Weekly review: Top headlines from Q1, leading maternal death causes, and more

Thank you for visiting the Contemporary OB/GYN website. Take a look at some of our top stories from the past week (Monday, March 30, to Friday, April 3, 2026) and click on each link to read and watch anything you may have missed.

Contemporary OB/GYN's most popular headlines from Q1 2026

Before we turn the calendar to the second quarter of 2026, Contemporary OB/GYN has compiled a list of our most-viewed headlines from Q1, so today’s ob-gyns and women’s health care providers can be informed as Q2 rolls in.

At the link below, find our top 10 most popular articles and videos from the first quarter of 2026. From FDA approvals to new guidance, we highlighted no shortage of news, updates, and clinical perspectives in the first 3 months of the new year.

Click here for more.

Amy Sarma, MD, on increasing access to female cardiovascular care

According to Amy Sarma, MD, moving beyond episodic office visits to multimodality care strategies is essential for reducing adverse cardiovascular outcomes in high-risk patients.

Click here to watch this Contemporary OB/GYN video interview.

Hooman Azad, MD, MPH, explains new leading causes of maternal death in the US

The traditional clinical focus on hemorrhage and hypertension as the primary drivers of maternal death may not be as clear cut as originally thought. A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) revealed that unintentional drug overdose and violence—homicide and suicide—now account for more than one-fourth of maternal deaths in the United States. Hooman Azad, MD, MPH, Clinical fellow, Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Columbia University, New York, and study author, discussed how these findings broaden the definition of maternal risk.

Click here to watch our interview with Azad.

Wearable device designed for perimenopause launches

On April 2, 2026, Peri, a women’s health and data company, launched the first wearable device specifically engineered to monitor perimenopause, according to a press release from the company. The device used a sensor placed under the breast to accurately monitor vasomotor symptoms, which affect up to 80% of women during the menopause transition.

Click here for the full article.

iPad-based substance use screening reduces racial disparities in urine toxicology testing

Implementing a standardized iPad-based substance use screening tool on labor and delivery required months of institutional preparation — but the investment yielded measurable equity gains, according to Mariam Naqvi, MD, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, whose work at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center was previously reported in part.

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