Pregnancy and Birth

There is good evidence that iron supplementation during pregnancy can increase maternal hemoglobin levels, decrease the risk of maternal anemia during late pregnancy, and increase birth weight, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis.

A 34-year-old woman came for routine sonographic examination at 28-weeks gestational age, and a shocking fetal anomaly was discovered. Can you identify it?

Pregnancy after bariatric surgery is associated with a reduced risk of having a large-for-gestational-age infant and an increased risk of having a small-for-gestational-age infant, concluded a matched cohort study of singleton deliveries in Denmark.

This is the case of a third trimester pregnancy for which sonography was done. What is your diagnosis based on these images?

Medical treatment and expectant care are acceptable alternatives to routine surgery after a miscarriage, concluded an intervention review conducted by the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group.

Compared with vaginal deliveries, cesarean sections may be associated with an increased risk of endometriosis, according to the findings of a large prospective cohort study conducted in Sweden.

Many choose to discontinue antidepressant treatment during attempts to conceive or during pregnancy, in spite of the risks of untreated perinatal depression. Safety profiles of antidepressant use during pregnancy are increasingly being studied, and many women seek alternatives during pregnancy. This article will review several complementary and alternative (CAM) treatments for prenatal unipolar depression: omega-3 fatty acids, folate, St John’s Wort, bright light therapy, massage therapy, and exercise.

What is your diagnosis in this woman who underwent a routine pelvic sonography for non specific complaints?

Pregnant women who are overweight or obese are at increased risk for preterm delivery, according to a population-based cohort study of women in Sweden.

One incision is associated with better outcomes and potential cost savings.

Exposure to pollution in early life may increase the risk of autism spectrum disorders, according to researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health.

The increased availability of emergency contraception to women and girls irrespective of age is victory for all of us.

A noninvasive test that analyzes fetal cell-free (cf) DNA in a pregnant woman’s blood can accurately detect trisomy 21 and other genetic fetal abnormalities in the first trimester, according to the results of a new study.

The FDA has changed the Pregnancy Category of magnesium sulfate from ‘A’ to ‘D,’ indicating that there is “positive evidence of human fetal risk” when the drug is used during pregnancy.

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is associated with an increased risk of venous thromboembolism and pulmonary embolism, especially during the first trimester.

Doing nothing is no longer an option, say the authors. Cervical length assessment should be provided to a larger population of women to identify and treat those with cervical shortening.

Three major Ohio universities and 4 hospitals have joined with the March of Dimes Foundation to establish a new collaborative research program aimed exclusively at finding the unknown causes of premature birth.

Women with a history of preeclampsia or other hypertensive pregnancy diseases are more likely to experience vasomotor menopausal symptoms.

The teratogenic potential of nitrofurantoin is low, according to the results of a large, population-based study conducted in Norway.

Outcomes of pregnancies in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension have improved substantially in those with well-controlled disease.

Laparoendoscopic single-site surgery with hysterectomy (LESS-H) for benign disease with either a lateral or vaginal approach is a feasible procedure regardless of cesarean section history.

One in 3 women nulliparous women with a short cervix is prescribed some type of activity restriction, despite lack of benefit in prevention of preterm birth (PTB). Those are the findings from a secondary analysis of data from the Short Cervix and Nulliparity trial. Published in Obstetrics & Gynecology, it is accompanied by a commentary titled “Bed Rest in Pregnancy: Time to Put the Issue to Rest” and an ethical argument for dismissing the practice.

There is a clearly defined rounded mass just below the endometrial stripe of the uterus. The endometrium itself appears normal in thickness ruling out hyperplasia.The mass is within the uterine fundus and body ruling out a cervical mass.

In high-resource settings, the practice of controlled cord traction for the management of placenta expulsion is not associated with a decreased incidence of postpartum hemorrhage.