The authors sought to quantify the overall and race/ethnic-specific relations between prepregnancy body mass index and both preterm birth and vaginal inflammation. Data from a cohort of 11,392 women who enrolled in the multicenter Vaginal Infections and Prematurity Study (1984-1989) at 23-26 weeks' gestation were used. Compared with a prepregnancy body mass index of 22, a body mass index of 16 ...

OBJECTIVES Despite the fact that cesarean delivery does not offer significant health benefits for either mother or newborn, there has been a noticeable upward trend in elective cesarean births in Iran, over the last two decades. This study aims to examine whether knowledge, perception of health threats, efficacy, and personal beliefs act as psychological predictors towards the intention of wome...

Since the mid-1980s, cesarean section rates in Canada have declined. By 1993, 18 of every 100 deliveries were by cesarean section, compared with close to 20 per 100 in 1987. As well, in 1993, 9 of every 100 deliveries were primary cesareans, down from a high of almost 11 per 100 in the mid-1980s. And the repeat cesarean section rate fell from 39 per 100 cesareans in the mid-1980s to 34 in 1993....

OBJECTIVES Women with a sonographic short cervix in the mid-trimester are at increased risk for preterm delivery. This study was undertaken to determine the efficacy and safety of using micronized vaginal progesterone gel to reduce the risk of preterm birth and associated neonatal complications in women with a sonographic short cervix. METHODS This was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind,...