Pregnancy and Birth

Cesarean deliveries are now the most commonly performed abdominal surgery in the United States. In 2005, an estimated 30.3 % of all births involved C-section procedures, and preliminary estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that the incidence of C-sections will continue to rise in the coming decade.

OBGYN.net spoke with Marti Perhach about her endeavors to increase awareness of Group B Strep and its effects on pregnant women and their babies. Marti is a woman who has faced the effects of GBS first hand and has shared her personal story with other parents.

Although Group B Streptococcus was first described over one hundred years ago, GBS began becoming noticed as a leading cause of infection and death in newborns only in 1961. According to the CDC, roughly 1 to 3 babies out of every 1,000 children born in the United States suffers invasive Group B Strep disease, mostly in the first week of life.

To compare, in singleton and twin pregnancies, the effectiveness of transvaginal ultrasound versus digital examination in predicting preterm delivery in women with suspected preterm labor.

The word "ectopic" means "out of place." An ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy that is not growing in the usual location (the uterine cavity). Ectopic pregnancies can occur in a number of abnormal locations, each with different characteristic growth patterns and treatment options.

Ectopic pregnancy, or preembryo implantation outside the endometrial cavity (i.e., fallopian tube, cervix, abdominal or pelvic cavity), is a potentially fatal condition with an incidence of ~1:150 diagnosed pregnancies.

Expect to have feelings; about the labor, the birth, towards the baby, about nursing or not, about responsibility, about your partner, etc.

Test your ob/gyn knowledge in our DailyDx.

As soon as a pregnancy becomes recognized, each (prospective) parent generally starts to accept and plan for their new arrival. If the pregnancy is lost, this is often considered a "death within the family" and the couple will go through an intense grieving process. The loss of a pregnancy can be devastating for a couple, regardless of the number of children in the family or the cause for the loss.

She just paged you again. It is “urgent”, just like the last 5 times. You sigh deeply: no matter how many times you tell her that her labs are normal, explain that some shortness of breath is expected in the last trimester, or reassure her that her heartburn is not a first sign of a heart attack (yes, you checked) – it simply won’t stick.

Vulvodynia is a general term which means, simply and literally, "pain in the vulva." It is not the name of a disease, but a symptom, just like "headache." Vulvar vestibulitis is a syndrome in which there is pain at specific points in the vulvar vestibule (the portion surrounding the entrance to the vagina).

Pelvic pain in this category indicates a problem that if not treated urgently will cause serious harm or death. One serious cause of acute pelvic pain is a ruptured tubal (ectopic) pregnancy. Many women with a tubal pregnancy will continue to have menstrual-like bleeding, so they do not consider this possibility.

Most women experience pelvic pain at some time during their lives. Many times pelvic pain is just the normal functioning of the reproductive or other organs. Other times pelvic pain may indicate a serious problem that needs urgent treatment. Here we look at the causes of pelvic pain, and how the cause of pelvic pain is determined.

Many women want to know how to acquire a flat stomach. They are especially curious about this following surgical procedures i.e.: laparotomy, laparoscopy and hysterectomy.

In November of 1996 (at the age of 25) I was diagnosed PCOS, and about 2 weeks later I started having very intense pelvic pain that I thought was due to a pulled muscle. The pain continued for several months, and after an examination and discussion with my family doctor, we believed it was ovarian cysts.

Following caesarean section for abruption, a patient continues bleeding and is taken back to the operating room. There, a D & C is performed, and a Bakri balloon is inserted and inflated. The patient continues to deteriorate and shows signs of continued bleeding. After a third surgery, in which a hematoma was evacuated from under the fascia, the Bakri is released. After removal, there is no significant vaginal bleeding.

Hyperparathyroidism is a syndrome caused by excessive secretion of parathyroid hormone. Primary hyperparathyroidism results in raised ionized serum calcium with adverse effects on many organs. The effects particularly in pregnancy may be severe.

A Randomized Comparison of Group Cognitive-behavioral Therapy, Surface Electromyographic Biofeedback, andVestibulectomy in the Treatment of Dyspareunia Resulting from Vulvar Vestibulitis

Biofeedback is a self regulation training technique derived from well established principles of human learning. Biofeedback is a technique, not a stand alone treatment, which is one component of a behavioral training program to facilitate acquisition of pelvic floor muscle control and other continence skills.

Chronic pelvic pain is generally used to describe a condition of pelvic discomfort not solely associated with menstruation, of more than 6 month's duration, and of a severity sufficient to cause disability in some form.

Chronic pelvic pain, a common complaint in female adolescents, is defined as cyclic or noncyclic, intermittent or constant discomfort in the pelvic region for at least 6 months. It often frustrates the patient, her parents, and her physician, and it can lead to major functional problems such as changes in family dynamics or school absenteeism.

Chronic pelvic pain can be defined as cyclic or non-cyclic pain of six or more months in duration that localises to the anatomical pelvis and is severe enough to cause functional disability and require medical or surgical treatment.

The basic research of visceral pain mechanisms does not explain the chronic pelvic pain phenomena a gynecologist confronts in the clinic. There is, however, a link between the basic research and the acute gynecologic pain processes observed in the emergency room.

Pelvic pain must be diagnosed accurately if the pelvic pain is to appropriately treated. In order to determine the cause of pelvic pain obtain the history of the pelvic pain. An examination is done.

Adhesions occur after almost every abdominal surgery and are the leading cause of intestinal obstruction. Here, tips for adhesion prevention and how to correct them when they do occur are provided.

It has long been known that anemia increases the risk of death and complications in patients who have cardiovascular surgery, but results of a new study show that these risks are increased in patients with anemia who undergo various types of surgery, including gynecological procedures.

A patient with group B strep presents requesting induction at 38 weeks. Three of her previous pregnancies resulted in precipitous delivery at or before 38 weeks. The patient expresses fears of possible intrapartum GBS fetal infection and other anxieties...

A patient with group B strep presents requesting induction at 38 weeks. Three of her previous pregnancies resulted in precipitous delivery at or before 38 weeks. The patient expresses fears of possible intrapartum GBS fetal infection and other anxieties.

Test your ob/gyn knowledge in our DailyDx.

Osteoporosis at any age can have devastating consequences. Fortunately, a number of bone-preserving measures can go a long way toward preventing this disease--not only in postmenopausal women, but also in young women at high risk.