Pregnancy and Birth

Contemporary OB/GYN provides information on the latest research on the possibility of a link between cardiovascular disease and spontaneous preterm birth; whether or not contraceptive expiration dates might be conservative; and helping answer the question of whether or not the HPV vaccine causes more sexual activity.

Do these images of the fetal brain point to a congenital anomaly or something else?

Treatments to remove precancerous cervical lesions don't seem to affect a woman's ability to become pregnant, new research found.

The Joint Commission has revised its definition of sentinel event, causing confusion about how these events now relate to severe maternal morbidity.

Severe maternal morbidity is not always a sentinel event. Take this quiz to test your understanding of what constitutes an obstetric sentinel event.

SMFM 2015: New research shows that fetuses of a certain sex are at increased risk for spontaneous preterm birth.

Use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection in cases unrelated to male factor infertility may negatively affect outcomes, new research suggests.

This second-trimester fetus has a renal abnormality. Can you identify it?

SMFM 2015: A failed result on noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) may provide insight into what subsequent tests may find, research reveals.

Contemporary OB/GYN provides information on the latest research from SMFM's annual Pregnancy Meeting.

New research from SMFM 2015 shows women whose mothers had preeclampsia or low birth weight are more likely to have the condition in pregnancy.

Probiotics don't improve the metabolic health of women with GDM but may help those at risk for future metabolic and cardiovascular disease.

Neil S. Silverman, MD, addressed the recent measles outbreak and made these suggestions for women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant.

Consider thyroid disorders, such as hyperthyroidism, when evaluating women with fertility problems and recurrent early pregnancy loss.

Challenge your diagnostic skills. What's your diagnosis based on these fetal abdominal images?

Gynecologists should expect appointment time with patients to include a discussion about the utility and safety of vaginal steam baths.

Opioid use in women of reproductive age should be better monitored, and physicians should be more judicious in their prescribing, says a CDC report.

These 5 predictions by Adam Wolfberg, MD, provide insight into how genetic testing-NIPT to microarray and cost to quality-continues to evolve.

Challenge your diagnostic skills. What's your diagnosis based on these abdominal images of a late second trimester fetus?

A first-of-its-kind prospective study by researchers from Australia shows that women who have operative deliveries may be at increased risk of dyspareunia during the postpartum period.

Prophylactic manual rotation to avoid operative delivery may not be effective, according to a recent Cochrane meta-analysis.

The Joan Rivers' case revealed that safety protocols can be ignored. So how can patients, especially pregnant patients, be reassured that they are in good hands?

Nonmedical factors seem to be driving the use of episiotomies, and there remains a wide variation in episiotomy rates in hospitals nationwide.

Analysis of data from more than 2.2 million vaginal deliveries shows that episiotomy declined between 2006 and 2012 and nonmedical factors may have been at play. The findings were published in a Research Letter in JAMA.

Challenge your diagnostic skills. What uterine-related findings are revealed in this pelvic scan?

This 18-week fetus has a vascular anomaly. Can you identify it?

Can patients who desire a natural birth or vaginal delivery truly participate in shared decision making in a system of care that trends toward c-sections?

New research sheds light on how pregnancy can affect women with a mobility disability, such as a spinal cord injury or cerebral palsy.

This uterus is anything but normal, but it still seems to function. What's your diagnosis?

For women with gestational diabetes, a low glycemic index diet was associated with less need for insulin and lower birth weights for the babies.