The use of the anti-HIV drug tenofovir during pregnancy does not affect birth weight or birth length, according to new research conducted as part of the Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study. The impetus for this study was that previous research in laboratory animals showed that exposure to tenofovir in the womb was associated with smaller birth size compared with animals not exposed to the drug.
Dietary and lifestyle interventions in pregnancy can reduce maternal gestational weight gain and improve outcomes for both mother and baby, according to a new study. In Europe and the United States, 20% to 40% of women gain more than the recommended amount of weight during pregnancy.
Elective induction of labor between 37 and 41 weeks of gestation can lower perinatal mortality rates in developed countries without increasing the risk of cesarean deliveries, according to a new study conducted in Scotland.
Do age, race, or other demographics influence postpartum IUD compliance? The results of this retrospective chart review were presented at ACOG's Annual Clinical Meeting.
This study, presented at a poster session at ACOG's Annual Clinical Meeting, examined 228 cases of manual extraction of the placenta to determine whether prophylactic antibiotics reduced the incidence of endometritis.
These are ultrasound images of an early pregnancy.
Several recent studies have shown that the addition of secondary ultrasound markers to the combined first-trimester screening for aneuploidies, or chromosomal abnormalities such as trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) and trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome), can slightly improve screening accuracy.
A study presented at the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ Annual Clinical Meeting indicates that as birth weight increases, progression in labor is slower in both successful trial of labor and patients who ultimately have cesarean deliveries.
A new enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, which was developed by scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was used to distinguish specific types of Toxoplasma gondii parasite that children acquired in the womb from their acutely infected mothers.
A jury recently awarded 78.5 million in a birth injury case.
There are multiple anomalies in these ultrasound images of a second trimester pregnancy.
Typically used for long-term contraception, the intrauterine device (IUD) is also an effective emergency contraceptive if implanted after unprotected sex. Two IUDs, which are T-shaped pieces of plastic, are available in the United States.
Two studies focusing on birth defects and fertility treatment techniques recently have been published. The finding of both studies show that certain fertility treatments are associated with increased risks of birth defects, but neither study revealed why this association occurs.
Women with opioid dependence who become pregnant are at risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes and perinatal complications.
A recent article published in the BMJ compared elective induction with expectant management.
What is your diagnosis of this 36 week old fetus with cardiomegaly?
Results of a new study conducted in The Netherlands found that children born post-term are at increased risk for behavioral and emotional problems, particularly attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
A study that examined trends in timing of non-medically necessary elective delivery and NICU utilization indicates that the older the gestational age of the infant, the less the NICU is utilized.
Providers underestimate the intensity of patients’ pain during IUD insertion, and often misidentify the moment at which maximum pain occurs, according to a randomized trial of 200 women. Midlevel providers are slightly better at estimating pain intensity.
This is an ultrasound scan of the placenta.
Use of cervical pessary-a small, silicone, ring-shaped device inserted around the cervix-is a safe, inexpensive, and reliable alternative for preventing preterm delivery in women with a short cervix, according to the authors of a new study conducted in Spain.
The debate over Makena vs. 17p in the prevention of preterm birth continues. What do you prescribe?
Despite the widespread use of oxytocin as a prophylactic for obstetric hemorrhage, there is no clear recommendation as to the optimal dose. To provide insight into this issue, researchers conducted a double-masked randomized trial comparing two higher dose regimens with a standard dose regimen. Their results were published in a recent issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Commercial fetal DNA tests, or noninvasive prenatal diagnosis (NIPD) tests, are here. Are we ready for the legal and ethical implications?
A year after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) quickly and controversially green-lighted the pre-term birth prevention drug Makena® to compete directly with long-used 17P, some arguments have cooled, but the battle for marketplace dominance continues.
