Pregnancy and Birth

Plasma renin activity (PRA) was determined by radioimmunoassay in maternal and cord blood of 20 women with pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) and in 20 normal pregnant controls.

On December 6, 1999, under Public Law 106-129, the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) was reauthorized and renamed the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

Of the nearly 4 million women giving birth in the United States each year, between 1 and 5 percent suffer from chronic hypertension.

Adapted from "The Ultrasound Detection of Chromosomal Anomalies

Labor at term is regarded as a release of the myometrium from the inhibitory effects of pregnancy (phase 0) which are mediated by a variety of suppressors that maintain uterine quiescence.

Formula feeding based on human milk composition

These pages are designed to help parents to be. They cover the most common tests available to parents and include those which appear `routine' in every pregnancy. Parents are reminded that they should make their own mind up about which tests they need if any.

Molar pregnancies are an uncommon and very frightening complication of pregnancy. The formal medical term for a molar pregnancy is "hydatidiform mole."

With its accuracy, scope, and reproducibility, might transvaginal cervical imaging help us not only predict preterm labor but understand its mechanisms?

The request for "natural hormones" is nearly universal. But there is a lot of misunderstanding regarding this idea. What is natural? Compounds derived from nature? Or compounds from pharmaceutical companies that are structurally similar to hormones produced by the ovaries?

Currently in the United States, early pregnancy failure (EPF) appears to be predominantly treated by expectant management and operating room–based uterine evacuation, even though research data have demonstrated that misoprostol and office uterine evacuation can safely evacuate a uterus in the context of induced abortion. In addition, research data indicate that women accept and actually prefer treatment with office uterine evacuation or misoprostol after EPF. So why aren’t these procedures being performed more regularly?

New recommendations by the CDC state that postpartum women should not use combined hormonal contraceptives during the first 21 days after delivery because of high risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE) during this period.

Routine screening of pregnant women for vitamin D deficiency is not recommended, according to a new Committee Opinion of The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Although severe vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy has been linked with abnormal skeletal development, congenital rickets, and bone fractures in newborns, most pregnant women obtain enough vitamin D through prenatal vitamins, fortified milk and juice, fish oils, and sunlight exposure.

The most effective forms of reversible contraception available to date are long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs), which include intrauterine devices (IUDs) and implants.1 According to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (The College), LARCs are safe for almost all women of reproductive age, including nursing mothers, adolescents, and women who have not yet had a child, and The College recommends them as first-line contraceptive methods.

Transperineal and transabdominal sonography were done for 180 patients attending Benha University Hospitals at 28-40 weeks gestational age with an antepartum hemorrhage in the period between July, 1995 and October, 1996.

Pre-eclampsia is a disease of pregnancy characterized by Hypertension, proteinurea and edema. It is a multisystem disorder affecting virtually every organ and system in the body.

Role of Maternal Human Placental Lactogen (HPL), Estriol (E3) and Ultrasonography in Monitoring High Risk Pregnancy and Its Outcome

Incompetent cervix is a condition where recurrent mid-trimester pregnancy loss complicates a pregnancy. Incompetent cervix is diagnosed in I in 2000 pregnancies, and has been determined as the cause of approximately 15% of all recurrent pregnancy loss.

Prenatal screening for Down syndrome is continuously being refined. Initially, the screen was limited to the health care provider's consideration of the mother's age at delivery, once the association between advanced maternal age (i.e. maternal age 35 or older at delivery) and increased risk for Down syndrome was recognized.

Prenatal testing for Down syndrome has gained importance--and urgency--as more women delay pregnancy into their later reproductive years. A first-trimester screening technique that combines use of maternal serum markers with ultrasonographic assessment may offer reliable answers sooner than do other available tests.

Policy makers and health professionals are progressively using evidence-based rationale to guide their decisions. There has long been controversy regarding which maternal position is more appropriate during the first stage of labor.

"Back to the Future" for Hermaani Boerhaave, or, "A rational way to generate ultrasound scan charts for estimating the date of delivery", by David Hutchon, BSc, MB, ChB, FRCOG How to use Bayes theorem to estimate sequential conditional risks. Odds ratio or Risk: that is the question! by David Hutchon, BSc, MB, ChB, FRCOG and A. Khattab, MD , Dept of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Memorial Hospital, Darlington, UKOnline Calculators by Dr. Hutchon Down Syndrome risk calculator with growth calculator UK dates i.e. D/M/Y versionDown Syndrome risk calculator (using Hecht and Hook formula) with growth calculator UK dates i.e. D/M/Y versionDown Syndrome risk calculator with growth calculator US dates i.e. M/D/Y versionDown Syndrome risk calculator using gestation specific likelihood ratios for both CRL and BPD measurements. UK dates i.e. D/M/Y versionDown Syndrome risk calculator using gestation specific likelihood ratios for both CRL and BPD measurements. US dates i.e. M/D/Y versionDown Syndrome risk calculator with growth calculator FRENCH version translation by Docteur Eric Launay, Paris. Down Syndrome risk calculator with growth calculator SLOVENIA version translation by Mag. Stanko Pu?enjak, dr. med.Down Syndrome risk calculator with growth calculator ITALIAN version translation by D Spagnolo-HSRaffaele Milano.Software to generate your own customised EDD calculator (UK date style entry)Software to generate your own customised EDD calculator (US date style entry)Simple fetal weight calculatorChicken pox in pregnancy: - decision assistanceA customised (for fetal sex, parity, maternal age) EDD calculator for the Darlington population - (see how to make your own)Risk of malignancy index calculator for ovarian tumoursCritical Appraisal Page (with off-line calculator package) for single treatment trialCritical Appraisal Page (with off-line calculator package) for Diagnostic testCalculator for confidence intervals of relative risk.Calculator for confidence intervals of odds ratioA whole range of statistical calculatorsGenerates a table for any ultrasound parameter measurement converted to gestation using any polynomial equationGenerates a table for gestation to any ultrasound parameter measurement using any polynomial equationCalculator for risk of Down syndrome using second trimester US markers using work published by Greggory De VoreRisk of Abruptio Placentae as published by Baumann P et al Mathematic modeling to predict abruptio placentae. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2000;183:815-22

This patient is a 23 year old Gravida 1 who presents for prenatal care at 8 weeks gestation. She has a completely normal history and physical exam is compatible with an 8 week gestation. The pelvis is of normal configuration and size.

Screening for Down syndrome has evolved significantly over the last number of years. Much research has been presented describing sonographic features that may be useful for the prenatal detection of Down syndrome, ranging from second trimester “soft markers” such as short femur, nuchal fold enlargement, or echogenic intracardiac foci, to first trimester features such as increased nuchal translucency or absent fetal nose bone.

It has previously been argued that “prenatal informed consent for sonogram be accepted as an indication for the prudent use of obstetric ultrasonography performed by qualified personnel.” We extend this argument to the use of ultrasound screening for aneuploidy in the first trimester.

Ovulation induction is based on the administration of gonadotropins in order to enhance fertility. Daily administration of the drug causes a supra-physiological increase in serum FSH leading to the recruitment of a larger cohort of follicles, further causes their growth and development, and finally, triggering ovulation of usually more than one follicle.

Upon hospital discharge it is not unusual for mothers of preterm infants to continue to meet all or most of their infants' nutritional needs through bottle feedings of expressed breast milk (EBM) because of infants' physiological immaturity and maternal concerns with an inadequacy of milk supply.

Once you are diagnosed as having gestational diabetes, you and your health care providers will want to know more about your day-to-day blood sugar levels.

Approximately 3 to 5 percent of all pregnant women in the United States are diagnosed as having gestational diabetes. These women and their families have many questions about this disorder.

Perinatal outcomes differ by week of gestational age. However, it appears that how measures to examine these outcomes vary among various studies. The current paper explores how perinatal complications are reported and how they might differ when different denominators, numerators, and comparison groups are utilized.