BACKGROUND More than half of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) remains unexplained. We hypothesized that women with a history of unexplained RPL (URPL) have low venous reserve. METHODS Case-control study in 12 women with a history of URPL, 11 healthy nulliparous controls and 12 primiparous controls with a history of uncomplicated pregnancy. To quantify venous reserve, we measured plasma volume (...

Background: To determine if misoprostol use prior to intrauterine device (IUD) insertion decreases pain and eases insertion in nulliparous women. Study Design: Nulliparous women requesting IUDs for contraception were randomized to 400 micrograms of misoprostol or placebo prior to IUD insertion. The primary outcome was pain at the time of insertion using a 100 mm visual analog scale. Additional ...

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to compare the pelvic floor muscle strength of nulliparous and primiparous women. METHODS A total of 100 women were prospectively distributed into two groups: Group 1 (G1) (n = 50) included healthy nulliparous women, and Group 2 (G2) (n = 50) included healthy primiparous women. Pelvic floor muscle strength was subjectively evaluated using transvaginal digital palpat...

TGF-β plays a critical role in normal mammary development and morphogenesis. Decreased TGF-β signaling has been associated with increased mammographic density. Percent mammographic density (PMD) adjusted for age and body mass index (BMI) is a strong risk factor and predictor of breast cancer risk. PMD is highly heritable, but few genetic determinants have been identified. We investigated the as...

OBJECTIVE We sought to compare the efficacy of the double-balloon catheter and dinoprostone for induction of labor among nulliparous women with an unfavorable cervix. STUDY DESIGN Nulliparous women with a Bishop score <6 were randomized to receive a 10-mg intra-vaginal dinoprostone insert or a double-balloon catheter. Primary outcome was time to delivery. Statistical analyses were performed b...