Pregnant Women

Using neuraxial analgesia in women undergoing their first vaginal delivery was associated with a reduced risk for severe maternal morbidity, according to a retrospective cross-sectional study in JAMA Network Open.

Infants of mothers who were vaccinated during pregnancy were less likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19, according to data published in MMWR.

Universal screening for hepatitis C virus detected more infections in pregnant people, as well as transmission to infants, according to a presenter at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections.

The Obstetric Comorbidity Index predicted severe maternal morbidity similarly in racial and ethnic subgroups, according to data presented at The Pregnancy Meeting.

Pregnant women who report a penicillin allergy can safely undergo penicillin skin testing and incremental drug challenges without adverse effects in their pregnancy, according to a study published in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

Environmental exposures heightened by climate change adversely affect maternal and newborn health, and women are “particularly vulnerable” to these effects, according to a speaker at The Pregnancy Meeting.

Among antihypertensive medications commonly prescribed for pregnant women, all reduced risk for severe hypertension, but labetalol also reduced odds of other poor outcomes, researchers reported.

Pregnant women with a physical, intellectual or sensory disability had a significantly higher risk for adverse outcomes compared with pregnant women without a disability, according to findings published in JAMA Network Open.

Pregnant women were more likely to adhere to smoking abstinence if they received financial incentives as part of their treatment plan, according to findings published in The BMJ.

Pregnant women treated for gingivitis saw a reduced risk for preterm birth and increased birth weight compared with women who did not have such treatment, according to a study published in Oral Health & Preventive Dentistry.