Pregnancy and Birth

The Contraceptive CHOICE Project, a research study at Washington University in St. Louis, found that offering long-acting, reversible contraception (LARC) to women first, citing its low-failure rates, reduced rates of unintended pregnancy and abortion and increased continuation rates.

Uterine artery embolization for fibroids results in a tremendous reduction in menorrhagia. But while complication rates are low, up to 15% of patients are readmitted for indications like pain, bleeding and infection.

In October 2012, the American Society of Reproductive Medicine announced it no longer considers oocyte freezing experimental. This raises complex questions about how to counsel patients who wish to preserve eggs for social indications.

The use of prophylactic 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17P) is not effective for the prevention of preterm delivery, and may even be harmful in women with an asymptomatic twin pregnancy and short cervix.

The US Food and Drug Administration has announced that the children of mothers who took medications including or related to valproate sodium during pregnancy show decreased IQ scores, and that these drugs are now contraindicated for pregnant women.

This middle-aged woman has pelvic pain and vaginal discharge. What is your diagnosis based on these ultrasound images of the uterus?

One in seven women will experience pelvic pain in her lifetime, and between one- and two-thirds will have chronic pain that persists for more than three years. But although it’s common, it can be one of the most difficult and frustrating conditions physicians treat.

Fish oil supplementation that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids does not prevent depressive symptoms during pregnancy or in the postpartum period, according to the results of a double-blind, randomized controlled trial.

This young lady has abdominal pain and chest discomfort.She was undergoing treatment for infertility.What is your diagnosis?

Two physicians discuss the pros and cons of universal assessment for ob/gyns and their patients.

In patients with an American Fertility Society class V or class VI septate uterus, hysteroscopic metroplasty is associated with a significant improvement in reproductive performance.

The FDA has approved an application to market the emergency contraceptive Plan B One-Step for use without a prescription by women 15 years of age and older.

Using ultrasound imaging before an epidural catheterization or lumbar puncture can reduce the risk of failed or traumatic procedures and can lower the number of needle insertions and redirections, according to the findings of a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Total delivery costs are lower-and rates of vaginal delivery higher-when external cephalic version (ECV) is done with versus without neuraxial anesthesia. So say the results of a study by Stanford University researchers published online in Anesthesia & Analgesia.

What is your diagnosis in this fetus of 12 weeks gestational age?

Enhancing cardiotocography with ST analysis in fetal monitoring reduces the incidence of instrumental vaginal delivery and the need for fetal blood sampling.

Pregnant women who experienced certain stressful life events in the year preceding their delivery had an increased risk of stillbirth.

In a group of diverse hospitals across multiple states, an improvement program substantially and rapidly decreased elective scheduled early-term deliveries to less than 5%.

The FDA has approved Diclegis for the treatment of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.

Women with endometriosis who undergo surgery to treat the condition are less likely to have ovarian cancer develop later in life.

There is limited evidence that for transcervical chorionic villus sampling (CVS), the use of small forceps may be more effective and less painful than the use of an aspiration cannula.

In a groundbreaking procedure, robotically assisted, ultrasound-guided laparoscopic surgery was performed successfully to tighten an incompetent cervix.

Recombinant pigment epithelium-derived factor (rPEDF) proposed as a novel physiological treatment for ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS).

The risk of postoperative endometritis is reduced when a vaginal preparation of povidone-iodine is administered immediately before cesarean delivery.

There is no association between in utero exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and stillbirth, neonatal mortality, and infant growth rate during the first year of life, according to the results of 2 unrelated studies.

Even after stratification by hospital size, teaching status, and geographic location, rates of cesarean delivery among hospitals across the United States vary almost 10-fold-from a low of 7.1% to a high of 69.96%.

For the long protocol of down regulation in in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles, are depot and daily gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa) equally effective?