OBJECTIVE To ascertain whether a clinically important difference exists in the incidence of gynaecological infection between surgical management and expectant or medical management of miscarriage. DESIGN Randomised controlled trial comparing medical and expectant management with surgical management of first trimester miscarriage. SETTING Early pregnancy assessment units of seven hospitals i...

OBJECTIVE We investigated the association between functional health literacy and markers of pregnancy preparedness in women with pregestational diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS English- and Spanish-speaking pregnant women with pregestational diabetes were recruited. Women completed the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA) short form and a questionnaire. A TOFHLA score of...

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this nested cohort study was to compare the rate of pre-pregnancy supplementation in obese women with that of women with a normal BMI. METHODS Pregnant women were enrolled at their convenience in a large university hospital. Weight and height were measured in the first trimester and BMI categorised. RESULTS Of the 288 women, 35.1% were in the normal, 29.5% in the ov...

Teenage pregnancy, unsafe abortion methods and the high incidence of HIV infections among young people are of great concern to the South African public. Due to the lack of accurate information and understanding, some adolescents are forced to succumb to early motherhood from unplanned pregnancies or opt for back-street abortion with at times fatal results. A qualitative exploratory study was co...

To the best of our knowledge this is the first case report describing exposure to varenicline, an α 4 β 2 nicotinic acetylcholine partial receptor agonist used for smoking cessation therapy in pregnancy. A 29-year-old multiparous woman with an unplanned pregnancy has used varenicline 2 mg/day unintentionally yet regularly 4 weeks from her last menstrual period. Fetal ultrasound performed at eac...

BACKGROUND Safe and legal abortions are rarely practiced in the public health sector in Kenya, and rates of maternal mortality and morbidity from unsafe abortion is high. Little is known about women's experiences seeking and accessing abortion in informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya. METHODS Seven focus group discussions were conducted with a total of 71 women and girls recruited from an in...

BACKGROUND Approximately one-fifth of women present depression during pregnancy and puerperium, and almost 13% of pregnant women experience a major depressive disorder. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for depression among pregnant women with a medical disorder and to evaluate the influence of depression on perinatal outcomes. METHODS Three hundred and twenty-six...

The Obesity pandemic will afflict future generations without successful prevention, intervention and management. Attention to reducing obesity before, during and after pregnancy is essential for mothers and their offspring. Preconception weight loss is difficult given that many pregnancies are unplanned. Interventions aimed at limiting gestational weight gain have produced minimal maternal and ...

Background Anxiety and depression during the antenatal period is a growing problem with major effects on the mother, the developing fetus, and the neonate. Objectives To assess the prevalence of anxiety and depression during pregnancy in women attending the hospital for antenatal care and assess the associated factors. Methods This is a prospective cohort study conducted in the University H...