Pregnancy and Birth

Results from a recent presentation at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2019 annual meeting indicate that women may be more open to using inhaled nitrous oxide (N2O) for pain management during labor.

These four statements can help provide ob/gyns with guidance about how to counsel patients with substance use disorder about breastfeeding.

Maternal serum endocan level may be a useful marker for predicting preterm birth (PTB) within 7 days in patients with threatened preterm labor, according to a recent study in The Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine.

Women with certain autoimmune rheumatic diseases have an elevated risk of various preterm birth (PTB) phenotypes, according to a large population-based, retrospective cohort study from BJOG.

Immediate postplacental insertion of an IUD is not only convenient for the patient, but also safe and effective for postpartum contraception. Here's what to be mindful of when performing the procedure following cesarean delivery.

Risk of stillbirth is known to be elevated in women who go to sleep supine late in pregnancy, but a new study suggests that may not be the only associated risk.

A new Swedish study indicates that the condition may be associated with higher risk of teenage birth, which could have negative health consequences for both the mothers and their babies.

A recently published study investigated whether maternal red blood cell (RBC) lead exposure is associated with intergenerational overweight and or obesity (OWO).

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention compared the outcomes of mothers and their babies in Appalachia and the Delta with those of their counterparts elsewhere in the United States.

When trying to determine which antidepressants should be initiated for perinatal depression, several factors should be considered.

A cohort study of more than a half million individuals suggests that maternal anemia in early pregnancy may have a negative impact on a fetus’s neurodevelopment.

A recent study sought to estimate the degree to which women at high risk for developing severe maternal morbidity deliver at appropriate levels in maternal care centers.

Life expectancy of patients with SCD now approximates 50 years of age, compared to 10 years of age in the 1970s. This major improvement in outcomes didn't spontaneously happen.

Ob/gyns sometimes need to go beyond guidelines when making judgment calls, as is the case with whether to induce at 37 weeks for gestational hypertension.

Combined rescue therapy with vaginal progesterone, cervical cerclage and the Arabin cervical pessary may have potential in pregnant women with a short cervical length and a high background risk for preterm delivery, according to new research.

A new study explored whether there is higher risk of very preterm birth (< 32 weeks’ gestation) in thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb)-positive women compared to TPOAb-negative women.

New research tracking the rate of chronic hypertension among pregnant women over 40 years has uncovered startling trends regarding its prevalence.

Substance use need not be an absolute barrier to breastfeeding, but drug- and patient-specific guidance with counseling free of bias are the keys.

New research explored whether risk of wrong-patient orders increased among multiple-birth infants compared with singleton-birth infants in the NICU.

Researchers say that planned early delivery in mothers with late preterm preeclampsia may result in fewer maternal deaths, but it is not without tradeoffs.

A study by European researchers suggests that there may be a link between birth by cesarean delivery and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

A recent study compared labor care processes and birth outcomes between births in medical centers with both midwives and physicians versus those receiving only physician care.

Perineal laceration occur in up to 80% of vaginal deliveries and the severity of lacerations varies from minor lacerations that affect the skin or superficial structures of the perineum to more severe lacerations that damage the muscles fo the anal sphincter complex and rectum.

Operative vaginal delivery is an important management option for patients in the second stage of labor whose clinical situation requires expedited delivery.

A randomized trial examined whether cytomegalovirus (CMV) hyperimmune globulin is the answer to preventing CMV infection during pregnancy.

A recent study aimed to examine characteristics of real-world use patterns among a large sample of American women.

While water fluoridation has great benefits for tooth decay prevention, research indicates that in pregnant women, fluoride crosses the placenta and accumulates in brain regions involved in learning and memory.

Management of OSA in pregnant women should continue through the postpartum period and should be multidisciplinary. 

Ultrasonography plays a critical role in the diagnosis of both complete and partial molar pregnancy.