Jamie Habib

Reports of women being criticized for “intense” workouts in late pregnancy are circulating the Web. Are these criticisms clinically warranted, or are the criticizers just bullies?

Physicians’ groups are urging ob/gyns to have difficult conversations with obese women about their weight. Here’s one example of how utter bluntness can be an effective tactic.

Discontinuation rates at 6 months among users of long-acting reversible contraceptive methods are low and not increased among adolescents and young women.

Patients with uterine fibroids have been advised to avoid a hysterectomy as treatment of the condition at all costs. Sound advice or mucky water?

The effectiveness of lamotrigine for bipolar disorder decreases during pregnancy and requires upward dose adjustments until delivery to avoid symptom recurrence.

Medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) and tranexamic acid effectively treat heavy menstrual bleeding, but more adverse effects and less patient satisfaction are reported with MPA use.

Delivery at or near a high-volume cardiac surgical center offers the best outcome for neonates with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, new research shows.

A fertility pen, redesigned to incorporate updates and new features developed from patient and provider feedback, has been FDA approved and will be available December 2013.

New research confirms that use of metoclopramide, commonly used for nausea and vomiting, in early pregnancy does not increase risk of major malformations.

Advising soon-to-be or new mothers against bed-sharing can cause them to think twice about the potentially deadly practice, whereas saying nothing or being impartial has little effect.

The FDA has approved Duavee, the first medication to combine estrogen with bazedoxifene, for the treatment of hot flashes and the prevention of osteoporosis after menopause.

Accelerated approval of Perjeta (pertuzumab) was granted by the FDA as part of a complete treatment regimen for patients with early stage breast cancer before surgery.

To better balance the use of ultrasound and the time needed to ensure that an early pregnancy is not incorrectly declared nonviable, a group of experts have introduced new diagnostic thresholds.

The use of ice packs is an effective but nonstandard method of pain control after open abdominal surgery, and an experimental prolonged drug delivery system using nanotechnology is in the works.

Misoprostol for cervical ripening prior to insertion of an IUD in nulliparous women not only did not improve ease of insertion for the provider but resulted in increased procedure-related pain.

Evidence indicates that angiogenic growth factors have an important role in fibroid pathophysiology, including abnormal vasculature and fibroid growth and survival.

Breast density laws ensure that women receive critical breast-health information, supporters say, but many of the laws broadly classify breast density and fail to account for varying levels of risk.

Previous studies have reported a possible link between antihistamine use and birth defects, but there is no meaningful evidence that supports this association.

The actual measurements of the total and core diameters of laser fibers used for urological surgery do not conform to the advertised measurements, a new study found.

A new study finds promising evidence that a lung cancer drug, when combined with methotrexate, has potential to spare women with ectopic pregnancies from surgery.

The use of 40 Gy in 15 fractions over 3 weeks is as effective and causes less damage to nearby tissue than a higher total dose of radiotherapy for breast cancer.

Birth defects and poor fetal growth are more substantial contributors to cerebral palsy than asphyxial birth events or inflammation, a new study finds.

The successful management of heavy menstrual bleeding with endometrial resection or ablation depends more on the surgeon’s skill than the technique used.

Smoking cessation counseling, which is reimbursable, will likely soon involve discussions about e-cigarettes. A new study has found the devices to be comparable to nicotine patches in terms of smoking cessation rates and safety.

Experience should prevail when choosing an antihypertensive for very high blood pressure during pregnancy, because the evidence supporting one drug’s use over another is lacking.

The results of 2 unrelated studies show that breastfeeding may safeguard against breast cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

The findings of a recent study have shown that uterine fibroid tumors are more common and more severe in African American women compared with white women. Find out how you can better treat uterine fibroid tumors in this high-risk population.

The best first- and second-line therapies for vulvovaginal atrophy are highlighted in an updated position statement from The North American Menopause Society.

The use of an enhanced recovery pathway for perioperative care in complex gynecological surgery can reduce length of hospital stay, need for narcotic pain control, and costs.

The use of weighted vaginal cones for stress urinary incontinence is more effective than no treatment at all, the evidence shows.