American journal of obstetrics and gynecology
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Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. · Sep 2016
Multicenter StudyDoes pregnancy increase the risk of abdominal hernia recurrence after prepregnancy surgical repair?
By increasing intraabdominal pressure, pregnancy may increase the risk of abdominal hernia recurrence. Current data are limited to studies with small sample size and thus the impact of pregnancy on recurrence is unclear. ⋯ Pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of abdominal hernia recurrence after adjusting for confounding factors. The magnitude of this association is likely underestimated, given that the risk of recurrence was defined as reoperation, which captures only the most clinically significant group of recurrences. This information will facilitate counseling for reproductive-aged women planning elective ventral or incisional hernia repair. The risk of recurrence and subsequent reoperation should be balanced against the risk of incarceration and emergent surgery during pregnancy. As such, the desire for future pregnancy and/or contraception should be considered when planning asymptomatic hernia repair for women of reproductive age.
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Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. · Sep 2016
Initiation and continuation of long-acting reversible contraception in the United States military healthcare system.
Long-acting reversible contraception is more effective for pregnancy prevention than shorter-acting contraceptive methods and has the potential to reduce healthcare disparities and costs. However, long-acting reversible contraception is underused in the United States. One population of interest is beneficiaries of the United States military healthcare system who have access to universal healthcare, including no-cost, no-copay contraception with unlimited method switching, and comprise a large, actual use cohort. Efforts to increase long-acting reversible contraception initiation and continuation in this population may improve health outcomes and mitigate the profound consequences of unintended or mistimed pregnancy on readiness and cost to the military. ⋯ In the US military healthcare system, TRICARE Prime, the initiation of long-acting reversible contraception is low but increasing, and continuation rates are high. This evidence supports long-acting reversible contraception as first-line recommendations for women of all ages who seek contraception.
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Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. · Aug 2016
The effect of distance traveled on disease outcomes in gestational trophoblastic neoplasia.
Gestational trophoblastic neoplasia is a rare gynecological malignancy often treated at tertiary referral centers. Patients frequently travel long distances to obtain care for gestational trophoblastic neoplasia, which may affect cancer outcomes in these patients. ⋯ In this cohort, long distance traveled to obtain care for gestational trophoblastic neoplasia was associated with an increased risk of presenting with high-risk disease and requiring multiagent chemotherapy for treatment. Patients with high-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia traveled nearly 100 miles to obtain care. There may be a delay in diagnosis in women traveling more than 50 miles to obtain care; however, we found no difference in recurrence risk for long-distance travelers.
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Cell-free deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is increasingly being used to screen for fetal aneuploidy. The majority of fetal cell-free DNA in the maternal blood results from release from the syncytiotrophoblast as a result of cellular apoptosis and necrosis. Elevated levels of fetal cell-free DNA may be indicative of underlying placental dysfunction, which has been associated with preterm birth. Preliminary studies have demonstrated that fetal cell-free DNA is increased in pregnancies complicated by spontaneous preterm birth. There are limited data on the association between fetal cell-free DNA levels and fetal fraction and preterm birth in asymptomatic women in the first and second trimesters. Preliminary studies have failed to find an association between first-trimester cell-free DNA levels and preterm birth, whereas there is conflicting evidence as to whether elevated second-trimester cell-free DNA is associated with a subsequent spontaneous preterm birth clinical event. ⋯ Elevated fetal fraction levels at 14.1-20.0 weeks' gestation were significantly associated with an increased incidence of preterm birth. Our findings warrant future exploration including validation in a larger, general population and investigation of the potential mechanisms that may be responsible for the initiation of preterm labor associated with increased fetal cell-free DNA.
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Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. · Aug 2016
Effects of lactation on postpartum blood pressure among women with gestational hypertension and preeclampsia.
Women with a history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are at an increased risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease in later life. Lactation has been associated with a reduced risk of maternal hypertension, both in the postpartum period and later life. However, little is known about whether lactation is also cardioprotective in women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy such as preeclampsia or gestational hypertension. ⋯ This study found that lactation is associated with lower postpartum blood pressure among overweight women who develop gestational hypertension but not among women who develop preeclampsia. Future studies are needed to explore the association of lactation and blood pressure in later life for women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.