Pregnancy and Birth

The age at which a woman reaches menopause is 85% genetically determined, according to new research published Thursday, in Europe's leading reproductive medicine journal, Human Reproduction*.

Healthy, nonsmoking perimenopausal women can derive a host of benefits from using oral contraceptives (OCs). Along with providing effective contraception, OCs can regulate their menstrual cycles, reduce hot flashes, and protect against two gynecologic cancers.

There are many ways to take estrogens and many philosophies of management. The views expressed on this page represent the opinion of the author and may or may not conform to the current "standard of care" prevalent in the United States today.

Natural Estrogens, Selective Estrogens, Fantasy Estrogens... What is the Perfect Estrogen?

This is adapted from an interview with Dr. Howard Glazer, who has developed a treatment for this condition using a form of biofeedback. This initial interview, covers the history of the disease, as well as Dr. Glazer's background.

Body Mass Index, Percent Body Fat, and Regional Body Fat Distribution in Relation to Leptin Concentrations in Healthy, Non-Smoking Postmenopausal Women in a Feeding Study

Many risk factors for fractures have been documented, including low bone-mineral density (BMD) and a history of fractures.

Diagnostic discordance for osteoporosis is the observation that the T-score of an individual patient varies from one key measurement site to another, falling into two different diagnostic categories identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) classification system.

The wide availability of over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications has translated into increased quality of life for many people, but at what cost? During pregnancy, for example, caution and concern is warranted as there is insufficient information about the true risks to the fetus. As a result, some women unintentionally take medications that could potentially harm their fetus, while others experience increased anxiety about relatively safe and effective (and crucial) medications, which may lead to lack of adherence and troublesome outcomes for mother and fetus.

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a prevalent and costly condition which may be treated surgically or by physical therapy.

High blood pressure complicates almost 10 percent of all pregnancies, and the incidence is higher if the women are nulliparous or carrying multiple fetuses.

In an extensive, multi-center clinical treatment trial, Canadian researchers evaluated the outcomes of 538 cases of uterine artery embolization for fibroids. Between 20% and 50% of women develop uterine fibroids, benign tumors in the muscular tissue of the uterus that can seriously impact their health and well-being.

This study was designed to determine whether epidural anesthesia would improve external cephalic version success in a safe and effective manner.

The ability to quickly, cost-effectively and accurately predict fetal pulmonary maturity would be a helpful adjunct in the management of problem pregnancies when either delivery or administration of glucocorticoid are management options.

There are an increasing number of genetic disorders that can be diagnosed by direct DNA analysis, such as cystic fibrosis.

A recent survey of ob/gyns (N = 308) reported that respondents who indicated they had prior training in office uterine evacuation and/or induced abortion also reported using office uterine evacuation more frequently as compared to those providers without any training. The operation room was used more often by those respondents who did not have any induced abortion training.

In the newborn period, group B streptococcus agalactiae infection is the leading cause of sepsis in the United States. The overall attack rate of early onset GBS infection (EOGBSI) per 1000 deliveries ranges from 0.72 to 5.5.

It is implantation of the fertilised ovum outside the normal uterine cavity. Common site (95%) : the tubes. Rare sites (5%) : The ovaries, a rudimentary horn of a bicornuate uterus , broad ligaments, peritoneum and cervix.

Plasma renin activity (PRA) was determined by radioimmunoassay in maternal and cord blood of 20 women with pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) and in 20 normal pregnant controls.

On December 6, 1999, under Public Law 106-129, the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) was reauthorized and renamed the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

Of the nearly 4 million women giving birth in the United States each year, between 1 and 5 percent suffer from chronic hypertension.

Adapted from "The Ultrasound Detection of Chromosomal Anomalies

Labor at term is regarded as a release of the myometrium from the inhibitory effects of pregnancy (phase 0) which are mediated by a variety of suppressors that maintain uterine quiescence.

Formula feeding based on human milk composition

These pages are designed to help parents to be. They cover the most common tests available to parents and include those which appear `routine' in every pregnancy. Parents are reminded that they should make their own mind up about which tests they need if any.

Molar pregnancies are an uncommon and very frightening complication of pregnancy. The formal medical term for a molar pregnancy is "hydatidiform mole."

With its accuracy, scope, and reproducibility, might transvaginal cervical imaging help us not only predict preterm labor but understand its mechanisms?

The request for "natural hormones" is nearly universal. But there is a lot of misunderstanding regarding this idea. What is natural? Compounds derived from nature? Or compounds from pharmaceutical companies that are structurally similar to hormones produced by the ovaries?

Currently in the United States, early pregnancy failure (EPF) appears to be predominantly treated by expectant management and operating room–based uterine evacuation, even though research data have demonstrated that misoprostol and office uterine evacuation can safely evacuate a uterus in the context of induced abortion. In addition, research data indicate that women accept and actually prefer treatment with office uterine evacuation or misoprostol after EPF. So why aren’t these procedures being performed more regularly?

New recommendations by the CDC state that postpartum women should not use combined hormonal contraceptives during the first 21 days after delivery because of high risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE) during this period.