Contemporary OB/GYN week in review: vaccine confidence, HRT, and more

This week at Contemporary OB/GYN®, we covered topics ranging from the clinician role in pregnancy vaccine confidence to SMFM guidance for postpartum heart failure. Click the links below to read anything you might have missed from Monday, October 06, to Friday, October 10, 2025.

Kathleen Hall Jamieson, PhD, highlights clinician role in pregnancy vaccine confidence

In a recent discussion with Contemporary OB/GYN, Kathleen Hall Jamieson, PhD, Annenberg Public Policy Center director, highlighted the potential long-term public health consequences of declining support for vaccination during pregnancy.

While scientific evidence strongly supports the safety and benefits of maternal immunization for both mothers and infants, new data suggest that the broader public, including individuals of childbearing age, remains uncertain or hesitant about recommending vaccines in pregnancy. Jamieson emphasized that this hesitancy may stem not from opposition but from a lack of knowledge about vaccine safety and the diseases these immunizations prevent. Increasing public understanding of the protective role of vaccines during pregnancy, she noted, is essential for improving both maternal and infant outcomes.

Experts call for individualized approach to HRT after breast cancer

In a recent discussion with Contemporary OB/GYN, Sarah Glynne, MBBS, BSc, GP menopause specialist at The Portland Hospital, and Jayant S. Vaidya, MD, FRCS, PhD, professor of surgery and oncology at the University College London, emphasized the importance of individualized, evidence-informed conversations between clinicians and patients regarding hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after breast cancer.

The pair discussed their recent publication and the upcoming MENO-ABC trial, both aimed at reframing how clinicians approach menopause management in breast cancer survivors. Glynne explained that the purpose of their work is not to promote HRT use after breast cancer, but rather to promote open, patient-centered dialogue about its potential risks and benefits. She noted that many women continue to experience significant menopausal symptoms that severely affect their quality of life, yet are frequently denied HRT without discussion.

SMFM issues new guidance on diagnosis and management of heart failure during pregnancy, postpartum

The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) has released new recommendations addressing the diagnosis and management of right and left heart failure during pregnancy and the postpartum period. The guidance, Consult Series #73, emphasizes early counseling, multidisciplinary care coordination, and referral to specialized centers to optimize maternal and newborn outcomes.

“Heart disease is a leading cause of maternal deaths, and it’s a growing problem,” said Arthur Jason Vaught, MD, a maternal-fetal medicine subspecialist and critical care physician at Johns Hopkins Medicine, and a member of the SMFM Publications Committee. “This new guidance focuses attention on heart failure in pregnancy so that we can improve both short- and long-term quality of life for our patients. Getting accurately diagnosed and treated for heart disease, either before pregnancy or early in pregnancy, is both life-prolonging and life-changing if caught early.”

Click here for the full article.

COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy still offers key protection

Researchers have found that while the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy have waned over time, they remain substantial for public health, publishing their findings in JAMA Network Open.

COVID-19 hospitalization was estimated to be averted in 1251 infants when vaccine coverage was 50%, vs 2502 when coverage was 100%. In pregnant patients, 228 severe COVID-19 cases were averted at 50% coverage vs 456 at 100%. When vaccine coverage was low:

• 375 hospitalizations were averted in infants
• 68 severe cases were averted in pregnant patients

These results indicated significant benefits from COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy. While these benefits have waned over time, investigators concluded the data highlight a need to reconsider removing vaccine eligibility during pregnancy.

Click here for the full article.

Lopa Pandya, MD, discusses link between hysterectomy and urinary incontinence

According to Lopa Pandya, MD, MS, FACOG, a urogynecologist and reconstructive surgeon at UI Health and medical advisor at Aeroflow Urology, recent research indicates a complex relationship between hysterectomy and urinary incontinence, with outcomes varying by type and time since surgery.

Pandya referenced a recent study examining the long-term risk of pelvic floor disorders following hysterectomy. Findings showed that within 10 years of the procedure, rates of stress and mixed incontinence tend to increase. For an overactive bladder, risk also rises within the first decade. However, data beyond 10 years do not consistently show continued elevation in risk. Importantly, there is limited research comparing urinary incontinence outcomes across different surgical approaches, making it difficult to determine whether certain hysterectomy types pose higher risks than others.