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Evaluation of: Asvold BO, Vatten LJ, Tanbo TG, Eskild A. Concentrations of human chorionic gonadotrophin in very early pregnancy and subsequent pre-eclampsia: a cohort study. Hum. Reprod. 29(6), 1153-1160 (2014). A total of 2405 consecutive singleton pregnancies were followed to determine if early HCG levels were associated with the development of preeclampsia. All pregnancies were conceived by in vitro fertilization, which allowed very accurate gestational age dating. HCG levels were obtained on day 12, and grouped into 4 categories (<50, 50-99, 100-149, ≥ 150). HCG levels less than 50 were associated with an odds ratio of 2.3 (95% CI: 1.2-4.7) for preeclampsia and and odds ratio of 4.2 (95% CI: 1.4-12.2) for severe preeclampsia. Early HCG levels may serve as a marker for the detection of preeclampsia.

Evaluation of: Grindlay K, Grossman D. Unintended pregnancy among active-duty women in the United States military, 2008. Obstetr. Gynecol. 121(2), 241-246 (2013). This is a study comparing the unintended pregnancy rates of active-duty women in 2008 with those rates in 2005 and the general US population. The data were obtained from the results of the Department of Defense Survey of Health-Related Behaviors among active-duty military personnel in 2005 and 2008. The 2008 survey had data from over 7000 surveys, and the 2005 survey had data from over 3000 surveys. The authors found that the unintended pregnancy rate increased from 2005 to 2008, and is approximately 50% greater than that of the US general population. Investigators also found that pregnancy rates were similar amongst women who were recently deployed. There were higher rates among younger, less educated, nonwhite and married/cohabitating women.