Pregnancy and Birth

Voters in North Dakota sent a clear message that health care decisions, from pregnancy to end-of-life care, must involve only patients and their physicians.

Challenge your diagnostic skills: What's causing this woman's pelvic discomfort?

The outbreak of Ebola in West Africa rightly has become a world health crisis. But there are other casualties of the outbreak that we don't hear much about.

Researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) made an unexpected finding when evaluating racial disparities in dying from childbirth.

A consequence of Measure 1, which may or may not be a "personhood" amendment, is that IVF and other infertility services in North Dakota will end.

Women with high dairy diets have higher live birth rates after IVF; maternal diets high in butterfat can ameliorate effects of BPA exposure on embryos in rats.

There is little research on preserving fertility in transgendered men. Research from Sweden provides some evidence on reproductive counseling in these patients.

A recent population-based study showed a lack of correlation between Joint Commission indicators of elective delivery at 39 weeks’ gestation and cesarean delivery and rates of maternal and neonatal complications in deliveries at New York City hospitals in 2010.

A study of nearly 1.5 million births in the United States shows that while rates of cesarean delivery vary widely from hospital to hospital, identifying the underlying cause with existing data is difficult. The findings underscore a need for collection by hospitals of comprehensive patient data in order to fully understand and optimize use of cesarean delivery.

The use of an intravaginal incubation device in IVF is found to be a safe and effective alternative to lab incubation of embryos, and it may reduce costs.

More and more OB/GYNs are eliminating obstetric care from their practice. So who will deliver all the babies if not for midwives?

Exposure to air pollution during a specific period in a pregnancy is associated with a significant risk of preterm delivery before 37 weeks.

To better understand the best dosing practices for oxytocin to induce labor, researchers conducted a meta-analysis. Will their findings surprise you?

Racial and cultural disparities exist in women's understanding of conception and pregnancy, as well as in the effectiveness of infertility treatments.

Challenge your diagnostic skills: What's going on with this umbilical cord?

A new app, called ADNEX, helps distinguish between benign and malignant ovarian tumors, potentially improving triage and management decisions.

A patient in Texas was thrown out of her ObGyn/Pediatrician's office for breastfeeding. And we want to know what you think about it.

Okay, so the last choice isn't really an option, but you get the picture when it comes to the variety of ultrasound imaging.

Folklore or fact? Getting pregnant soon after stopping contraceptives results in a higher chance of having a baby boy. New research answers this question once and for all.

Morbidity measures used to evaluate obstetric quality care at hospitals don't sufficiently identify areas of care that actually need improvement.

Challenge your anatomy knowledge; what body part is this 3-D image showing?

An intensive in-home program aimed at pregnant teens at risk for drug use and depression, specifically American Indian teens, proves successful.

Women who consume fried foods more than 7 times a week pre-pregnancy are more likely to have gestational diabetes when they become pregnant.

Don't overpromise when it comes to elective egg freezing. It doesn't protect against infertility nor does it guarantee a future pregnancy.

Challenge your diagnostic skills with these images from a young woman with right pelvic pain and a history of amenorrhea.

Despite the prevalence of the procedure, there is no proven best way to prevent surgical site infections related to cesarean sections.

How's this for wishful thinking to explain an extremely active fetus?

A new analysis contradicts previous findings that giving an epidural too early can prolong labor and up C-section rates.

Not enough medicine or not enough ethics? Paul Burcher, MD, PhD, shares his thoughts on finding the balance for good medical ethical decision making.