Aim. To clarify the effect of perinatal events on the survival of ELBW infants in Japan. Methods. 1,713 ELBW infants, from 92,630 live births in 2001 and 2002, born at 22-36 weeks of gestation were registered. Case was defined as death at discharge. The relevant variables were compared between the cases (n = 366) and the controls (n = 1,347). Results. The total survival rate was 78.6%. There wa...

BACKGROUND Preterm birth before 37 weeks' gestation is associated with 70% of perinatal morbidity and nearly half of long-term neurological morbidity. Hospital-based studies have shown that bacterial vaginosis is associated with preterm birth. AIM To estimate the relative risk of preterm birth in women with and without bacterial vaginosis, detected by self-administered vaginal swab at < 10 we...

T here are two ways by which a baby can come into this world: vaginally or by Cesarean delivery. Although the developmental paths that result in either vaginal or Cesarean birth a.re highly diverse and very similar at the same time, the actual indication of whether a pregnant woman has to undergo surgery is usually clear. In most cases, Cesarean deliveries are performed for obstetric, fetal, or...

INTRODUCTION Between 2004 and 2010, the number of home births in the United States rose by 41%, increasing the need for accurate assessment of the safety of planned home birth. This study examines outcomes of planned home births in the United States between 2004 and 2009. METHODS We calculated descriptive statistics for maternal demographics, antenatal risk profiles, procedures, and outcomes ...

BACKGROUND Maternal ethnicity is a recognized risk factor for stillbirth, such that South Asian women have higher rates than their Caucasian counterparts. However, whether maternal ethnicity is a risk factor for intrapartum outcomes is less clear. The aim of this study is to explore associations between maternal country of birth, operative vaginal delivery and emergency cesarean section, and to...