Free contraception leads to better pregnancy timing
August 1st 2013Properly timing subsequent pregnancies is important for both mothers and babies. It’s often accomplished with postpartum contraception, which may be out of reach for low-income women. A recent study in Obstetrics & Gynecology looked at how prescription of postpartum contraception through publicly funded programs affects the interval between pregnancies.
Use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors during pregnancy
August 1st 2013Obstetricians often see pregnant patients with psychiatric disorders, the most common being depression. Treatment includes both nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic options. This article focuses on use of selective serotonin reputake inhibitors (SSRIs), the drugs most often used to treat depression in pregnancy.
Scientists take notable step toward potential Down syndrome treatment
July 25th 2013A therapy for Down syndrome may be just around the corner, thanks to scientists’ success in altering a genetic fault in isolated cells that ultimately leads to the condition, according to new study findings in Nature.
Delayed clamping won’t harm mothers, benefits infants
July 18th 2013The common practice of clamping an umbilical cord within a minute of birth to reduce the possibility of maternal hemorrhaging may need to be revised, according to a new paper published in The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. The study authors searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group’s Trials Register to find 15 trials involving a total of 3911 mother and infant pairs. The risk of bias in the trials was considered by the paper’s authors to be moderate in nature.
Prediabetes may affect breast milk supply
July 18th 2013If women are prediabetic when giving birth, they may find it difficult to make enough breast milk to feed their newborns, according to new research from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of California, Davis. The findings show that insulin dysregulation can negatively impact milk supply.
Evidence Supports Treatment of Mild Gestational Diabetes
July 12th 2013The current treatment of mild gestational diabetes mellitus results in fewer cases of preeclampsia, shoulder dystocia, and macrosomia but seems to have no effect on neonatal hypoglycemia or future poor metabolic outcomes, concluded a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Cesarean delivery rate levels off
July 11th 2013After rising steadily for nearly a decade, the rate of cesarean deliveries appears to have stabilized, according to a new report (www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db124.pdf) from the National Center for Health Statistics. New guidelines and policies encouraging longer gestations have led to a trend of cesarean deliveries occurring more frequently at 39 weeks than at 38 weeks.
Cell-free DNA screening for trisomies yields reliable results overall
July 11th 2013Use of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) testing at 10 weeks’ gestation to routinely screen for trisomies 21, 18, and 13 is achievable and it yields lower false-positive rates compared with combined testing. The downside, however, is that abnormal results must be validated by chorionic villus sampling (CVS), according to new research in the journal Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
FDA approves first nonhormonal treatment for hot flashes
July 11th 2013FDA has approved low-dose paroxetine capsules (Brisdelle, Noven Pharmaceuticals), 7.5 mg/day, for treatment of moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms (VMS) associated with menopause, also referred to as hot flashes and night sweats.