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Genital herpes is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections, affecting 1 in 6 people in the United States. Women are twice as likely to be infected as men and infections in women of reproductive age carry the additional risk of vertical transmission to the neonate at the time of delivery. Neonatal herpes infections can be devastating with up to 50% mortality for disseminated herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections in the newborn. Rates of transmission are affected by the viral type of HSV infection and whether the infection around delivery is primary or recurrent. Current management approaches decrease rates of active lesions at the time of delivery and thereby cesarean deliveries, but have not been shown to decrease the incidence of neonatal herpes infections. More research is needed to better elucidate the risk factors for transmission to the neonate and to improve our current management methodology to further decrease vertical transmission. In this review, we will discuss management of antenatal and peripartum herpes infections, considerations for mode of delivery, and the course of neonatal HSV infections.

INTRODUCTION:The objective of this study was to determine whether outcomes of mothers and children at five years vary after cesarean versus vaginal delivery.METHODS:TRICARE (universal insurance coverage to all members of US Armed Services and their dependents) data was used to identify mother-infant

Objective. To evaluate the neonatal outcomes of infants delivered to mothers with early-onset preeclampsia.Study design. This is a retrospective cohort of 1709 infants delivered at 24 0/7 to 29 6/7 weeks gestation was examined. Neonatal outcomes of 235 infants delivered prematurely because of preeclampsia were compared with 1474 infants delivered preterm because of other etiologies. Primary outcomes examined included: small for gestational age (SGA), respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), and neonatal death (NND). Multivariable logistic regression was used to analyze the association between preeclampsia and the neonatal outcomes, controlling for potential confounders.Results. Infants of women with preeclampsia were more likely to be SGA (17.8% vs. 5.6%, AOR 3.9, CI 2.5–6.2) and have RDS (70.6% vs. 60.7%, AOR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1–2.2); however, they were less likely to suffer a NND (11.1% vs. 18.1%, AOR 0.6, 95% CI 0.4–0.9).Conclusion. Compared with neonates delivered prematurely because of other etiologies, neon...

Women from Lynch syndrome/hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (Lynch/HNPCC) families have an increased lifetime risk of developing endometrial and ovarian cancer. This study models a comparison of management strategies for women who carry a Lynch/HNPCC mutation.A decision analytic model with three arms was designed to compare annual gynecologic examinations with annual screening (ultrasonography, endometrial biopsy, CA 125) and with hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy at age 30 years The existing literature was searched for studies on the accuracy of endometrial and ovarian cancer screening using endometrial biopsy, transvaginal ultrasonography, and serum CA 125. The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database from 1988 to 2001 was used to estimate cancer mortality outcomes.In the surgical arm, 0.0056% of women were diagnosed with ovarian cancer and 0.0060% of women with endometrial cancer. These numbers increased to 3.7% and 18.4% in women being screened, and 8.3% and 48.7% in women undergoing annual examinations, respectively. Surgical management led to the longest expected survival time at 79.98 years, followed by screening at 79.31 years, and annual examinations at 77.41 years. If starting at age 30 and discounting life years at 3%, surgery still leads to the greatest expected life years. When comparing prophylactic surgery with the screening option, one would need to perform 75 surgeries to save one woman's entire life. For cancer prevention, however, only 28 and 6 prophylactic surgeries would need to be performed to prevent one case of ovarian and endometrial cancer, respectively.Risk-reducing hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy may be considered in women with Lynch/HNPCC to prevent gynecologic cancers and their associated morbidities.

Objective To characterize contemporary attitudes toward global health amongst board-certified obstetricians-gynecologists (Ob-Gyns) in the US. Methods A questionnaire was mailed to members of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Respondents were stratified by interest and experience in global health and group differences were reported. Results A total of 202 of 400 (50.5%) surveys were completed; and 67.3% ( n = 136) of respondents expressed an interest in global health while 25.2% ( n = 51) had experience providing healthcare abroad. Personal safety was the primary concern of respondents (88 of 185, 47.6%), with 44.5% (57 of 128) identifying 2 weeks as an optimal period of time to spend abroad. The majority (113 of 186, 60.8%) cited hosting of local physicians in the US as the most valuable service to developing a nation’s healthcare provision. Conclusion Despite high interest in global health, willingness to spend significant time abroad was limited. Concerns surrounding personal safety dovetailed with the belief that training local physicians in the US provides the most valuable service to international efforts. These attitudes and concerns suggest novel solutions will be required to increase involvement of Ob-Gyns in global women’s health.

To investigate whether reduction in early-term deliveries was associated with increasing rates of term stillbirth.This is a retrospective descriptive analysis of variation in term delivery timing and stillbirth from 2005 to 2011 based on birth certificate and fetal death data. Early-term deliveries (37 0/7-38 6/7 weeks of gestation) as a percentage of total term delivery and term stillbirth rates were calculated for each state, both overall and for low- and high-risk women. We analyzed whether state-level changes in early-term deliveries and term stillbirth were correlated using Pearson correlation coefficients. States were also categorized as high or low reduction (above or below the national average) and changes in stillbirth rates for these groups were analyzed using a Cochrane-Armitage test for linear trend.There was a decline in early-term deliveries across the United States: 1,123,467 of 3,533,233 term, singleton births occurred in the early term in 2005 (31.8%) as compared with 978,294 of 3,429,172 (28.5%) in 2011. Reductions varied widely by state. There was no change in the term stillbirth rate (123/100,000 births in 2005 compared with 130/100,000 in 2011; P=.189) nor change in the high reduction states alone. There was no correlation between state-level changes in early-term deliveries and term stillbirth. There was an increase in term stillbirths among women with diabetes (from 238/100,000 to 300/100,000 births; P=.010), independent of changes in early-term delivery timing.The reduction in early-term deliveries across the United States between 2005 and 2011 was not associated with an increase in the rate of term stillbirth.II.

This study aimed to examine the role of the 11- to 14-week ultrasound in women with negative cell-free DNA screening.A retrospective cohort study of women at increased risk for aneuploidy based on age or medical history and negative cell-free DNA screening between March 2012 and March 2014 was conducted. Patients were included if they had an 11- to 14-week ultrasound and obstetrical care at our center(s). Primary outcome was an unexpected finding at ultrasound. Imaging findings were compared with obstetrical outcome by medical record review.Study group was composed of 1739 patients. An unexpected finding was identified in 60/1739 (3.5%). An abnormal fetal finding occurred in 37 living fetuses (2.1%); 33 had a nuchal translucency (NT) ≥ 3 mm, including four 'isolated' cystic hygroma and three with a structural abnormality. Four fetuses had a structural anomaly without a thick NT. Karyotype confirmed euploidy in 98.7% of available cases. Pregnancy termination was chosen by 63.6% of those with cystic hygroma or anomaly at the 11- to 14-week scan. Unexpected multiples were identified in 13 (0.7%) women and a fetal demise in 10 (0.6%).Unexpected findings at the 11- to 14-week scan occur in 3.5% of patients with negative cell-free DNA. Recognition provides options for comprehensive testing, consultation, and management.

Evaluate patient choices and outcomes following positive cfDNA.Retrospective cohort study of women with positive cfDNA through two academic centers between March 2012 and December 2014. Patients were screened based on ACOG indications. Medical records reviewed for counseling, ultrasound findings, diagnostic testing, karyotype and outcome.CfDNA was positive in 114 women; 105 singletons and 9 twin pairs. CfDNA was positive for autosomal trisomy (21, 18, 13) in 96 (84.2%) and sex chromosome aneuploidy in 18 (15.8%). Certified genetic counselors performed 95% of post-cfDNA counseling. Prenatal diagnostic testing was pursued by 71/114 (62%). Karyotype was available in 91/105 (86.7%) singletons and confirmed aneuploidy in 75/91 (82.4%); the PPV of cfDNA with any ultrasound finding was 93.6% versus 58.6% without a finding. An abnormal sonographic finding was seen in 4/16 (25%) singletons with false positive cfDNA. Fetal termination occurred in 53/79 (67%) singletons and 3/5 (60%) twins with prenatal abnormal or unknown karyotype for autosomal trisomy. Eleven fetuses (11/56, 19.6%) were terminated for suspected autosomal trisomy without karyotype confirmation.Patient choices following positive cfDNA are varied. Ultrasound modifies the PPV of cfDNA. Termination rates for aneuploidy are not higher than historical controls. Recommendation for karyotype confirmation prior to termination is not universally followed. © 2016 John WileySons, Ltd.

Cesarean delivery rates vary widely across the United States. Health care usage in many other areas of medicine also varies widely across the United States; it is unknown whether the variation in cesarean delivery rates across US communities is correlated with this broader underlying variation in health care usage patterns.The purpose of this study was to determine whether the variation in cesarean delivery rates across US communities is correlated with other measures of health care usage in that community.We performed a population-based observational study that combined multiple national data sources, which included 2010 birth certificate data and Medicare claims data. Cesarean delivery rates in each US community, as defined by the Hospital Service Area, Medicare total spending per beneficiary, and hospital days in the last 6 months were calculated. Cesarean delivery and Medicare spending were on different patient populations; the Medicare variables were used to characterize the broader health care usage and spending pattern of that community. We examined the relationship between a community's cesarean delivery rates and these measures of health care usage using Pearson correlation coefficients. We also stratified by quartile of Medicare spending and hospital use in the last 6 months of life and calculated the cesarean delivery rates per quartile, adjusting for underlying differences in patient characteristics, demographics, hospital structure, and the malpractice environment using a least-squared means method. We compared the amount of variation in cesarean delivery rates across communities that could be explained by differences in health care usage patterns to the amount of variation that was explained by other factors using the R-squared from multivariable models.Cesarean delivery rates varied from 4-65% across communities in the United States. Cesarean delivery rates were correlated positively with total Medicare spending (r = 0.48; P.001) and hospital use in the last 6 months of life (r = 0.45; P.001). Similar variation was seen in nulliparous women with a term fetus in vertex presentation (nulliparous, term, singleton, vertex cesarean deliveries), which is a common subset used for analysis of cesarean delivery rates. Communities in the lowest quartile of Medicare spending had the lowest rates of cesarean delivery (29.1% vs 35.7% in the highest quartile; P.001 for differences across quartiles), which is a difference that persisted after adjustment (29.5% vs 31.8%; P.001). Similar results were seen for nulliparous, term, singleton, vertex cesarean deliveries and when data were stratified by hospital days in the last 6 months of life. Overall, 28.6% of the total variation in cesarean delivery rates was explained by differences in health care usage patterns, as compared with 16.6% by differences in obstetric procedures, 7.9% by hospital structure, and 2.3% by variations in the malpractice environment. Of the 56.3% of variation that was unexplained by differences in patient characteristics and area demographics, 8.2% could be accounted for by differences in health care usage patterns, as compared with 4.6% by differences in obstetric procedures, 2.1% by hospital structure, and 1.2% by variation in the malpractice environment.Cesarean delivery rates vary widely across US communities; this variation is correlated broadly with the variation that is seen in other measures of health care usage across US communities.

In a recent Health Affairs article, David Cutler and Mark McClellan found that new medical technology confers positive net benefits for several conditions, including heart attacks, cataracts, and depression. We estimate the extent to which uninsured Americans ages 55–64 use these technologies and compute access gaps for each. Based on Cutler and McClellan’s net benefit estimates, we calculate that more than $1.1 billion is lost annually from excess morbidity and mortality among the uninsured population because of lack of access to new technologies for the treatment of these three conditions.

We examined the morbidities from delivery at earlier gestational ages versus intrauterine fetal demise (IUFD) for women with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) to determine the optimal gestational age for delivery.A decision-analytic model was created to compare delivery at 35 through 38 weeks gestation for different delivery strategies: (1) empiric steroids; (2) steroids if fetal lung maturity (FLM) negative; (3) wait a week and retest if FLM negative; or (4) deliver immediately. Literature review identified 18 studies that estimated IUFD in ICP; we used the mean rate, 1.74%, and assumed a uniform distribution from 34 to 40 weeks gestation. Large cohort data was used to calculate neonatal morbidity rates at each gestational age. Maternal and neonatal quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were combined. Univariate sensitivity and Monte Carlo analyses were performed to test for robustness.Immediate delivery at 36 weeks without FLM testing and steroid administration was the optimal strategy as compared to delivery at 36 weeks with steroids (+47 QALYs) and as compared to immediate delivery at 35 weeks (+210 QALYs). Our results were robust up to a 30% increase in the rate of IUFD.Immediate delivery at 36 weeks in women with ICP is the optimal delivery strategy.

OBJECTIVE To examine the relationship between an obstetrician's delivery volume and a patient's risk for cesarean delivery. METHODS This retrospective cohort study examined patient-level and obstetrician-level data between 2000 and 2012 at a large academic hospital. All laboring patients who delivered viable, liveborn, singleton newborns (N=58,328) were included. We measured the association of delivery volume and cesarean delivery using a multivariate logistic regression. We also assessed the association of volume by calculating adjusted cesarean delivery rates using the least squares means method. These analyses were performed on the subset of nulliparous patients with term, singleton, vertex-presenting fetuses. In addition, the association of obstetrician experience was compared against delivery volume. RESULTS There was a twofold increase in the odds of cesarean delivery for patients whose obstetricians performed fewer than the median (60) number of deliveries per year (quartile 1: odds ratio 2.00, 95% confidence interval 1.68-2.38; quartile 2: odds ratio 2.73, 95% CI 2.40-3.11) as compared with quartile 4. The adjusted cesarean delivery rate decreased from 18.2% to 9.2% from the highest to lowest volume quartile (P

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of ampicillin versus cefazolin as prophylactic antibiotics prior to cesarean delivery in Rwanda. Methods In a prospective, randomized, open-label, single-site study conducted between March and May 2012, the effects of prophylactic ampicillin versus cefazolin were compared among women undergoing cesarean delivery at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Kigali, Rwanda. Postoperatively, participants were evaluated daily for infectious morbidity while in the hospital. Follow-up was done by phone and by appointment at the hospital within 2 weeks of delivery. Results During the study period, there were 578 total deliveries and 234 cesarean deliveries (40.4%). Overall, 132 women were enrolled in the study and randomized to receive either ampicillin (n = 66) or cefazolin (n = 66). No women were lost to follow-up. The overall infection rate was 15.9% (21/132). The infection rate in the ampicillin group and the cefazolin group was 25.8% (17/66) and 6.1% (4/66), respectively. Conclusion Implementing a universal protocol in Rwanda of prophylactic cefazolin prior to cesarean delivery might reduce postoperative febrile morbidity, use of postoperative antibiotics, and number of postoperative days in hospital.

Readmission rates are used as a quality metric in medical and surgical specialties; however, little is known about obstetrics readmissions.Our goals for this study were to describe the trends in postpartum readmissions over time; to characterize the common indications and associated diagnoses for readmissions; and to determine maternal, delivery, and hospital characteristics that may be associated with readmission.Postpartum readmissions occurring within the first 6 weeks after delivery in California, Florida, and New York were identified between 2004 and 2011 in State Inpatient Databases. Of the 5,949,739 eligible deliveries identified, 114,748 women were readmitted over the 8-year period. We calculated the rates of readmissions and their indications by state and over time. The characteristics of the readmission stay, including day readmitted, length of readmission, and charge for readmission, were compared among the diagnoses. Odds ratios were calculated using a multivariate logistic regression to determine the predictors of readmission.The readmission rate increased from 1.72% in 2004 to 2.16% in 2011. Readmitted patients were more likely to be publicly insured (54.3% vs 42.0%, P.001), to be black (18.7% vs 13.5%, P .001), to have comorbidities such as hypertension (15.3% vs 2.4%, P 0.001) and diabetes (13.1% vs 6.8%, P.001), and to have had a cesarean delivery (37.2% vs 32.9%, P.001). The most common indications for readmission were infection (15.5%), hypertension (9.3%), and psychiatric illness (7.7%). Patients were readmitted, on average, 7 days after discharge, but readmission day varied by diagnosis: day 3 for hypertension, day 5 for infection, and day 9 for psychiatric disease. Maternal comorbidities were the strongest predictors of postpartum readmissions: psychiatric disease, substance use, seizure disorder, hypertension, and tobacco use.Postpartum readmission rates have risen over the last 8 years. Understanding the risk factors, etiologies, and cause-specific timing for postpartum readmissions may aid in the development of new quality metrics in obstetrics and targeted strategies to curb the rising rate of postpartum readmissions in the United States.

Women at risk for Lynch Syndrome/HNPCC have an increased lifetime risk of endometrial and ovarian cancer. This study investigates the cost-effectiveness of prophylactic surgery versus surveillance in women with Lynch Syndrome. A decision analytic model was designed incorporating key clinical decisions and existing probabilities, costs, and outcomes from the literature. Clinical forum where risk-reducing surgery and surveillance were considered. A theoretical population of women with Lynch Syndrome at age 30 was used for the analysis. A decision analytic model was designed comparing the health outcomes of prophylactic hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy at age 30 versus annual gynecologic screening versus annual gynecologic exam. The literature was searched for probabilities of different health outcomes, results of screening modalities, and costs of cancer diagnosis and treatment. Cost-effectiveness expressed in dollars per discounted life-years. Risk-reducing surgery is the least expensive option, costing $23,422 per patient for 25.71 quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). Annual screening costs $68,392 for 25.17 QALYs; and annual examination without screening costs $100,484 for 24.60 QALYs. Further, because risk-reducing surgery leads to both the lowest costs and the highest number of QALYs, it is a dominant strategy. Risk-reducing surgery is the most cost-effective option from a societal healthcare cost perspective.

The overall annual incidence rate of caesarean delivery in the United States has been steadily rising since 1996, reaching 32.9% in 2009. Primary cesareans often lead to repeat cesareans, which may lead to placenta previa and placenta accreta. This study's goal was to forecast the effect of rising primary and secondary cesarean rates on annual incidence of placenta previa, placenta accreta, and maternal mortality.A decision-analytic model was built using TreeAge Pro software to estimate the future annual incidence of placenta previa, placenta accreta, and maternal mortality using data on national birthing order trends and cesarean and vaginal birth after cesarean rates. Baseline assumptions were derived from the literature, including the likelihood of previa and accreta among women with multiple previous cesarean deliveries.If primary and secondary cesarean rates continue to rise as they have in recent years, by 2020 the cesarean delivery rate will be 56.2%, and there will be an additional 6236 placenta previas, 4504 placenta accretas, and 130 maternal deaths annually. The rise in these complications will lag behind the rise in cesareans by approximately 6 years.If cesarean rates continue to increase, the annual incidence of placenta previa, placenta accreta, and maternal death will also rise substantially.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the optimal gestational age of delivery for women with placenta previa by accounting for both neonatal and maternal outcomes. STUDY DESIGN: A decision-analytic model was designed comparing total maternal and neonatal quality-adjusted life years for delivery of women with previa at gestational ages from 34 to 38 weeks. At each week, we allowed for four different delivery strategies: (1) immediate delivery, without amniocentesis or steroids; (2) delivery 48 hours after steroid administration (without amniocentesis); (3) amniocentesis with delivery if fetal lung maturity (FLM) positive or retesting in one week if FLM negative; (4) amniocentesis with delivery if FLM testing is positive or administration of steroids if FLM negative. RESULTS: Delivery at 36 weeks, 48 hours after steroids, for women with previa optimizes maternal and neonatal outcomes. In sensitivity analyses, these results were robust to a wide range of variation in input assumptions. If it is assumed that steroids offer no neonatal benefit at this gestational age, outright delivery at 36 weeks’ gestation is the best strategy. CONCLUSION: Steroid administration at 35 weeks and 5 days followed by delivery at 36 weeks for women with placenta previa optimizes maternal and neonatal outcomes.

OBJECTIVE:: To estimate the costs of expanding Emergency Medicaid coverage to include postpartum contraception. METHODS:: A decision-analytic model was developed using three perspectives: the hospital state Medicaid programs and society. Our primary outcome was future reproductive health care costs due to pregnancy in the next 5 years. A Markov structure was use to analyze the probability of pregnancy over a 5-year time period. Model inputs were retrieved from the existing literature and local hospital and Medicaid data related to reimbursements. One-way and multiway sensitivity analyses were conducted. A Monte Carlo simulation was performed to incorporate uncertainty from all of the model inputs simultaneously. RESULTS:: Over a 5-year period provision of contraception would save society $17792 per woman in future pregnancy costs and incur a loss of $367 for hospitals. In states in which 49% of immigrants remain in the area for 5 years such a program would save state Medicaid $108 per woman. CONCLUSION:: Under federal regulations new immigrants are restricted to acute hospital-based care only. Failure to provide the option of contraception postpartum results in increased costs for society and states with long-term immigrants.

Pregnancies that have been conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF) have been associated with higher rates of preeclampsia and other complications that are associated with placental dysfunction. We evaluated whether IVF pregnancies, when compared with those conceived spontaneously, would be associated with alterations in serum angiogenic markers.This was a retrospective cohort study from 3 US academic institutions (2006-2008). Women with singleton pregnancies who conceived via IVF or spontaneously were included. Placental growth factor (PlGF) and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) were measured at 4 time points throughout gestation. Pregnancy outcomes that included diagnosis of preeclampsia or other obstetric complications were ascertained from the medical record. The relationship among IVF status, PlGF, and sFlt-1 were modeled over gestation and stratified by clinical pregnancy outcome.Of the included 2392 singleton pregnancies, 4.5% (108 pregnancies) were conceived though IVF. IVF pregnancies were significantly more likely to be complicated by preeclampsia (15.7% vs 7.7%). IVF pregnancies had significantly higher levels of sFlt-1 at 18, 26, and 35 weeks of gestation (P = .04, P = .004, P.0001, respectively) and lower levels of PlGF at 18 and 35 weeks of gestation (P = .007 and .0006, respectively). These differences persisted even after being controlled for maternal comorbidities or obstetric outcomes such as preeclampsia.Pregnancies conceived via IVF were found to have an increased antiangiogenic profile (elevated sFlt-1 and decreased PlGF) at multiple time points throughout gestation when compared with spontaneously conceived pregnancies. Alterations in the angiogenic profile persisted even after we controlled for maternal comorbidities of clinically evident disorders of abnormal placentation such as preeclampsia. The increased antiangiogenic profile suggests fundamentally aberrant placentation related to in vitro fertilization, which may warrant closer fetal surveillance in these pregnancies.