Obstetrics

A “broader perspective” and a “comprehensive multidimensional assessment” are necessary to establish a causal link between intrapartum hypoxic events and neonatal encephalopathy, according to the latest report from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Task Force on Neonatal Encephalopathy.

Four experts discuss the guidelines from the College of American Pathologists regarding placental examination.

Where in the US are women most likely to stop drinking before they get pregnant? Get a checkup? Take folic acid? The CDC recently asked these questions to find out how to reduce risky preconception behavior.

Cigarette smoking is down, but use of new tobacco products is on the rise. Patients may be fooled into thinking they are safe for use in pregnancy.

A study of a nationally representative sample of hospitalized women who were pregnant or gave birth shows a link between obstructive sleep apnea and maternal death. The findings, published in SLEEP, point to a need for targeted interventions to improve pregnancy outcomes in women with apnea.

New guidelines from the American Heart Association are designed to help practitioners make decisions when faced with caring for unborn babies with heart issues.

In certain industrialized nations, immigrant women from sub-Saharan Africa, Latina America, and the Caribbean may be at increased risk of preeclampsia and eclampsia.

A meta-analysis has shown that even small increases in a mother's BMI can increase the risk of fetal death, stillbirth, and neonatal, perinatal, and infant death.

Invasive prenatal diagnosis may soon be completely replaced by noninvasive assessment of maternal plasma cell-free DNA.

Women undergoing the menopausal transition may be prone to prolonged bleeding with periods of heaviness, according to a new study in BJOG.

Know your limitations, document, train, and communicate, says this MFM specialist who has served as an expert witness.

Tdap vaccination is both safe and recommended for all pregnant women during every pregnancy, regardless of the timing of their last Tdap immunization.

According to a new study in the Annals of Epidemiology, high levels of vitamin D do not prevent hypertension in pregnancy. The report adds to the literature on vitamin intake and preeclampsia while contradicting some previous reports that have suggested a link between low maternal levels of the vitamin and the disorder.

According to a recent study in Human Reproduction, women who produce a low number of oocytes during in vitro fertilization (IVF) seem to have an increased risk of miscarriage.

Girls who become pregnant when they are aged younger than 15 years are more likely than slightly older women to have much older sexual partners, to not use contraception the first time they have sex, and to be Hispanic or black, suggesting that they may be particularly vulnerable to relationships with unequal power.

Massively parallel sequencing of maternal cell-free DNA (cfDNA testing) has been shown better at predicting fetal aneuploidies than standard screening in a new study among a general obstetric population. Published in The New England Journal of Medicine, the report by the CARE Study group was funded by Illumina.

A reader responds to the February 2014 cover story, "When opiate abuse complicates pregnancy."

Having a major mental illness triples the risk that an adolescent will become teenaged mother, according to a study in Pediatrics. The research is the first to look at fertility trends in adolescents with mental illnesses.

Gestational surrogacy in India is on the rise. How will this help or harm American couples and Indian surrogates?

What are the rights of a pregnant woman whose actions or condition may harm her unborn child?

Opinions differ on the value of sending placentas for pathology examinations. The author calls for standardizing when, why, and how this occurs.

Drug abuse during pregnancy has become more common in recent years. Here's how to intervene in a way that will most benefit both mother and baby.

The use of forceps and the vacuum extractor shouldn't be allowed to become a lost art.

A child's disabilities are found to be unrelated to the events that occurred at her birth.

Risk of fetal and infant death is substantially increased in women with pre-existing diabetes, according to results of a new study in Diabetologia. The population-based analysis is one of few to exclude the effect of congenital anomalies and suggests that the association is largely influenced by glycemic control.

In his final editorial of 2013, Dr. Lockwood comments on the recommendations of the ACOG Task Force on Hypertension in Pregnancy.

According to a recent study, parity and mode of delivery do not have a significant impact on women's long-term sexual satisfaction.

Pregnant patients who have undergone some form of bariatric surgery are at greater risk of preterm birth than women who haven’t had the procedure, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal. The risk of small for gestational age (SGA) was also increased in women with previous bariatric surgery.

A low-cost instrument that an auto mechanic invented to ease assisted vaginal delivery is being tested by the World Health Organization (WHO). If proven safe and effective, the Odon Device would be the first innovation in operative vaginal delivery since the forceps and vacuum extractor.

Asthmatic women may take longer to become pregnant, according to a new study published in The European Respiratory Journal.