PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To review the current literature on vaginal birth after cesarean delivery efficacy and safety. RECENT FINDINGS: There are two major themes in current vaginal birth after cesarean delivery research. The first is continued work on the short-term safety, including maternal events such as uterine rupture and perinatal ...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of maternal myasthenia gravis (MG) on giving birth and on the newborn. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study for 1967 through 2000 was undertaken, using data from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway, based on the compulsory notification of all births. The target group consisted of ...

OBJECTIVE: To estimate whether variations in intrapartum management and complications exist with regard to the time of delivery within the academic year. METHODS: The delivery records of 7814 patients were separated by both term half year and quarter. Statistical comparisons were made using chi2 tests of association (P < .05) ...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Currently, prophylactic elective cesarean to prevent incontinence is being promoted without robust evidence supporting it, this has created confusion among health personnel [corrected]. Past research centered on defining the damaging effect of vaginal birth on continence whilst the limited research on elective cesarean considered it protective. Cesarean ...

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed at determining risk factors and pregnancy outcome in women with uterine rupture. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a population-based study, comparing all singleton deliveries with and without uterine rupture between 1988 and 1999. RESULTS: Uterus rupture occurred in 0.035% (n=42) of all deliveries included in the study ...

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to determine whether induction of labor with oral misoprostol will result in fewer cesarean deliveries than intravenous oxytocin in nulliparous women with premature rupture of membranes at term. STUDY DESIGN: Three hundred five women at 10 centers were randomly assigned to receive oral misoprostol, 100 ...

BACKGROUND: To assess the influence of parity, mode of birth, place of birth, a history of birth by only cesarean section and birthweight on episiotomy rates. METHODS: Retrospective study of 3589 women giving birth vaginally from October 1997 to October 1998 in the Gutu district in Zimbabwe, to obtain the ...

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) can be divided into prognostically important subgroups with germinal center B-cell-like (GCB), activated B-cell-like (ABC), and type 3 gene expression profiles using a cDNA microarray. Tissue microarray (TMA) blocks were created from 152 cases of DLBCL, 142 of which had been successfully evaluated by cDNA ...

OBJECTIVE: To study the success rate of vaginal birth after cesarean delivery (VBAC) in pregnant women with prior cesarean scar who delivered at Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective descriptive study. SETTING: Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital, Chiang Mai, Thailand. SUBJECT: One hundred and seventy-seven pregnant women with ...

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to assess the association between amniotic fluid index (AFI), success of external cephalic version (ECV), and obstetric outcome in patients undergoing ECV. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective observational study was performed that included all patients who had a trial of ECV from 1987 to 2000 in ...

BACKGROUND: In the Term Breech Trial, the risk of adverse perinatal outcome was lower with planned cesarean section versus planned vaginal birth. We undertook secondary analyses to determine factors associated with adverse perinatal outcome. STUDY DESIGN: By using multiple logistic regression analyses, we determined the effect of prelabor cesarean section, ...

BACKGROUND: Even operative deliveries defined as "urgent" show marked diurnal variation with a significant increase during regular working hours. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the diurnal variation of urgent operative deliveries and its potential implications on the outcome of newborns. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of all deliveries in a public ...

OBJECTIVES: This study was undertaken to estimate the vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) success rate, compare rates of infections in women attempting VBAC and those undergoing planned repeat cesarean, and compare the cost of these two plans of care for obese women. STUDY DESIGN: We performed a historical cohort analysis ...

BACKGROUND: Although elective cesarean sections are often performed after the 37th week of gestation without any complicating factor that may influence the timing of delivery,there is a possibility that infants born in the 37th week of gestation,especially early in the 37th week of gestation, do not obtain a satisfactory clinical ...

OBJECTIVE: In about 3% to 4% of all pregnancies at term, the fetal presentation will be noncephalic. External cephalic version (ECV) at term has been shown to decrease the rate of noncephalic presentation at birth and to decrease the rate of cesarean section associated with breech presentation. However, success rates ...

For the woman with a prior uterine scar, neither repeat elective cesarean birth nor vaginal birth after cesarean birth (VBAC) trial of labor (TOL) is risk-free. When VBAC-TOL is successful, it is associated with less morbidity than repeat cesarean birth. However, when VBAC-TOL fails due to uterine rupture, severe consequences ...

PURPOSE: Although metastases to the fetus via the placenta are rare, melanoma is the most common culprit. When it occurs, maternally derived melanoma metastasis in the infant is almost invariably fatal. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This article reviews current guidelines for placental evaluation in pregnant women with metastatic melanoma and presents ...

BACKGROUND: The incidence of gastric cardiac adenocarcinoma has increased in the last decades. Gaining insight into the pathogenesis of this lesion is hampered by the limited knowledge of the origin and histology of cardiac mucosa (CM). Currently, the location, extent, and even the existence of CM are controversial. AIMS: We ...

BACKGROUND: Trial of labor after cesarean section has been an important strategy for lowering the rate of cesarean delivery in the United States, but concerns regarding its safety remain. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome of newborns delivered by elective repeat cesarean section compared to delivery ...

OBJECTIVE: To compare perinatal outcomes in obstetric practices with high and low cesarean delivery rates. METHODS: We conducted a population-based study based on 171295 singleton births in New Jersey in 1996 and 1997. Vital certificate data for each birth were linked to the corresponding hospital discharge records. Nonsubspecialist obstetricians were ...

Outcomes of extremely-low-birth-weight infants (ELBW) with gestational age below 26 weeks based on mode of delivery (vaginal versus cesarean delivery) were retrospectively compared. During the observation period (1997 to 2000) 48 ELBW infants, below 26 weeks of gestational age, had been admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of ...

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the mode of delivery has a protective value on the immediate adverse neonatal neurological outcome of infants born from pregnancies complicated by preterm chorioamnionitis. METHODS: A comparison of the immediate and long-term neurological outcome of preterm neonates (24-34 weeks' gestation) of pregnancies complicated by chorioamnionitis, was ...

PURPOSE: To determine the incidence and characteristics of nonimmune hydrops fetalis in the newborn population. METHOD: A retrospective study of the period between 1996 and 2000, including all newborns with a prenatal or early neonatal diagnosis of nonimmune hydrops fetalis, based on clinical history, physical examination, and laboratory evaluation. The ...

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to compare the occurrence of placenta previa at delivery between singleton and multiple gestations. STUDY DESIGN: A historical cohort study was performed of placenta previa cases at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, Phoenix, Ariz, from January 1, 1997, to December 31, 2000. RESULTS: During the ...

We report a case of an infant with congenital rubella. The mother had received rubella vaccine at the age of 13 years. Rubella serology was performed on day 34 of pregnancy and the result was interpreted as being a positive titer. The patient was a girl born by cesarean section ...

OBJECTIVE: The tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) is a widely used procedure for the surgical treatment of urodynamic stress incontinence. Long-term follow-up data remain scarce. It has been speculated that scar formation leads to tape shortening and stiffening. This study was designed to longitudinally investigate tape position and mobility. STUDY DESIGN: ...

QUESTION: A 22-year-old patient in my clinic was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa (AN) 7 years ago. She is now married and planning her first pregnancy. She is still underweight. What should she expect during pregnancy, and are there any implications for her unborn baby? ANSWER: Women with AN are at ...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The management of cesarean sections causes much controversy among healthcare providers, patients, and insurers. A trial of vaginal birth after previous cesarean is reported to be a safe and practical method to reduce the rate of cesarean sections. The popularity of vaginal birth after previous cesarean has ...

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the indications for cesarean deliveries in Norway, related to type of operation, parity, and gestational age. STUDY DESIGN: This was a prospective survey that used information provided by clinicians at 24 maternity units. Two thousand seven hundred seventy-eight cesarean deliveries were ...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate which intrapartum factors influence the method of delivery in a group of twin pregnancies eligible for vaginal delivery. STUDY DESIGN: Over a 10-year period, 967 consecutive twin pregnancies at gestational age >/=32 weeks with twin A presenting as a vertex and eligible for vaginal delivery were reviewed. ...

OBJECTIVE: To identify the risk factors associated with peripartum hysterectomy. STUDY DESIGN: The charts of 101 cesarean hysterectomies performed at Severance Hospital from January 1986 to April 2001 were reviewed. The patients were categorized into 2 groups. One was patients who underwent vaginal delivery followed by peripaRtum hysterectomy. The other ...

BACKGROUND: The study was intended to estimate the incidence of intraoperative surgical complications with the impact of the educational level of the surgeon and a history of previous cesarean section on intraoperative complications at cesarean childbirth. METHODS: In the period between August 1st 1995 and July 30th 1996, 7782 women ...

OBJECTIVE: Several clinical and epidemiologic studies have reported disparate data on the prevalence rate as well as risk factors associated with placenta previa--a major cause of third-trimester bleeding. We performed a systematic literature review and identified 58 studies on placenta previa published between 1966 and 2000. STUDY DESIGN: Each study ...

PURPOSE: To establish obstetric magnetic resonance (MR) pelvimetric reference values in a large study population and stratify them according to delivery modality and to determine the intra- and interobserver error and intraindividual variability of MR pelvimetric assessment in volunteers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MR pelvimetric data were retrospectively reviewed in 781 ...

Caput succedaneum is relatively common at birth but infrequently diagnosed in utero. It has a benign prognosis, but it is very important not to misdiagnose it as a cephalocele, which carries a guarded prognosis. We present the case of a patient who experienced preterm labor and premature rupture of the ...

OBJECTIVE: To compare the incidence and severity of anal incontinence in primiparas after cesarean delivery versus spontaneous vaginal delivery. METHODS: A total of 184 primiparas who delivered by cesarean (104 emergency, 80 elective) and 100 who delivered vaginally were interviewed 10 +/- 2 months postpartum. A comprehensive bowel function questionnaire ...

Enthusiasm for vaginal birth after cesarean section has waned. As a result, the cesarean birth rate is again on the rise. As a medical community and society we must decide whether the most appropriate question is "What is safest for my baby?" or "Is the risk associated with vaginal birth ...

The objective of this study is to review the safety and success of a trial of labor after cesarean in a group of patients managed by a solo practitioner in a rural community. This was a retrospective review of all deliveries performed over an 11-year period by a single practitioner ...

OBJECTIVE: To find the incidence, early outcome and the associated risk factors of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy(HIE) in Madina Al-Munawara, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and compare it with other centers. Also, to find out whether any of these risk factors are preventable. METHODS: We conducted a case controlled study of ...

AIM: To examine the value of the fetal biophysical profile (FBP) and the Doppler cerebro-umbilical ratio (C/U) in the assessment of perinatal outcome in growth-restricted and hypoxic fetuses. STUDY DESIGN: The prospective clinical study included 87 pregnant women with singleton pregnancies at 28-42 weeks of gestation with clinically verified intrauterine ...

AIMS: To determine the frequency and clinical significance of microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity at the time of delivery in preterm infants. METHODS: Prospective cohort study during June 2001 and January 2002. Preterm infants < 33 + 6 weeks of gestation who had amniotic fluid and placental tissue sampled ...

BACKGROUND: It has been hypothesized that cesarean section might increase the risk of developing allergic disease by depriving the fetus and newborn of exposure to maternal microflora. Furthermore, it has been suggested that complicated modes of delivery might be associated with an increased risk of asthma. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of ...

Glutathione plays an important role in quenching reactive oxygen species, resulting in oxidation of glutathione, which in times of prolonged oxidative stress may be excreted from the erythrocyte. We investigated arterial and venous umbilical cord levels of glutathione in neonates born by vaginal delivery (n = 140) or cesarean section ...

Despite expansions in the public insurance coverage of pregnant women, concerns over poor birth outcomes remain. Poor birth outcomes occur among publicly and privately insured women, however, thereby imposing excess costs on employers and their insurers. Data from a large sample of privately insured for 1996 are used to examine ...

OBJECTIVE: We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine whether a policy of planned cesarean section or vaginal delivery is better for twins. STUDY DESIGN: We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE from 1980 through May 2001 using combinations of the following terms: twin, delivery, cesarean section, vaginal birth, birth weight, ...

Altered subcortical dopaminergic activity is thought to be involved in the pathophysiology of several disorders including schizophrenia, substance abuse and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Epidemiological studies have implicated perinatal insults, particularly obstetric complications involving fetal or neonatal hypoxia, as etiological risk factors for schizophrenia. This suggests the possibility that perinatal ...

The macrosomic fetus of a diabetic woman faces increased risk for injury at the time of vaginal birth. Cesarean section offers the promise of avoiding trauma to the fetus, but can result in increased morbidity in the mother as compared to vaginal delivery. In this article, the advantages and disadvantages ...

BACKGROUND: Spatial access to recreational facilities and perceptions of the neighborhood environment and physical activity levels were examined by the socioeconomic status of area of residence (SES). METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of adults (18-59 years) (n = 1,803) stratified by SES using a geographic-based index was conducted. RESULTS: Respondents in ...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This brief review will focus exclusively on very recent developments and controversial aspects of vaginal birth after cesarean. Only papers published in 2001 or 2002 are included. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent studies have addressed the intrapartum management of vaginal birth after cesarean patients and the safety of trial ...

In today's modern obstetrics, perinatal morbidity and mortality of mother and neonate have become extremely rare. Despite these advances, are pregnant women still afraid of childbearing and, if so, what--and how intense--are their fears? Are these fears influenced by previous birthing experiences and by birth preparation classes? Data from more ...