Pregnancy and Birth

A literature review in Pediatrics sought to understand more about the possible impacts.

A literature review published in Pediatrics analyzed whether the practice of immunizations during pregnancy influence other early health outcomes.

A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine investigated the joint effect of gestational age and Apgar scores on the risks of neonatal death.

A new report in Pediatrics investigated whether black children were likely to have more complications and greater mortality following surgery than their white peers.

The results of this study allowed researchers to identify the onset mechanism of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), especially in some cases that would have otherwise remained unexplained.

A new study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) may shed light on why the virus has rarely been found in fetuses and newborns of mothers infected with COVID-19.

A recent systematic review found that climate change-related exacerbation of the two exposures may be having an adverse effect on obstetric outcomes.

Two calculators for practitioners to estimate fetal growth percentiles, velocity and account for racial and ethnic variation from the NICHD are now available.

In the United States, marijuana use by adults has increased in recent years.

Data on COVID-19 during pregnancy, as reported by the CDC, in collaboration with state, local, and territorial health departments and external partners.

A nationwide study by Swedish researchers suggests that inducing labor at no later than 41 weeks could be one of the few interventions that reduce stillbirths.

For Cord Blood Awareness Month, here are some updated usages and FDA regulations for practitioners using cord blood.

Data on COVID-19 during pregnancy, as reported by the CDC, in collaboration with state, local, and territorial health departments and external partners.

NICU utilization trends have yet to be thoroughly investigated.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) updated its list of demographics at higher risk for COVID-19, due to new evidence.

A new report in Archives of Disease in Children examined the rates of sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) among families that occurred after a previous incident of SUDI.

Telehealth has made its way into many ob/gyn practices. With many patients hesitant to visit their doctors in person, it may be difficult to convince them to schedule in-person visits.

Rates of depression at 6 weeks postpartum among adolescents and young adults (AYA) were significantly lower in those initiating immediate postpartum etonogestrel (ENG) implants compared to other birth control methods, according to new research.

June 19, 1865, also known as Juneteenth, celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. On this day nearly 160 years ago, Union troops arrived in Galveston, TX to announce the end of the Civil War and the emancipation of slavery in the United States.

A South Korean prospective study has concluded that an injection of port-site bupivacaine hydrochloride following gynecologic laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LSSS) does not provide any additive effect in alleviating postoperative umbilical pain.

Results of new research suggest that in Canada, hypothyroidism in pregnancy may be overtreated.

Women who are deaf or hard of hearing have a higher risk of complications in pregnancy, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

As we are now incorporating the new post-COVID-19 “normal” into our routines, our editor-in-chief, Dr. Catherine Spong, reflects on parallels with changes that went into play with the identification and management of patients with HIV.

Cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) is a complication in which an early pregnancy implants in the scar from a prior cesarean delivery. Incidence and recognition of this condition appear to have increased over the past two decades, perhaps due to high worldwide cesarean delivery rates. The clinical presentation is variable, and many women are asymptomatic at presentation. CSP can be difficult to diagnose in a timely fashion. Ultrasound is the primary imaging modality for CSP diagnosis. Expectantly managed CSP is associated with high rates of severe maternal morbidity such as hemorrhage, placenta accreta spectrum (PAS), and uterine rupture. Given these substantial risks, pregnancy termination is recommended after CSP diagnosis. Several surgical and medical treatments have been described for this disorder, but at this time, optimal management remains uncertain.

Cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) is a complication in which an early pregnancy implants in the scar from a prior cesarean delivery. Incidence and recognition of this condition appear to have increased over the past two decades, perhaps due to high worldwide cesarean delivery rates. The clinical presentation is variable, and many women are asymptomatic at presentation. CSP can be difficult to diagnose in a timely fashion. Ultrasound is the primary imaging modality for CSP diagnosis. Expectantly managed CSP is associated with high rates of severe maternal morbidity such as hemorrhage, placenta accreta spectrum (PAS), and uterine rupture. Given these substantial risks, pregnancy termination is recommended after CSP diagnosis. Several surgical and medical treatments have been described for this disorder, but at this time, optimal management remains uncertain.

Specific interventions may be needed in pregnancy to promote early offspring psychopathology health and wellbeing.

The most common electrolyte abnormality seen in infants with jitteriness is hypoglycemia.

Early-life predictors are crucial for continued development of effective preventive strategies for T2DM.

Risk of labor induction and cesarean delivery is increased in nulliparas who are obese, and use of misoprostol or insertion of a Foley balloon often fails in these patients, for reasons that aren’t fully understood.