Pregnancy and Birth

Name the anomaly in this 11-week fetus.

Most hospital births attended by physicians in the U.S. involve the use of stirrups. Do they offer any benefits?

Anti-mullerian hormone testing is the most recent and reliable ovarian reserve test, and it can be used to help women make decisions about family planning early.

A controversial new guideline issued by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says doctors should encourage women to deliver without epidurals or caesarean sections. Do you agree?

This is a middle-aged female patient with pelvic discomfort. What is your diagnosis?

Pregnant women with a history of psychiatric disorders can significantly reduce depressive symptoms by practicing mindfulness yoga, according to a small pilot study conducted by the University of Michigan Health System.

This middle-aged woman has a six-month history of menorrhagia, with no pain, resulting in anemia. What is your opinion based on these images?

With the exception of breech presentations, attempting vaginal delivery of early preterm fetuses in the vertex position is highly successful and associated with neonatal mortality rates similar to those for cesarean delivery.

New evidence shows that pregnant smokers may benefit from pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation.

IUDs are a safe and effective method of contraception. Why aren't we offering them to teens?

Use of glucocorticoids around the time of implantation has no effect on live birth rates and mimimal effect on pregnancy rates, confirms a new meta-analysis.

A pregnant woman has an open urachal channel and is losing urine through her navel. How would you manage the case?

The benefits of intermittent oral iron supplementation plus folic acid are similar to those of daily supplementation in terms of maternal and infant outcomes, according to the results of a recent systematic analysis.

President-elect of ACOG, Jeanne Conry, MD,advocates for more awareness of and research into how environmental factors prior to conception influence the health of mother and baby, and said, “In medicine we often don't pay attention to environmental research." Is she right?

This woman presented with pelvic pain and discomfort. What is your diagnosis?

Because lead easily crosses the placenta, elevated lead levels in pregnancy have been associated with gestational hypertension, spontaneous abortion, low birth weight, and impaired neurodevelopment. In a new Committee Opinion, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has reviewed screening and management policies for elevated lead levels in pregnancy.

In women undergoing assisted reproductive techniques, intentional endometrial injury performed in the month prior to the embryo transfer cycle can increase the likelihood of clinical pregnancy and live birth, according to results of a new study.

This is an early first trimester pregnancy with pelvic discomfort. What are your findings and what is a possible diagnosis?

Use of a double-balloon catheter for preinduction cervical ripening leads to more vaginal births within 24 hours than does a prostaglandin vaginal insert, according to a new study.

The diagnostic value of the maternal “spot urine” test in suspected preeclampsia is promising, but clinical questions abound.

This is a 2nd trimester pregnancy. What are your findings and diagnosis in this case (ultrasound images are of the pelvis and uterus in particular)?

The independent risk factors for spontaneous preterm birth with intact membranes and SPTB after prelabor rupture of membranes for healthy nulliparous pregnant women are markedlydifferent, according to results of a new study.

In the first trial to evaluate which route of delivery optimizes outcomes in women with eclampsia, researchers found that labor induction and cesarean section are associated with similar maternal and perinatal outcomes.

Week of August 3, 2012: A beloved ob/gyn is suspended, IUD use is on the rise, and the Affordable Care Act's provisions for women kick in.

This is an early 3rd trimester pregnancy. What is your diagnosis of this placenta?

A new study compares how pulsatile oxytocin infusion and continuous delivery of the synthetic hormone affect delivery outcomes in labor inductions and augmentations.

Cancer passed in utero, trading art for health care, urinary incontinence in young women and more in the ob/gyn week in review.

Despite insufficient evidence to support the practice, many physicians treat obstetric cholestasis with ursodeoxycholic acid to reduce pruritis and hepatic impairment. Recently, the largest trial to date comparing UDCA with placebo also studied the timing of delivery in this group of women.

Cesarean sections are used in one-third of births, often before 39 weeks. Some major insurers are launching initiatives to reduce early elective Cesareans. Is that a good idea?

This is a common uterine condition. What's your diagnosis?