Maternal Health News

Preexisting diabetes was associated with a more than tripled odds of experiencing stillbirth or perinatal mortality, with higher risks for mothers with type 2 vs. type 1 diabetes, researchers reported in Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Cesarean deliveries declined statewide in California from 2015 to 2019 after efforts to support vaginal birth, including a marked reduction in cesarean deliveries before labor and those due to obstructed labor, researchers reported.

In the U.S., birth and general fertility rates dropped while the percentage of women receiving no prenatal care rose from 2022 to 2023, according to a recent CDC birth trends report.

The prevalence of infants born small for gestational age in China fell by more than 27% from 2012 to 2020, a change attributed to several improved maternal factors including access to care, researchers reported.

Labor duration was independently associated with risks for adverse maternal outcomes, specifically intraamniotic infection, during second-trimester medication abortion, according to study results published in Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Women with subclinical hypothyroidism during the first half of pregnancy are more likely to develop overt hypothyroidism 5 years after delivery than women with hypothyroxinemia, according to a study published in Thyroid.

In a final recommendation statement, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force said there is insufficient evidence to recommend for or against the use of iron supplements during pregnancy.

U.S. congenital syphilis rates rose from 2016 to 2020 and were linked to preterm birth, longer hospital length of stay and higher costs with race/ethnicity, insurance, income, admission year and hospital characteristics tied to likelihood.

Cell-free DNA analyses were accurate in detecting fetal antigen status as early as 10 weeks’ gestation in women with alloimmunized pregnancies, according to results of a large, diverse U.S. cohort study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Among a select group of women with uterine factor infertility, uterus transplant was feasible and associated with a high live birth rate after successful graft survival, data from a case series show.