.
By Deborah Cowley, MD
July 18, 2011
Covering:
Malm H et al., Obstet Gynecol 2011 Jul; 118:111
Antiepileptic Drugs and Risk for Major Birth Defects: Three Studies, Varied Findings
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Free
Despite methodological distinctions, results suggest that low-dose monotherapy is an ideal goal during pregnancy.
By Autumn Klein, MD, PhD
July 14, 2011
Covering:
Cunnington MC et al., Neurology 2011 May 24; 76:1817
Tomson T et al., Lancet Neurol 2011 Jul; 10:609
Mølgaard-Nielsen D and Hviid A., JAMA 2011 May 18; 305:1996
Breast-Feeding Does Not Affect Relapse Risk in Mothers with Multiple Sclerosis
Neurology Summary and Comment
MS relapse rates before and during pregnancy — not the decision to breast-feed — predicted the likelihood of postpartum relapses.
Landmark Biomarker Studies Are Likely to Overstate Findings
Cardiology Summary and Comment
Results of frequently cited studies often differ markedly from those of meta-analyses or studies in larger populations.
By JoAnne M. Foody, MD
July 6, 2011
Covering:
Ioannidis JPA and Panagiotou OA., JAMA 2011 Jun 1; 305:2200
Bossuyt PMM., JAMA 2011 Jun 1; 305:2229
Preterm Birth: When an Ounce of Prevention Is Too Expensive
Women's Health Practice Watch
Free
The price of FDA-approved injectable 17-OHP has met with justifiable resistance.
Risk for Stillbirth Is Lower Among Pregnant Women Who Sleep on Their Left Sides
Women's Health Summary and Comment
But whether a cause-and-effect relation exists is unclear.
Does Paternal Exposure to Methotrexate Affect Birth Outcomes?
Dermatology Summary and Comment
An analysis suggests the answer is no, but unanswered questions make cautious methotrexate use prudent for would-be parents.
Which Maneuvers Work Best for Shoulder Dystocia?
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Deliver the posterior shoulder and arm — the sooner, the better.
Thyroid Autoantibodies and Excess Risk for Miscarriage and Preterm Birth
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Pregnant women with thyroid autoantibodies might warrant treatment with levothyroxine, even if they have normal thyroid function.
