The potential adverse effects of antiretroviral drugs during pregnancy are discrepant and few studies, mostly from Europe, have provided information about pregnancy outcomes of those already on treatment at conception. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of antiretrovirals (ARVs) on pregnancy outcome according to the timing ...

OBJECTIVE: Past studies of cigarette smoking as a contributor to orofacial clefts and neural tube defects (NTDs) used self-reports of smoke exposures. We have correlated measurements of cotinine (a nicotine metabolite) in mid-pregnancy sera with clefts and NTDs. STUDY DESIGN: From a repository of >180 000 mid-pregnancy serum specimens collected ...

This cross-sectional study was carried out to assess the association between consanguineous marriages and adverse pregnancy outcome in the north of Jordan. Women delivered in four major hospitals in the north of Jordan between April 2007 and May 2007 were included in the study. Non-Jordanian women and women with multiple ...

OBJECTIVES: To determine if low maternal serum level of pregnancy associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) measured in early pregnancy can predict adverse pregnancy outcomes and to examine the gestational age (GA) sampling interval for these outcomes. METHODS: This was a nested case-control study from a prospective cohort of women recruited ...

BACKGROUND: Intrauterine growth retardation is a major predictor of child health in developing countries. OBJECTIVE: We tested whether providing pregnant women with the UNICEF/WHO/UNU international multiple micronutrient preparation (UNIMMAP), rather than iron and folic acid alone, improved fetal growth and its correlates. DESIGN: An intention-to-treat, double-blind, randomized controlled trial including ...

The objective of this study was to evaluate a commercial blood test (DG29) for pregnancy in cattle. Compared with ultrasound, the sensitivity of the assay for detecting pregnancy around day 30 post-insemination was 99.4% [95% confidence interval (CI): 96.1-100]. The specificity was 100% (95% CI: 84.7-100) in non-inseminated cattle, and ...

BACKGROUND: Recent studies suggest that the basis for adverse pregnancy outcomes is often established early in pregnancy, during organogenesis. It is therefore important to take preventive action as early as possible, preferably before pregnancy. Because most adverse pregnancy outcomes occur in women who are unaware of being at risk, we ...

Pregnancy could be associated with a state of oxidative stress that could initiate and propagate a cascade of changes that may lead to pregnancy wastage. This process of oxidative stress may be suppressed by the antioxidant effect of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC). The current study aimed to evaluate the effect of ...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the predictive capacity of immunoglobulin G ASA (direct MAR test) for spontaneous ongoing pregnancy in subfertile couples. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Nine fertility centers in The Netherlands. PATIENT(S): Consecutive ovulatory subfertile couples. INTERVENTION(S): A basic fertility workup, including a mixed agglutination reaction test for IgG (MAR ...

OBJECTIVE: In the general population, folic acid supplementation during pregnancy has been demonstrated to reduce the frequency of neural tube defects (NTDs) and other major congenital malformations (MCMs). It is recommended that women with epilepsy contemplating pregnancy take supplemental folic acid because of the known antifolate effect of some antiepileptic ...

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to determine the relationship between unintended pregnancy and maternal behaviors before, during and after pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN: Data were analyzed from a stratified random sample of 9048 mothers who delivered live born infants between 2001 and 2006 and completed the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System ...

BACKGROUND: Consumption of fish contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and prenatal PCB serum concentrations have been associated with a longer time-to-pregnancy (TTP). However, the relationship between preconception serum PCBs concentrations and TTP has not been previously studied. METHODS: Eighty-three women (contributing 442 menstrual cycles) planning pregnancies completed daily diaries regarding ...

OBJECTIVE: To compare a profile of placental function between the first and second trimesters in pregnancies at high risk of adverse perinatal outcomes attributable to placental insufficiency. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study in 61 singleton pregnancies. Uterine artery Doppler and placental morphology (shape and texture) were determined at 11-13(+6) weeks ...

BACKGROUND: Low levels of mannose-binding lectin (MBL) predispose to various infectious and inflammatory disorders and have been reported to be associated with recurrent early miscarriages. Recurrent late pregnancy losses (RLPL) in the second trimester is a rare but devastating syndrome where maternal rather than fetal causes are likely to play ...

We investigated whether infections with Parvovirus B19 and Herpes viruses in early pregnancy increase risks of second trimester miscarriage or delivery before 32 gestational weeks. Blood samples taken in early pregnancy were analyzed for Parvovirus B19 or Herpes viruses. Viremia was found in blood samples of 11 (4.7%) women with ...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the risk of adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes among pregnant women hospitalised following falls. DESIGN: A population-based retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Washington State, USA. POPULATION: Pregnant women with a fetal death or live birth certificate linked to the hospitalisation discharge data from 1987 to 2004. METHODS: Pregnant ...

Increased maternal body mass index, maternal smoking, and alcohol exposure during pregnancy have been inconsistently reported as potential risk factors for renal birth defects. The low incidence of the most severe renal anomaly, bilateral renal agenesis or hypoplasia (RA/H), has limited the ability to study this fatal defect. Using data ...

BACKGROUND: Pregnant women with heart disease (HD) are at an increased risk for maternal and neonatal adverse events. However, the effect of pregnancy on clinical status and ventricular function in women with HD has not been examined in a controlled study. METHODS AND RESULTS: Ninety-three women with HD were studied ...

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine whether an elevated level of the complement activation fragment Bb in early pregnancy was associated with spontaneous preterm birth (SPTB) at less than 34 weeks' gestation or SPTB between 34 and 37 weeks' gestation (late SPTB). STUDY DESIGN: This was a ...

INTRODUCTION: An increasing proportion of women in the US and other countries delay initiation of childbearing until their thirties. Little is known about their subsequent pregnancies, particularly with regard to pregnancy spacing. OBJECTIVES: To determine interpregnancy interval (IPI) patterns, factors associated with IPI among women delaying initiation of childbearing until ...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate pregnancy outcome of patients with Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF). STUDY DESIGN: A population-based study comparing all pregnancies of women with and without FMF between the years 1988 and 2006 was conducted. Stratified analyses, using the Mantel-Haenszel procedure and multiple logistic regression models, were performed to control for ...

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to estimate and compare the relative risk of preterm birth (PTB) in pregnancies complicated by 1 or more of 8 major congenital malformations (MCMs). STUDY DESIGN: This was a population-based cohort study of the birth database of the Missouri Department of Health (1989-1997) ...

PURPOSE: Although literature suggests that physical activity may reduce preeclampsia risk, most prior studies have relied on retrospective exposure assessment. We aimed to assess prospectively the relation between recreational physical activity before and during pregnancy and risk of preeclampsia. METHODS: We used data from a 1996-2003 cohort study of 2241 ...

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to identify potentially modifiable risk factors of placental injury that reflect maternal uteroplacental vascular compromise (UPVC) and acute and chronic placental inflammation. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective epidemiologic study was conducted. A total of 1270 placentas were characterized by gross and microscopic examination. Placental ...

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a change in policy regarding the timing of antibiotic administration on the rates of postcesarean delivery surgical-site infections (SSI). STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort study of 1316 term, singleton cesarean deliveries at 1 institution. A policy ...

BACKGROUND: Recent studies suggest elevated exposure to drinking water disinfection by-products (DBPs) may be associated with decreased risk of preterm birth. We examined this association for exposure to total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), 5 haloacetic acids (HAA5), and total organic halides. METHODS: Analysis included 2039 women in a prospective pregnancy study conducted ...

OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine maternal factors that influence success of labor induction and whether the probability of cesarean delivery changed with time during induction. STUDY DESIGN: We performed a retrospective cohort study of 1650 singleton pregnancies induced at a gestation of 37 weeks or longer, with birthweights of 2500 ...

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether the use of the new macrolides (azithromycin, clarithromycin, roxithromycin) during the first trimester of pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of major malformations. STUDY DESIGN: In a prospective multi-center study, pregnancy outcome was compared between pregnant women exposed to one of the new macrolides during ...

Low socioeconomic status has been associated with preeclampsia. The underlying mechanism, however, is unknown. Preeclampsia is associated with relatively high blood pressure levels in early pregnancy and with an absent midpregnancy fall in blood pressure. At present, little is known about the associations among socioeconomic status, blood pressure level in ...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between leisure time physical activity (LTPA) during pregnancy and preterm birth. METHODS: A cross-sectional, population-based study evaluated LTPA during pregnancy in 4147 mothers using data from the 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort Study. Gestational age was determined by last menstrual period, or when not available, by ...

BACKGROUND: It is unknown whether preeclampsia is a risk marker for subsequent end-stage renal disease (ESRD). METHODS: We linked data from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway, which contains data on all births in Norway since 1967, with data from the Norwegian Renal Registry, which contains data on all patients ...

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine whether the use of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) during pregnancy increases the risk of stillbirth. DESIGN: Cohort study with prospective data. SETTING: Denmark 1996-2002. POPULATION: A total of 87,032 singleton pregnancies enrolled in the Danish National Birth Cohort for which information ...

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our investigation was to evaluate factor(s) associated with unexplained antepartum bleeding of unknown origin (ABUO) after 24 weeks of pregnancy and correlate unexplained haemorrhage with maternal and perinatal outcomes. DESIGN: This is a retrospective observational study. SETTING: King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEMH), Subiaco, Western Australia. POPULATION: ...

OBJECTIVES: To describe the trends in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing during pregnancy from 1997 through 2006, and the demographic, clinical, and health system correlates of being tested in a diverse insured population. METHODS: Health plan members who had one or more births at > or = 20 weeks gestation ...

BACKGROUND: An increase in the prevalence of hypospadias has been reported, but the environmental causes remain virtually unknown. OBJECTIVES: Our goal was to assess the association between risk of hypospadias and indicators of placental function and endogenous hormone levels, exposure to exogenous hormones, maternal diet during pregnancy, and other environmental ...

BACKGROUND: Research suggests that singleton births following assisted fertilisation are associated with adverse outcomes; however, these results might be confounded by factors that affect both fertility and pregnancy outcome. We therefore compared pregnancy outcomes in women who had singleton pregnancies conceived both spontaneously and after assisted fertilisation. METHODS: In a ...

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate pregnancy outcome in a cohort of patients with newly diagnosed undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD). STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a nested case-control study that compared 41 patients who had early UCTD that was diagnosed at 11-14 weeks of pregnancy with 82 ...

BACKGROUND: Numerous randomised studies have reported pregnancy outcome in women who received acupuncture during their in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment cycle. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review with meta-analysis of the trials of acupuncture during IVF treatment on the outcomes of clinical pregnancy and ...

OBJECTIVES: Topiramate (Topamax) is licensed to be used, either in monotherapy or as adjunctive treatment, for generalized tonic clonic seizures or partial seizures with or without secondary generalization and for prevention of migraine. The safety of topiramate in human pregnancy is largely unknown. Here we report on our experience of ...

BACKGROUND: Substantial epidemiological evidence documents diverse health benefits, including reduced risks of hypertension, associated with diets high in fiber. Few studies, however, have investigated the extent to which dietary fiber intake in early pregnancy is associated with reductions in preeclampsia risk. We assessed the relationship between maternal dietary fiber intake ...

AIMS: Recent studies have suggested a possible association between maternal use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in early pregnancy and cardiovascular anomalies. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the teratogenic risk of paroxetine and fluoxetine. METHODS: This multicentre, prospective, controlled study evaluated the rate of major ...

Since birth dimensions have prognostic potential for later development and health, possible associations between neonatal birth dimensions and selected maternal plasma fatty acid contents were investigated, using data from 782 mother-infant pairs of the Maastricht Essential Fatty Acid Birth cohort. Unadjusted and multivariable-adjusted regression analyses were applied to study the ...

AIMS: To ascertain demographic, emotional and social determinants of cannabis use in early pregnancy. DESIGN: This study was embedded in the Generation R study, a multiethnic population-based cohort of parents and their children, followed from pregnancy to childhood. SETTING: Rotterdam, The Netherlands. PARTICIPANTS: Mothers enrolled in pregnancy who answered questions ...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between maternal exposure to severe life events and fetal growth (birthweight and small for gestational age). Stress has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcome. METHODS: Mothers of 1.38 million singleton live births in Denmark between January 1, 1979 and December 31, 2002 were linked to ...

OBJECTIVE: We examined the relation between maternal occupation and residential proximity to industrial sources of pollution in two case-control study populations of birth defects. METHODS: Occupational and residential information were obtained from Texas live birth records and maternal interviews of Texas participants in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. Residential ...

Angiotensinogen gene (AGT) M235T polymorphism is associated with an increased risk of hypertension. It is unknown whether this mutation also leads to an increased risk of development of high blood pressure (BP) in pregnancy. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of this polymorphism with elevated blood ...

Using high-quality longitudinal data on 125,720 singleton live births in Matlab, Bangladesh, we assessed the effects of duration of intervals between pregnancy outcomes on infant and child mortality and how these effects vary over subperiods of infancy and childhood and by the type of outcome that began the interval. Controlling ...

In perinatal epidemiology, the basic unit of analysis has traditionally been the individual pregnancy. In this study, we sought to explore the idea of a 'reproductive life'-based approach to modelling the effects of reproductive exposures and outcomes, where the basic unit of analysis is a woman's entire reproductive experience. Our ...

OBJECTIVES: Congenital dyserythropoietic anemia type I (CDA I) is a rare inherited disease characterized by moderate to severe macrocytic anemia and abnormal erythroid precursors with nuclear chromatin bridges and spongy heterochromatin. Moderate to severe maternal anemia is a recognized independent risk factor for low birth weight (LBW) and complicated delivery. ...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the risk of adverse perinatal events among newborns exposed to dipyrone during gestation. DESIGN AND SETTING: The present study is a secondary analysis of Brazilian study of gestational diabetes (EBDG), a cohort of women attended at healthcare units of the Brazilian national health system (SUS) located in ...