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Being familiar with the risk factors that predispose a patient to cord prolapse is the first step toward preventing the complication. Recognizing the early warning signs is the first step toward averting a life-threatening disaster.

Concerns about gaps in knowledge about women's health across the life span are what spurred the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish the Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH) in 1990. Until then, women could not be ensured of inclusion in clinical research that would impact both men and women.

Proper evaluation of a key muscle group can identify pelvic floor myalgia—an often unsuspected but highly treatable cause of insertional dyspareunia and pelvic pain. An expert tells how to proceed with diagnosis and treatment.

Glyburide is as effective as insulin for women with gestational diabetes mellitus and a fasting plasma glucose of 140 mg/dL or less on a 3-hour glucose tolerance test, according to a 4-year retrospective study of a large and diverse managed-care population.

A decision on Barr Lab's application for over-the-counter (OTC) status for Plan B has been postponed by the FDA, which previously had promised action by September 1.

New technology is in the wings to help detect preterm premature rupture of membranes, improve ultrasound imaging, provide noninvasive prenatal genetic screening, and speed up the diagnosis of intra-amniotic infection.

Practicing difficult deliveries on a manikin is not only for residents. Obstetricians in some areas may be able to reduce their malpractice premiums by taking simulation courses.

Ob/gyns rely on medical technology every day to care for their patients. But are you using the same devices as other ob/gyns across the country? A survey commissioned by Contemporary OB/GYN lets you see how you stack up with your colleagues in adopting these tools.

A new option for long-term contraception is coming soon. Here are the pros and cons on Implanon—an implant that doesn't get into breast milk nor diminish bone mineral density—but can cause irregular and unpredictable bleeding patterns.

Ob/gyns often ask me vague questions about "that large study at NICHD." They want to know if it will be like the old "Collaborative Perinatal Project." Have we chosen the sites? How can they participate? Clearly many physicians and health-care providers either have never heard of the National Children's Study (NCS) or do not know much about it. I hope this column will help change that so the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) can have all the support we need to successfully launch this study. And I welcome your participation in this landmark research endeavor.

The scientific evidence to date-including the authors' recent RCT-says no. Were EC to be available over-the-counter, it would not encourage risky sex nor increase rates of STI.

High medical malpractice premiums seem to have a negative affect on the supply of new ob/gyns. That's what researchers from the University of Michigan reported in a recent issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology (June 2005).