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Objective:  Increasing availability of immediate postpartum long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) has added contraceptive alternatives to bilateral tubal ligation (BTL) in the immediate postpartum period. The resultant access to long-term contraception has provided patients with improved control over the timing of pregnancies. Our objective is to evaluate changes in the utilization of immediate postpartum contraceptive methods over a 10-year period and its association with interpregnancy interval (IPI)., Study Design:  Retrospective cohort study of 36,445 patients delivered at a single academic hospital center from 2012 to 2020. Deliveries <23 weeks gestation and patients who underwent a cesarean hysterectomy or postpartum hysterectomy for obstetric indications were excluded. The primary outcome was the utilization of postpartum BTL, intrauterine devices, contraceptive implants, and Depo-Provera over the study time period. The secondary outcomes were IPI and interdelivery interval (IDI). Outcomes were compared using appropriate tests of trend. We adjusted for significant covariates as assessed in baseline characteristics., Results:  A total of 35,281 patients were included in our study. Groups were different in baseline characteristics including age, race/ethnicity, parity, BMI, insurance status, comorbidity risk, and attendance at postpartum exam. Over the study period, there was a significant difference in utilization of Depo-Provera, LARC, intrauterine device (IUD), and implant ( p  < 0.001). There was a significant increase in IPI ( p  < 0.001) and IDI ( p  < 0.001)., Conclusion:  We observed a significant increase in utilization of immediate postpartum LARC over the study period which corresponded to a significant increase in IPI and IDI. Our findings emphasize the importance of the availability of immediate postpartum contraception as well as its effectiveness in improving family planning options for reproductive-aged patients. We found significantly increased IPI and IDI associated with increased utilization of long-acting reversible contraceptives immediately postpartum. Our findings emphasize the importance of providers offering these options to patients as well as being comfortable initiating immediate postpartum contraception., Key Points: · Immediate postpartum LARC access has increased over the past 10 years.. · Access to more methods of contraception allows patients more options for family planning.. · Increased utilization of LARC led to increased IPI and IDI.., Competing Interests: None declared., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Introduction and Hypothesis: To compare change in urgency urinary incontinence episodes (UUIEs) in women undergoing posterior tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) plus mirabegron versus PTNS plus placebo for the treatment of refractory urgency urinary incontinence (UUI). The primary hypothesis was that combination therapy is superior to monotherapy., Methods: A randomized controlled trial was performed in individuals identifying as female aged ≥ 18 years with UUI symptoms refractory to second-line treatment or who could not tolerate antimuscarinic medications. Both participants and providers were blinded to medication treatment allocation. Participants were randomized (1:1) to PTNS plus mirabegron or PTNS plus placebo. Participants completed a 3-day bladder diary prior to and after 12-week treatment. Validated symptom distress and impact questionnaires were obtained pre- and post-treatment. The primary outcome was change in mean number of UUIEs on a 3-day bladder diary pre- versus post-treatment between arms. Primary and secondary outcomes were analyzed via sample t tests., Results: Fifty-four subjects were randomized, mean ± SD baseline age 56.2±15.6 years and body mass index 35.0±9.4 (kg/m 2 ); no differences were noted in any clinical-demographic characteristics. There was a significant difference between arms in mean pre- to post-treatment UUIEs, 9.4±3.9, mirabegron versus 5.3±5.5, placebo (p=0.007). Significant differences were found pre- compared with post-treatment in urinary frequency, Overactive Bladder Questionnaire Short Form Symptom Bother and Symptom Health-Related Quality of Life scores., Conclusions: In subjects undergoing PTNS treatment for refractory UUI and OAB-wet symptoms, the addition of a β-3 agonist produced significant improvement in both objective and subjective overactive bladder symptom outcomes compared with PTNS plus placebo., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: Elective induction of labor versus expectant management at 39 weeks gestation in low-risk nulliparous patients was shown in the ARRIVE randomized trial of over 6000 patients to decrease risks of cesarean delivery without significant change in the composite perinatal outcome. We aimed to pragmatically analyze the effect of offering elective induction of labor (eIOL) to all low-risk patients., Methods: Retrospective cohort study of low-risk nulliparous and multiparous patients delivering live, non-anomalous singletons at a single center at greater than or equal to 39 0/7 weeks gestational age. Those with prior or planned cesarean delivery, ruptured membranes, medical comorbidities, or contraindications to vaginal delivery were excluded. Patients were categorized as before (pre-eIOL; 1/2012-3/2014) or after (post-eIOL; 3/2019-12/2021) an institution-wide policy offering eIOL at 39 0/7 weeks. Births occurring April 2014 to December 2018 were allocated to a separate cohort (during-eIOL) given increased exposure to eIOL as our center recruited participants for the ARRIVE trial. The primary outcome was cesarean birth. Secondary outcomes included select maternal (e.g. chorioamnionitis, operative delivery, postpartum hemorrhage) and neonatal morbidities (e.g. birthweight, small- and large-for gestational age, hypoglycemia). Characteristics and outcomes were compared between the pre and during-eIOL, and pre and post-eIOL groups; adjusted OR (95% CI) were calculated using multivariable regression. Subgroup analysis by parity was planned., Results: Of 10,758 patients analyzed, 2521 (23.4%) were pre-eIOL, 5410 (50.3%) during-eIOL, and 2827 (26.3%) post-eIOL. Groups differed with respect to labor type, age, race/ethnicity, marital and payor status, and gestational age at care entry. Post-eIOL was associated with lower odds of cesarean compared to pre-eIOL (aOR 0.83 [95% CI 0.72-0.96]), which was even lower among those specifically undergoing labor induction (aOR 0.58 [0.48-0.70]. During-eIOL was also associated with lower odds of cesarean compared to pre-eIOL (aOR 0.79 [0.69-0.90]). Both during and post-eIOL groups were associated with higher odds of chorioamnionitis, operative delivery, and hemorrhage compared to pre-eIOL. However, only among post-eIOL were there fewer neonates weighing ≥4000 g, large-for-gestational age infants, and neonatal hypoglycemia compared to pre-IOL., Conclusion: An institutional policy offering eIOL at 39 0/7 to low-risk patients was associated with a lower cesarean birth rate, lower birthweights and lower neonatal hypoglycemia, and an increased risk of chorioamnionitis and hemorrhage.

Objective:  We evaluated if venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis in the inpatient antepartum period was associated with wound hematomas, VTE occurrence, and other adverse outcomes., Study Design:  This study is a secondary analysis of a retrospective cohort of patients who delivered at University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Patients receiving outpatient anticoagulation (AC) were excluded. We grouped patients into those who received inpatient antepartum prophylactic AC and those who did not. The primary outcome was wound hematomas from delivery to 6 weeks postpartum (PP). Secondary outcomes included VTE occurrence and select adverse outcomes, including other wound complications, unplanned procedures, mode of anesthesia, and intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Analyses were performed with no AC group as the reference. A sensitivity analysis excluding those who received inpatient PP AC was performed., Results:  Of 1,035 included patients, only 169 patients received inpatient prophylactic AC. They were older, had higher body mass indices, and more comorbidities. Patients receiving inpatient antepartum AC had higher wound hematomas (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 23.81; 95% confidence interval [CI] 7.04-80.47). They had similar risk for developing VTE as the control group (aOR 2.68; 95% CI 0.19-37.49) but were more likely to have wound complications (aOR 2.36; 95% CI 1.24-4.47), maternal deaths ( p  < 0.05), and require PP ICU admission (aOR 13.38; 95% CI 4.79-37.35). When excluding those receiving any PP AC, there was no difference in bleeding complications between the two groups and VTE rates remained unchanged. Rates of maternal deaths and PP ICU admissions remained higher in those who received inpatient antepartum AC prophylaxis., Conclusion:  In this small cohort study, increased wound hematomas were found in those who received inpatient antepartum AC prophylaxis with no difference in VTE occurrence. While adverse events were increased in the inpatient AC group, this was mostly associated with PP AC prophylaxis. Larger studies should be conducted to describe the true benefits and risks of antepartum AC prophylaxis and determine efficacy of this widely used practice., Key Points: · Peripartum chemoprophylaxis is associated with increased wound hematomas.. · VTE is rare, despite its association with significant peripartum morbidity/mortality.. · Large studies are needed to guide practices that optimize the risk/benefit ratio of chemoprophylaxis.., Competing Interests: G.S. is an editor of the American Journal of Perinatology., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Importance: In 2016, our institution adopted a pregnancy-related venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis protocol based on American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines that recommended postpartum heparin-based chemoprophylaxis (enoxaparin) based on a risk-stratified algorithm. In response to increased wound hematomas without significant reduction in VTE using this protocol, a more selective risk-stratified approach was adopted in 2021., Objective: To evaluate outcomes of the more selective risk-stratified approach to heparin-based obstetric thromboprophylaxis (enoxaparin) protocol., Design, Setting, and Participants: Retrospective observational study of 17 489 patients who delivered at a single tertiary care center in the southeast US between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2018 (original protocol), and between December 1, 2021, and May 31, 2023 (more selective protocol). Patients receiving outpatient anticoagulation for active VTE or high VTE risk during pregnancy were excluded., Exposure: Standard risk-stratified and more selective postpartum VTE chemoprophylaxis protocols., Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was clinical diagnosis of wound hematoma up to 6 weeks pos tpartum. The secondary outcome was new diagnosis of VTE up to 6 weeks post partum. We compared baseline characteristics and outcomes between groups and estimated adjusted odds ratios with 95% CIs of primary and secondary outcomes using the original protocol group as reference., Results: Of 17 489 patients included in the analysis, 12 430 (71%) were in the original protocol group and 5029 (29%) were in the more selective group. Rates of chemoprophylaxis decreased from 16% (original protocol) to 8% (more selective protocol). Patients in the more selective group were more likely to be older, be married, and have obesity or other comorbidities (hypertension, diabetes, cardiac disease). Compared with the original protocol, the more selective protocol was associated with a decrease in any wound hematoma (0.7% vs 0.3%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.38; 95% CI, 0.21-0.67), specifically due to a lower rate of superficial wound hematomas (0.6% vs 0.3%; aOR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.24-0.75). There was no significant increase in VTE or individual types of VTE (0.1% vs 0.1%; aOR, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.12-1.36)., Conclusions and Relevance: A more selective risk-stratified approach to an enoxaparin thromboprophylaxis protocol for VTE was associated with decreased rates of wound hematomas without increased rates of postpartum VTE.

Objectives: To assess physiologic blood pressure (BP) changes throughout pregnancy in patients with mild chronic hypertension (CHTN) who do and do not develop preeclampsia (PEC), compared to patients with normal BP., Study Design: Retrospective cohort of singleton gestations with CHTN at a single tertiary center from 2000 to 2014 and a randomly selected cohort of patients without CHTN and normal pregnancy outcomes (NML) in the same time period with BP measurements available <12 weeks gestational age., Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome was gestational age (GA) at nadir of systolic and diastolic BP. Secondary outcomes included perinatal death, umbilical cord pH, maternal and neonatal length of stay, GA at delivery, and mode of delivery. Quadratic mixed models were used to estimate SBP and DBP throughout gestation., Results: Of 367 pregnancies with CHTN, 268 (73%) had CHTN without PEC and 99 (27%) had CHTN with PEC; 198 NML pregnancies were used as a comparison group. The median GA nadir for patients in the NML, CHTN without PEC, and CHTN with PEC for SBP were 20, 24, and 21, respectively. For DBP, the median GA nadir were 22, 24, and 21 for patients in the NML, CHTN without PEC, and CHTN with PEC cohorts, respectively. Adverse secondary outcomes were more frequent in patients with CHTN who developed PEC., Conclusions: BP trajectories in pregnancy are different between patients with CHTN with PEC, CHTN without PEC, and patients with normal BP. These findings may be useful in assessing patients' risks for developing preeclampsia during pregnancy., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 International Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The random urine protein-to-creatinine ratio (UPCR) is a screening test used for predicting clinically significant proteinuria (urine protein  ≥ 300 mg) during pregnancy. No consensus exists on the optimal random UPCR cutoff for performing follow-up 24 hour urine (24H) total protein collection. We aim to evaluate the test performance of random UPCR in predicting proteinuria in a contemporary cohort., Study Design: This was a retrospective cohort study of pregnant patients at our institution from 2014 to 2018 with a random UPCR and follow-up 24H protein collection. The primary analysis estimated the test characteristics (sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values) of using random UPCR for the detection of proteinuria defined as urine protein ≥300 mg on 24H protein collection. UPCR cutoffs from 0.10 to 0.30 mg/dL were evaluated, receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed, and area under the curve (AUC) was determined. A secondary analysis examined the correlation between UPCR and 24H protein using least squares regression and Pearson correlation., Results: Paired UPCR and 24H collection results were available for 1,120 patients. Mean gestational age at time of UPCR was 31.1 ± 5.1 weeks and 687 (61.3%) of patients had a 24H ≥300 mg. UPCR <0.10 mg/dL effectively excluded proteinuria ≥300 mg on 24H collection, while UPCR ≥0.18 mg/dL correctly classifies proteinuria with 91% sensitivity, 57% specificity, 77% positive predictive value, and 79% negative predictive value. UPCR ≥1.07 mg/dL had 100% specificity for 24 hour proteinuria. The area under ROC curve was 0.86. UPCR and 24H collection were highly correlated with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.85. After our institution lowered the threshold to obtain a 24H from UPCR ≥0.20 mg/dL to ≥0.10 mg/dL in May 2017, the percentage of patients meeting criteria for 24H collection increased from 57.8 to 84.4%., Conclusion: The AUC and Pearson correlation suggest random UPCR is a high performance test for the prediction of proteinuria on 24H. Optimal test performance is dependent upon clinical consideration and upon the implications of the disease or condition. A random UPCR screen positive threshold of 0.18 mg/dL maximizes sensitivity to identify clinically significant proteinuria., Key Points: · Random urine protein to creatinine ratio is a high performance test for proteinuria.. · A random UPCR threshold of 0.18 mg/dL maximizes sensitivity to identify proteinuria.. · Optimal test performance is dependent on the disease or clinical condition.., Competing Interests: None declared., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This study aimed to describe cesarean delivery rates and indications at a single center in order to assess the impact of the guidelines published by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine on trends in labor management., Study Design: This is a retrospective cohort study of patients ≥23 weeks' gestation delivering at a single tertiary care referral center from 2013 to 2018. Demographic characteristics, mode of delivery, and main indication for cesarean delivery were ascertained by individual chart review. Cesarean delivery indications (mutually exclusive) were the following: repeat cesarean delivery, nonreassuring fetal status, malpresentation, maternal indications (e.g., placenta previa or genital herpes simplex virus), failed labor (any stage labor arrest), or other (i.e., fetal anomaly and elective). Polynomial (cubic) regression models were used to model rates of cesarean delivery and indications over time. Subgroup analyses further examined trends in nulliparous women., Results: Of the 24,637 patients delivered during the study period, 24,050 were included in the analysis; 7,835 (32.6%) had a cesarean delivery. The rates of overall cesarean delivery were significantly different over time ( p  < 0.001), declining to a minimum of 30.9% in 2014 and peaking at 34.6% in 2018. With regard to the overall cesarean delivery indications, there were no significant differences over time. When limited to nulliparous patients, the rates of cesarean delivery were also noted to be significantly different over time ( p  = 0.02) nadiring at 30% in 2015 from 35.4% in 2013 and then rising up to 33.9% in 2018. As for nulliparous patients, there was no significant difference in primary cesarean delivery indications over time except for nonreassuring fetal status ( p  = 0.049)., Conclusion: Despite changes in labor management definitions and guidelines encouraging vaginal birth, the rates of overall cesarean delivery did not decrease over time. The indications for delivery, particularly failed labor, repeat cesarean delivery, and malpresentation have not significantly changed over time., Key Points: · The rates of overall cesarean deliveries did not decrease despite the 2014 published recommendations for the reduction in cesarean deliveries.. · There were no significant differences in the indications of cesarean deliveries among nulliparous or multiparous women.. · Despite the adoption of strategies to reduce the overall and primary cesarean delivery rates, these trends remain unchanged.. · Indications for delivery, particularly failed labor, repeat cesarean delivery, and malpresentation have also not significantly changed over time.. · Additional strategies to encourage and increase vaginal delivery rates must be adopted.., Competing Interests: None declared., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Objective: We sought to evaluate breastfeeding (BF) practices in patients with maternal cardiac disease (MCD) stratified by area deprivation index (ADI) to identity communities at risk. Study Design: Retrospective cohort of patients managed by the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Cardio-Obstetrics Program. Patients were included if they had ≥1 prenatal visit with the Cardio-Obstetrics team, delivered at UAB, and had a street address on file. The primary outcome was BF rate at hospital discharge. Secondary outcomes included BF intent on admission and BF at the postpartum (PP) visit. ADI reports socioeconomic disadvantage at the census tract level; 1 = least deprived and 100 = most deprived. Baseline characteristics and BF rates were compared by ADI categories: Low (ADI 1-33), medium (ADI 34-66), and high (ADI 67-100). Results: One hundred and forty-eight patients were included: 14 (10%) low, 42 (28%) medium, and 92 (62%) high ADI. Patients in the high ADI category were younger relative to those in the medium or low ADI (26 versus 28 versus 32 years; p  < 0.01) and less likely to be married or living with a partner (30.4% versus 58.5% versus 71.4%; p  < 0.01), There was no difference in BF intent between the lowest, medium, and highest ADI categories (85.7% versus 85.4% versus 81.6%; p  = 0.38) or BF rates at hospital discharge (100% versus 92.7% versus 85.6%, p  = 0.23). However, there was a significant difference in BF rates at the PP visit (90% versus 63.0% versus 38.6%; p  < 0.01) even after controlling for differences in baseline characteristics (odds ratio = 0.11 (95% confidence interval [0.01-0.93]), p  = 0.043). Conclusions: There was an association between living in a resource-poor community and early cessation of BF in our population of patients with MCD. Community-based interventions targeting mothers with heart disease living in high ADI communities may help these individuals achieve higher BF rates.

Objective: The aim of the study is to evaluate the use of a bipolar electrocautery device for complete salpingectomy at cesarean to improve procedure completion rates, operative time, and surgeon reported satisfaction as compared with standard bilateral tubal ligation (BTL) and suture-cut-tie salpingectomy., Study Design: This is a prospective cohort study of women undergoing planned, non-emergent cesarean with desired sterilization with complete salpingectomy utilizing a bipolar electrocautery device. Study patients were compared with historic controls from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of complete salpingectomy via suture-cut-tie method versus BTL conducted at our institution (SCORE trial, NCT02374827). Outcomes were compared with groups from the original RCT., Results: Thirty-nine women were consecutively enrolled (12/2018-11/2019) into the device arm of the study and compared with the original SCORE cohort ( n  = 40 BTL, n  = 40 salpingectomy without a device). Salpingectomy performance with the bipolar electrocautery device was successfully completed in 100% (39/39) of enrolled women, with one device failure requiring the use of a second device, as compared with 95% (38/40) in the BTL ( p  = 0.49) and 67.5% (27/40) in salpingectomies without a device ( p  < 0.001). Mean operative time of sterilization procedure alone demonstrated device use as having the shortest operative time of all (device salpingectomy 5.0 ± 3.6 vs. no device 18.5 ± 8.3 minutes, p  < 0.001; and vs. BTL 6.9 ± 5.0, p  = 0.032). Mean sterilization procedure endoscopic band ligation (EBL) was demonstrated to be significantly different between each group, least amongst BTL followed by device (6.3 ± 4.8 vs. 8.4 ± 24.8, p  < 0.001), and most by suture-cut-tie method (17.7 ± 14.3, p  < 0.001 compared with device). Surgeon reported attitudes of complete salpingectomy performance in general practice outside an academic setting was greater with a device than without (79.5 vs. 35.3%; p  < 0.001)., Conclusion: Use of a bipolar electrocautery device improved operative times and surgeon satisfaction for salpingectomy at cesarean over standard suture ligation. Device use improved surgeon reported outcomes and may improve incorporation of complete salpingectomy at cesarean., Key Points: · Electrocautery bipolar device use was safe at the time of salpingectomy during cesarean.. · Greater surgeon satisfaction occurs using a device than without.. · Decreased surgical time with device use is seen making the procedure equal to BTL.., Competing Interests: None declared., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate racial disparities in breastfeeding rates in patients with heart disease., Study Design: Retrospective cohort of pregnant patients with maternal cardiac disease managed by a Cardio-Obstetrics program. Patients self-identifying as Non-Hispanic Black (NHB) and Non-Hispanic White (NHW), who attended ≥ 1 prenatal visit at the Cardio-Obstetrics Program and delivered at the same hospital between March 2015 and June 2019 were included. The primary outcome was breastfeeding rate at discharge from the delivery-associated hospitalization. Secondary outcomes included breastfeeding intent on admission and breastfeeding rates at the postpartum visit among patients who initiated breastfeeding., Results: 138 pregnant patients with cardiac disease were included: 58 (42%) NHB and 80 (58%) NHW patients. Parity, marital status and insurance were statistically different between groups. NHB patients were more likely to have government insurance compared to NHW patients (77.6% vs. 40%; p < 0.001). There was a significant difference in the intent to breastfeed upon admission for the delivery-associated hospitalization (74.2% NHB vs. NHW 91.3%; p = 0.01), but not at hospital discharge (84.5% NHB vs. 93.8% NHW; p = 0.08). However, breastfeeding rates were significantly lower among NHB patients at the postpartum visit among the entire cohort (38.2% in NHB vs. 61.1% in NHW women; p = 0.036) and among those who initiated breastfeeding (35.3% NHB vs. 61.1% NHW, p = 0.018)., Conclusions: Despite similar breastfeeding rates at hospital discharge, NHB patients with maternal cardiac disease were less likely to intend to breastfeed at admission and/or continue breastfeeding by the postpartum visits. Qualitative studies understanding these differences are crucial to improve breastfeeding rates, especially for NHB patients with maternal cardiac disease., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

We aimed to evaluate physiologic treatment of severe hypertension. This was a retrospective cohort study of pregnant and postpartum patients with severe hypertension (systolic blood pressure [BP] 160 mm Hg or higher or diastolic BP 110 mm Hg or higher) treated with intravenous labetalol or hydralazine at a single tertiary care center between 2013 and 2018. Patients were classified as having physiologic treatment if they had hyperdynamic physiology (pulse pressure 65 mm Hg or higher) and received labetalol or had vasoconstrictive physiology (diastolic BP 100 mm Hg or higher) and received hydralazine. The primary outcome was number of antihypertensive doses to achieve nonsevere BP. Of 1,120 patients included in the analysis, 653 had physiologic treatment and 467 had nonphysiologic treatment, with 16 (1.4%) excluded for inability to classify physiology. Physiologic treatment was associated with fewer antihypertensive doses (1.4±0.9 doses vs 1.6±1.4 doses; adjusted β -0.28, 95% CI, -0.42 to -0.14) and lower odds of medication conversion (2.5% vs 4.7%; adjusted odds ratio 0.48, 95% CI, 0.24-0.93) but no difference in time to nonsevere BP (31 minutes [interquartile range 16-66 minutes] vs 34 minutes [interquartile range 15-76 minutes]; adjusted hazard ratio 1.0, 95% CI, 0.9-1.2). Physiologic treatment of severe hypertension warrants further evaluation., Competing Interests: Financial Disclosure Akila Subramaniam disclosed that money was paid to her institution from the NIH and Novocuff. The other authors did not report any potential conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate breastfeeding intent, rates at discharge, and continued breastfeeding at follow-up in patients managed in a comprehensive cardio-obstetrics program stratified by severity of maternal cardiac disease. Study Design: Retrospective cohort of patients managed by a comprehensive cardio-obstetrics program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Patients were included if they had ≥1 prenatal visit with the Cardio-Obstetrics team and delivered at UAB. The primary outcome was the breastfeeding rate on discharge from the delivery-associated hospitalization. Secondary outcomes included intent to breastfeed on admission and breastfeeding at the postpartum visit. Baseline characteristics and rates were compared between patients with less severe (mWHO I - II/III) vs. more severe (mWHO III - IV) maternal cardiac disease. Results: 147 patients were included: 85 (57.8%) mWHO class I - II and 62 (42.2%) mWHO class III-IV. Patients with more severe maternal cardiac disease had higher rates of chronic hypertension (22.6% vs. 9.4%; p  = 0.027), lower gestational age at delivery (36.4 vs 37.7 weeks; p  = 0.008), and higher rates of NICU admission (31.2% vs. 14.1%; p  = 0.013). There were no significant differences between mWHO class I-II vs. mWHO class III-IV in intent to breastfeed upon admission to the delivery-associated hospitalization (84.7% vs. 82.3%; p  = 0.67), breastfeeding rates upon discharge from the delivery-associated hospitalization (90.6% vs. 87.1%; p  = 0.50), or breastfeeding rates at the postpartum visit (54.1% vs. 48.5%; p  = 0.60). Conclusions: Despite potential barriers in this high-risk population, over 85% of patients breastfed upon discharge from the delivery-associated hospitalization. However, breastfeeding rates dropped by 40% at the postpartum visit. Strategies to support breastfeeding in the post-partum period in patients with maternal cardiac disease are imperative.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of occipital nerve block compared with standard care , defined as acetaminophen with caffeine, for treatment of acute headache in pregnancy., Methods: We conducted a single-center, unblinded, parallel, randomized controlled trial of pregnant patients with headache and pain score higher than 3 on the visual rating scale. Patients with secondary headache, preeclampsia, or allergy or contraindication to study medications were excluded. Participants were randomized to occipital nerve block or standard care (oral 650 mg acetaminophen and 200 mg caffeine). Crossover treatment was given at 2 hours and second-line treatment at 4 hours to those with worsening visual rating scale score or visual rating scale score higher than 3. The primary outcome was headache improvement to a visual rating scale score of 3 or lower within 2 hours of initial therapy. Secondary outcomes included serial visual rating scale scores, receipt of crossover or second-line therapy, patient satisfaction, and perinatal outcomes. Outcomes were assessed in an intention-to-treat analysis. We estimated that a sample of 62 would provide 80% power to detect a difference from 85% to 50% between groups., Results: From February 2020 to May 2022, 62 participants were randomized to occipital nerve block (n=31) or standard care (n=31). Groups were similar except payer status. The primary outcome, headache improvement to visual rating scale score of 3 or lower, was not significantly different between groups (64.5% vs 51.6%, P =.30). The occipital nerve block group experienced lower median [interquartile range] visual rating scale scores at 1 hour (2 [0-5] vs 6 [2-7], P =.014), and more patients in the occipital nerve block group had visual rating scale scores of 3 or lower at 1 hour. Among patients receiving crossover treatment at 2 hours, the standard care group had a significantly lower visual rating scale score 1 hour after crossover to occipital nerve block than the occipital nerve block group receiving crossover to standard care ( P =.028). There were no significant differences in second-line treatment, refractory headache, satisfaction, or complications. Patients receiving occipital nerve block delivered earlier (36.6 weeks vs 37.8 weeks), but preterm birth did not differ between groups., Conclusion: Occipital nerve block is an effective and quick-acting treatment option for acute headache in pregnancy., Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT03951649., Competing Interests: Financial Disclosure Alan T. Tita disclosed that his institution received funding from Pfizer. Rachel G. Sinkey disclosed that her institution received funding from the NIH and AHA. The other authors did not report any potential conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the frequency and timing of laboratory abnormalities and evaluate optimal laboratory testing strategies in women with preeclampsia (PE) undergoing expectant management., Study Design: Retrospective cohort study of women with inpatient expectant management of PE at ≥23 weeks at a tertiary center from 2015 to 2018 was conducted. Women ineligible for expectant management or with less than two laboratory sets (platelets, aspartate aminotransferase, and serum creatinine) before the decision to deliver were excluded. Women were categorized as per the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' definitions by initial diagnosis: PE without severe features, superimposed preeclampsia (SiPE) without severe features, and their forms with severe features. The frequency and timing of laboratory abnormalities were compared across the four PE categories. Kaplan-Meier curves modeled time to a laboratory abnormality (event) with censoring for delivery and were compared using log-rank tests. Logistic regression analysis modeled the development of a laboratory abnormality as a function of testing time intervals (days) for each PE type. Receiver operating characteristic curves and areas under the curve (AUC) were calculated; optimal cut points were determined using the Liu method., Results: Among 636 women who met inclusion criteria, laboratory abnormalities were uncommon (6.3%). The median time to a laboratory abnormality among all women was ≤10 days, time being shortest in women with PE with severe features. Time to laboratory abnormality development did not differ significantly between the four PE groups ( p  = 0.36). Laboratory assessment intervals were most predictive for PE and SiPE with severe features (AUC = 0.87, AUC = 0.72). Optimal cutoffs were every 4 days for PE without severe features, 2 days for PE with severe features, 8 days for SiPE without severe features, and 3 days for SiPE with severe features., Conclusion: Most laboratory abnormalities in PE occur earlier and more frequently in those with severe features. Individual phenotypes should undergo serial evaluation based on this risk stratification., Key Points: · Most laboratory abnormalities occur within 10 days of diagnosis.. · Laboratory abnormalities occur more often with severe features.. · Laboratory testing should occur according to disease severity.., Competing Interests: None declared., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Introduction and Hypothesis: In women with advanced prolapse, differences in vaginal apex anchoring sites may impact surgical outcomes over time. The primary aim was to compare 5-year surgical outcomes of uterosacral ligament suspension (ULS) versus sacrospinous ligament fixation (SSLF) in women with advanced (stage III-IV) prolapse., Methods: A secondary analysis was conducted in a subset of women with advanced prolapse from a multicenter randomized trial comparing ULS versus SSLF and its extended follow-up, using publicly accessible de-identified datasets. The primary outcome was time to failure, defined as any one of (1) apical descent > 1/3 into the vaginal canal or anterior/posterior compartment beyond the hymen, (2) bothersome vaginal bulge symptoms, or (3) re-treatment. Secondary outcomes include symptom severity measured by the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Distress Inventory (POPDI) and adverse events., Results: Of 285 women, 90/147 (61.2%) in ULS and 88/138 (63.8%) in SSLF had advanced prolapse. Baseline characteristics did not differ between groups except for median-vaginal deliveries (3.0 [2.0, 5.0] versus 3.0 [2.0, 4.0], p < 0.01). The median time to failure was 1.7 years ULS versus 2.0 years SSLF (p = 0.42). Surgical failure increased over time in both groups with no intergroup difference; by year 5, the estimated failure rate was 67.7% ULS versus 71.5% SSLF (adjusted difference -3.8; 95%CI [-21.9, 14.2]). No differences were noted in individual failure components (p > 0.05). POPDI scores improved over 5 years without intergroup difference (ULS -68.0 ± 61.1 versus SSLF -69.9 ± 60.3, adjusted difference -0.1 [-20.0, 19.9]). No difference in adverse events were observed (p > 0.05)., Conclusion: In women with advanced prolapse, surgical failure, symptom severity, and adverse events did not differ between ULS and SSLF over 5 years., (© 2023. The International Urogynecological Association.)

Objective: In the OFFSITE II randomized controlled trial, outpatient cervical ripening with a Foley catheter (CF) in nulliparous patients undergoing elective induction of labor (eIOL) shortened the time from admission to delivery. Given that patients with obesity have protracted labor and higher rates of failed IOL, we sought to determine if outpatient ripening with a CF may be even more beneficial for this high-risk group., Study Design: We performed a secondary analysis of the OFFSITE II randomized controlled trial. For this analysis, all patients from the primary trial were classified by their intervention assignment (inpatient vs. outpatient) and also by their admission body mass index (BMI) class (BMI ≥ 30 and BMI < 30 kg/m 2 ). The primary outcome was time from labor and delivery (L&D) admission to delivery. Secondary outcomes included cesarean delivery, time from admission to hospital discharge, and rates of clinically diagnosed chorioamnionitis and endometritis., Results: In patients with BMI ≥ 30, the primary outcome, time from admission to delivery, (18.0 [13.5-20.9] vs. 20.4 [16.6-31.3] hours, p  = 0.01), as well as total hospitalization length (3.2 [2.5-3.3] vs. 3.4 [3.1-4.3] days, p  = 0.02) were shorter in the outpatient group. There were no differences in rates of chorioamnionitis or endometritis in outpatient compared with inpatient CF. Furthermore, in those with a BMI ≥ 30, the cesarean rate was significantly lower with outpatient CF (19.4% vs. 44.7%, p  = 0.03); it was not statistically different in patients with BMI < 30., Conclusion: In this exploratory retrospective secondary analysis of the OFFSITE II randomized control trial, we found that in patients with BMI ≥ 30 undergoing eIOL, outpatient CF was associated with a lower time from L&D admission until delivery. This was also associated with a shorter time of total hospital duration and decreased the rate of cesarean, a benefit not detected in the overall analysis presented in the primary study. In nulliparas undergoing induction of labor, ripening with outpatient cervical Foley may even more significantly reduce labor duration, total hospital duration, and the rate of cesarean in patients with obesity., Key Points: · Outpatient CF was associated with a lower time from L&D admission until delivery in obese nulliparas.. · Outpatient CF was associated with a shorter time of total hospital duration in obese nulliparas.. · Outpatient CF was associated with a decreased rate of cesarean birth in obese nulliparas.., Competing Interests: None declared., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate maternal postoperative infections before and after addition of adjunctive azithromycin to standard antibiotic prophylaxis for prelabor cesarean births., Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with singleton gestations at more than 23 weeks of gestation who underwent prelabor cesarean birth at a single tertiary care center. Deliveries were categorized as those before implementation of 500 mg intravenous azithromycin in addition to standard preoperative cephalosporin antibiotic prophylaxis (pre-AZI group; January 2013-September 2015) and those after implementation of adjunctive azithromycin (post-AZI group; January 2016-December 2018). Cesarean births from October to December 2015 were excluded as a washout period. The primary outcome was a composite of postcesarean infections (endometritis, superficial or deep wound infections, intra-abdominal abscess, urinary tract infections). Secondary outcomes included composite components, other wound or postoperative complications, and select neonatal morbidities. Outcomes were compared between groups, and adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% CIs were calculated using multivariable analysis. Propensity score matching was performed to assess the robustness our analysis., Results: Of 2,867 delivering patients included for analysis, 1,391 (48.5%) were in the pre-AZI group and 1,476 (51.5%) were in the post-AZI group. Patients in the post-AZI group were older and were more likely to have private insurance, use aspirin, and receive predelivery antibiotics within 2 weeks. There were significantly lower odds of composite infection after azithromycin implementation (3.3% vs 4.8%, aOR 0.60, 95% CI 0.40-0.89), driven by a reduction in wound infection odds (2.4% vs 3.5%, aOR 0.61, 95% CI 0.39-0.98). There were lower odds of other postpartum complications, including wound seroma (0.5% vs 0.9%, aOR 0.34, 95% CI 0.13-0.90) and dehiscence (0.5% vs 1.2%, aOR 0.32, 95% CI 0.13-0.79). There were no differences in select neonatal morbidities between groups. Of 1,138 matching sets in the propensity analysis, the primary outcome remained significantly lower in the post-AZI group (aOR 0.64, 95% CI 0.41-0.99)., Conclusion: Adopting adjunctive azithromycin for prelabor cesarean deliveries was associated with lower odds of postpartum infection., Competing Interests: Financial Disclosure The authors did not report any potential conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Maternal anemia has been associated with poor obstetrical outcomes; however, the optimal hemoglobin level for reducing blood transfusion at delivery has not been well-defined., Objective: This study aimed to measure the association of maternal anemia immediately before delivery with peripartum transfusion and other adverse perinatal outcomes. We also sought to identify the optimal hemoglobin level for predicting transfusion., Study Design: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients who had hemoglobin or hematocrit collected before delivery of live, nonanomalous neonates at ≥23 weeks' gestation at a single center (2013-2018). Patients were excluded if they had sickle cell disease or were receiving anticoagulation. Patients were categorized as having anemia or no anemia on the basis of predelivery hemoglobin or hematocrit levels using criteria set by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The primary outcome was transfusion of ≥1 unit of packed red blood cells during the delivery admission. Secondary outcomes included select adverse perinatal outcomes. Bivariable analyses compared baseline characteristics and outcomes between the anemia and no-anemia groups. Multivariable logistic regression estimated the association between anemia and outcomes. The hemoglobin cutoff optimizing sensitivity and specificity for transfusion was identified by the Liu method., Results: Of the 18,357 patients included in the analysis, 5444 (30%) had predelivery anemia (mean hemoglobin, 10.0±0.8 g/dL) vs 12,913 (70%) who did not (mean hemoglobin, 12.3±1.1 g/dL). Patients with anemia were more likely to be non-Hispanic Black and publicly insured and less likely to be nulliparous. Anemia was associated with 5-fold higher odds of packed red blood cell transfusion (6.0% vs 1.3%; adjusted odds ratio, 5.23 [95% confidence interval, 4.09-6.69]) compared with no anemia. For each 1 g/dL increase in predelivery hemoglobin, the odds of transfusion were 56% lower (adjusted odds ratio, 0.44 [confidence interval, 0.40-0.48]). The optimal hemoglobin for prediction of transfusion was 10.6 g/dL (sensitivity: 80%, specificity: 86%). There was no association between anemia and composite maternal or neonatal morbidity after adjustment for covariates, but anemia was associated with higher odds of postpartum readmission (adjusted odds ratio, 1.35 [1.11-1.64])., Conclusion: Maternal anemia before delivery was associated with 5-fold higher odds of packed red blood cell transfusion and postpartum readmission, but not other perinatal morbidity. Optimizing predelivery hemoglobin, particularly ≥10.6 g/dL, may reduce peripartum transfusion., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: A risk-based institutional protocol for inpatient heparin-based venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in a general obstetrical population previously demonstrated a greater than 2-fold increase in wound hematomas with no change in the frequency of thromboembolism., Objective: We sought to compare the rates of thromboembolism and bleeding outcomes in patients at the highest risk for thromboembolism (eg, those with a history of thromboembolism or thrombophilia who require anticoagulation prophylaxis or therapy throughout pregnancy) than low-risk patients., Study Design: We performed a retrospective cohort study of all deliveries >20 weeks at a single center from 2013-2018. Patients were categorized as high-risk (received outpatient heparin-based prophylaxis or treatment) or low-risk (no outpatient anticoagulation). The primary outcome was newly diagnosed postpartum thromboembolism; the main secondary outcome was wound/perineal hematoma. The outcomes were compared between the high- and low-risk cohorts. Adjusted odds ratios (with 95% confidence intervals) were calculated with the low-risk group as reference., Results: Of 24,303 total deliveries, 395 (1.7%) were high-risk and 23,905 (98.3%) were low-risk. Among the low-risk patients, 8.6% received anticoagulation prophylaxis in accordance with our risk-based inpatient thromboembolism prophylaxis protocol. High-risk patients were more likely to be older and have a higher body mass index, earlier delivery gestational age, medical comorbidities, and pregnancy complications, eg, preeclampsia. Despite outpatient antepartum anticoagulation, high-risk patients had an 11-fold increased risk of thromboembolism (adjusted odds ratio, 11.1 [4.7-26.2]) than low-risk patients. High-risk patients also had significantly more wound/perineal hematomas (adjusted odds ratio, 4.8 [2.7-8.4]), overall wound complications (adjusted odds ratio, 3.0 [2.0-4.4]), blood transfusions, intensive care unit admissions, maternal deaths, and longer maternal lengths of stay., Conclusion: Patients at the highest risk of obstetrical thromboembolism had an 11-fold increased risk of thromboembolism with a more moderate increase (∼5-fold) in postpartum wound and bleeding complications than low-risk patients. This more favorable risk or benefit profile supports current anticoagulation recommendations in high-risk patients., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the differences in reliable contraceptive use between black women and white women with maternal cardiac disease., Methods: The study comprised a retrospective cohort of women with maternal cardiac disease managed by the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Comprehensive Pregnancy and Heart Program (CPHP). Women were included if they had attended one or more prenatal visits at the UAB CPHP and delivered at the UAB hospital between March 2015 and June 2019. The primary outcome was reliable contraceptive use within 2 months postpartum, defined by receipt of long-acting reversible contraception (i.e., an intrauterine contraceptive device or an etonogestrel implant) or female sterilisation. All outcomes were compared based on self-reported race., Results: One hundred and forty-nine women met the inclusion criteria. Black women ( n  = 63) were more likely than white women ( n  = 86) to use reliable contraception (65% vs 43%; p  = 0.008). Black women were less likely than white women to be undecided or decline contraception at the time of admission (13% vs 27%; p  = 0.037). There was no difference in reliable contraceptive use between black women ( n  = 20, 63%) and white women ( n  = 23, 72%) with modified World Health Organisation (WHO) class III/IV lesions ( p  = 0.42)., Conclusion: Black women with maternal cardiac disease were more likely than white women to receive reliable contraception. Interventions to prevent unintended pregnancy in women with maternal cardiac disease should focus on improving reliable contraceptive use, especially for women with modified WHO class III/IV lesions.

Objective: Our objective was to evaluate uptake and satisfaction with an out-of-pocket (OOP) cost tracker as a means for cancer patients to manage their personalized costs of care and to identify characteristics associated with usage., Methods: Within a longitudinal survey evaluating financial toxicity among gynecologic cancer patients on active systemic therapy over a 6-month period, we provided paper worksheets for participants to voluntarily track expenses. We assessed usage and satisfaction at 3 and 6 months using frequency and percentage. We used Fisher's exact test and Wilcoxon rank sum analysis to evaluate patient characteristics based upon usage. Participants were encouraged to submit their completed cost tracker worksheets., Results: Fifty-three of 121 (44%) participants reported ever using the OOP cost tracker. Most users reported it was easy to use (97%, 100%) and helpful (86%, 72%); however, fewer users rated it as useful for budgeting (42%, 26%) at 3 and 6 months, respectively. More patients who knew their insurance premium were users compared to non-users (74.4% vs. 54.4%, p = 0.04). Among thirteen users who submitted their completed cost tracker worksheets, non-medical costs (i.e., transportation) had the highest monthly out of pocket costs (mean $213, range $0-587). User feedback included suggestions to enhance the cost tracker with educational tutorials or a reminder system., Conclusions: Future studies should explore if cost tracker uptake and satisfaction are enhanced with the addition of reminders and whether usage decreases financial toxicity or increases patient self-efficacy in managing the costs of cancer care., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2022 The Author(s).)

Competing Interests: Financial Disclosure Alan T. Tita reports money was paid to his institution from the NIH and CDC. The other authors did not report any potential conflicts of interest.

Objective: This study aimed to compare attendance of nutritional counseling, dietary composition, exercise patterns, and socioeconomic factors among obese women with inappropriate gestational weight gain (iGWG) versus appropriate GWG (aGWG)., Study Design: Medicaid-eligible women receiving prenatal care at a tertiary care center from January 2013 to December 2015 were offered individualized nutritional counseling by a registered dietitian encouraging well-balanced meals and 150 min/wk of exercise. We conducted a prospective case-control study of obese women (body mass index or BMI ≥30) with a singleton gestation with iGWG (<11 or >20 pounds) versus aGWG (11-20 pounds). Dietary intake, activity level, and socioeconomic factors were compared with Chi-square, Fisher's exact, Student's t -test, and Wilcoxon Rank Sum tests as indicated, and odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Multivariate regression analysis for significant variables was performed. A subgroup analysis of women with BMI ≥40 was planned., Results: A total of 401 women were analyzed: 78% ( n  = 313) with iGWG and 22% ( n  = 88) with aGWG. Demographics were similar between groups. Women with iGWG less frequently reported physician reinforcement of counseling and reported more physical inactivity and unemployment; there were no differences in caloric intake or macronutrient profile between groups. Multivariate regression identified physician reinforcement and employment as independent predictors of aGWG. Among women with BMI ≥40 ( n  = 133), those with iGWG (78%) were less likely to attend counseling, report physician reinforcement of counseling, and have adequate caloric and protein intake when compared with those with aGWG (22%). Activity level and socioeconomic factors were not different between groups., Conclusion: Physician reinforcement of nutritional counseling, greater activity level, and employment are associated with aGWG in women with BMI ≥30, while individualized professional nutritional counseling and dietary modifications were further associated with aGWG in women with BMI ≥40. Thus, greater focus should be placed on enhancing exposure to counseling and altering nutritional and exercise choices to optimize aGWG., Key Points: · Physician reinforcement of nutritional counseling by a dietitian is crucial for obese women.. · Physical inactivity and unemployment are associated with inappropriate gestational weight gain.. · Nutritional counseling is associated with appropriate gestational weight gain in women with BMI ≥40.., Competing Interests: None declared., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate the effects of offering immediate postpartum long-acting reversible contraception to pregnant patients with heart disease., Study Design: Retrospective cohort of pregnant patients with cardiac disease managed by a Comprehensive Pregnancy & Heart Program. Patients were divided into 2 cohorts: pre-immediate postpartum LARC Program implementation (March 2015 to January 2017) and post-implementation (February 2017 to June 2019). The primary outcome was LARC (intrauterine device [IUD] or etonogestrel implant) use postpartum, defined as LARC either immediately postpartum or at the postpartum visit. Secondary outcomes included contraception intent at delivery and IUD expulsion rate of IUDs placed immediately postpartum., Results: Of 159 included patients, 96 (60%) delivered during the post-implementation period. LARC use tripled after program implementation, 11% vs 35%, p < 0.01. Specifically, immediate postpartum IUD use increased from 1 (1.6%) to 10 (10.4%), p = 0.05, and use of immediate postpartum implant increased from 0 to 14 (14.6%), p = 0.002. Rates of women without contraception plans at delivery decreased from 32% to 14%, p < 0.01, as did the number of women using medroxyprogesterone acetate: 16% vs 4%, p = 0.01. Tubal ligation rates were not different before and after program implementation: 24% and 29%, p = 0.46. Postpartum visit rates were similar between Pre and Post groups: 70% and 72%, p = 0.78, respectively. One immediate postpartum IUD expulsion occurred., Conclusion: LARC use tripled in pregnant patients in an obstetric heart disease program after implementation of an immediate postpartum LARC Program. Access to immediate postpartum IUDs and implants should be a public health priority for women with heart disease to reduce their disproportionate burden of maternal morbidity and mortality., Implications: Access to immediate postpartum IUDs and implants should be a public health priority for women with heart disease - as well as all people with high-risk health conditions - to reduce their disproportionate burden of maternal morbidity and mortality., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Competing Interests: Financial Disclosure Rachel G. Sinkey reports money was paid to her institution from GestVision and ProLab. Alan T. Tita reports money was paid to his institution from the NIH, CDC, and Pfizer for COVID-19 and RSV vaccine in pregnancy studies. Ashley N. Battarbee reports money was paid to her institution from the NIH and CDC for COVID-19 in pregnancy studies. Akila Subramaniam reports money was paid to her institution from the NIH. Jeff M. Szychowski reports money was paid to his institution from the NIH. Jodie Dionne-Odom currently receives grant funding from NIH/NICHD for an unrelated study on infection in pregnancy. Sixto M. Leal Jr. reports money was paid to his institution from the NIH, CDC, ADPH, CNINE, GenMark, mFluiDx, IMMY, SpeeDx, Abnova, Amplyx, IHMA, and JMI. Nitin Arora reports money was paid to his institution from the Congenital and Perinatal Infections Consortium, the UAB Sparkman Center for Global Health, and the Kaul Pediatric Research Institute Grant Program. The other authors did not report any potential conflicts of interest.

Objective: To evaluate outcomes before and after implementation of a risk-stratified heparin-based obstetric thromboprophylaxis protocol., Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of all patients who delivered at our tertiary care center from 2013 to 2018. Deliveries were categorized as preprotocol (2013-2015; no standardized heparin-based thromboprophylaxis) and postprotocol (2016-2018). Patients receiving outpatient anticoagulation for active venous thromboembolism (VTE) or high VTE risk were excluded. Coprimary effectiveness and safety outcomes were postpartum VTEs and wound hematomas, respectively, newly diagnosed after delivery and up to 6 weeks postpartum. Secondary outcomes were other wound or bleeding complications, including unplanned surgical procedures (eg, hysterectomies, wound explorations) and blood transfusions. Outcomes were compared between groups, and adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% CIs were calculated using the preprotocol group as reference., Results: Of 24,229 deliveries, 11,799 (49%) occurred preprotocol. Although patients were more likely to receive heparin-based prophylaxis postprotocol (15.6% vs 1.2%, P<.001), there was no difference in VTE frequency between groups (0.1% vs 0.1%, odds ratio 1.0, 95% CI 0.5-2.1). However, patients postprotocol experienced significantly more wound hematomas (0.7% vs 0.4%, aOR 2.34, 95% CI 1.54-3.57), unplanned surgical procedures (aOR 1.29, 95% CI 1.06-1.57), and blood transfusions (aOR 1.34, 95% CI 1.16-1.55)., Conclusion: Risk-stratified heparin-based thromboprophylaxis in a general obstetric population was associated with increased wound and bleeding complications without a complementary decrease in postpartum VTE. Guidelines recommending this strategy should be reconsidered., Competing Interests: Financial Disclosure The authors did not report any potential conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Our objective was to measure the trajectory of financial distress and to determine its relationship with quality of life (QOL) among patients with cancer., Materials and Methods: We conducted a longitudinal survey of patients with gynecologic cancer starting a new line of systemic therapy at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. Financial distress was measured using a Comprehensive Score for Financial Toxicity (COST) < 26, and QOL was measured using Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) with lower scores indicating worse responses. One-way repeated analysis of variances, generalized estimating equation models, and correlation coefficients were used to evaluate financial distress and QOL over time., Results: There were 90 of 121 (74%) baseline participants with a 6-month follow-up. The average age was 60 years, 29% were African-American, 57% had an annual income < $40,000 in US dollars, and 6% were uninsured. At baseline, 54% of patients screened positive for financial distress, which was unchanged at 3 months (50%, P = .27) but decreased at 6 months (46%, P = .04) compared with baseline. There was no change in average COST (23.6, 25.1, 25.6; P = .33) or FACT-G (70.8, 71.0, 72.8; P = .68) over time. Less financial distress was moderately correlated with better QOL (r = 0.63, 0.61, 0.60) at each time point. The presence of financial distress was associated with a 16-point decrease in FACT-G QOL score over time., Conclusion: Upfront screening with COST identified 90% of patients who experienced financial distress, and COST did not change significantly over time. More severe financial distress was moderately correlated with worse QOL, and its presence was associated with a clinically meaningful 16-point decrease in QOL., Competing Interests: Warner K. HuhConsulting or Advisory Role: LI-COR Biosciences, DySISExpert Testimony: Johnson and Johnson, Intuitive SurgicalOther Relationship: Inovio PharmaceuticalsNo other potential conflicts of interest were reported.

Background: There are concerns regarding neurobehavioral changes in infants exposed to parenteral opioids during labor; however, long-term neurodevelopment remains unstudied., Objective: We aimed to examine the association between parenteral opioids used as labor analgesia and perinatal outcomes and childhood neurodevelopment until 2 years of age among infants born prematurely. We hypothesized that intrapartum exposure to parenteral opioids is associated with impaired neurodevelopment and adverse perinatal outcomes., Study Design: This was a secondary analysis of a multicenter, randomized controlled trial assessing magnesium for the prevention of cerebral palsy in infants at risk for preterm birth. Women delivering a singleton, nonanomalous, live infant before 37 weeks' gestation were considered for inclusion. Women were excluded if they had missing exposure or primary outcome data, were exposed to general anesthesia, or reported use of heroin or unspecified illicit drugs. Women reporting use of nonopioid illicit drugs such as cocaine and marijuana were not excluded. Groups were compared based on exposure or nonexposure to parenteral opioids (intravenous or intramuscular) used as labor analgesia. The primary outcome was any psychomotor or mental developmental delay at 24 months according to the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II. Secondary outcomes were the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II subdomains and adverse perinatal outcomes. Multivariable logistic regression models were performed and adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were estimated., Results: Of the 1404 women included, 535 (38%) received parenteral opioids as labor analgesia. Women receiving parenteral opioids were more likely to be younger, Hispanic, and present with cervical dilation ≥4 cm. Parenteral opioid recipients had lower rates of illicit nonopioid drug or tobacco use, a lower rate of cesarean delivery, lower educational level and were less likely to be undergoing induction. Women receiving parenteral opioids who underwent cesarean delivery were less likely to do so because of a nonreassuring fetal status. In the unadjusted and adjusted analyses, there were no significant differences in the primary outcomes of psychomotor or mental developmental delay at 2 years of age (adjusted odds ratio, 0.96; confidence interval, 0.76-1.20). The only significant difference in secondary outcomes was a shorter O 2 requirement duration in the parenteral opioid group (2 vs 4 days; P=.002)., Conclusion: Among a population of preterm infants vulnerable to neurologic impairment, intrapartum exposure to parenteral opioids was not associated with an increased risk for neurodevelopmental delay up to 2 years of age, nor did these infants have worse perinatal outcomes., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: In 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration expressed concern that neurodevelopment may be negatively affected by anesthesia or sedation exposure in pregnancy or before three years of age. We examined the association between general anesthesia at the time of cesarean delivery and early childhood neurodevelopment., Methods: A secondary analysis of a multicenter randomized controlled trial assessing magnesium for prevention of cerebral palsy in infants at risk for preterm delivery. Exposure was general compared to neuraxial anesthesia. The primary outcome was motor or mental delay at two years of age, assessed by Bayley Scales of Infant Development II (BSIDII). Secondary outcomes included BSIDII subdomains and perinatal outcomes. Multivariable logistic regression models were performed to control for confounders., Results: Of 557 women undergoing cesarean delivery, 119 (21%) received general anesthesia. There were no differences in the primary composite outcome of developmental delay (aOR 0.93, 95% CI 0.61 to 1.43) or the BSIDII subdomains of mild, moderate, or severe mental delay, or mild or moderate motor delay. Severe motor delay was more common among infants exposed to general anesthesia (aOR 1.98, 95% CI 1.06 to 3.69). Infants exposed to general anesthesia had longer neonatal intensive care stays (51 vs 37 days, P=0.010)., Conclusions: General anesthesia for cesarean delivery was not associated with overall neurodevelopmental delay at two years of age, except for greater odds of severe motor delay. Future studies should evaluate this finding, as well as the impact on neurodevelopment of longer or multiple anesthetic exposures across all gestational ages., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Nicotine is an established neuroteratogen, and prenatal tobacco exposure alters the structure of the developing nervous system. An association between prenatal tobacco exposure and impaired neurologic function is less well established. We examine the association between prenatal tobacco exposure and childhood neurodevelopment among infants born preterm., Study Design: Secondary analysis of a multicenter randomized controlled trial assessing the benefits of magnesium sulfate for the prevention of cerebral palsy in preterm infants. Women were included if they delivered a singleton and nonanomalous infant before 37 weeks. Exposure was any self-reported prenatal tobacco use. Primary outcome was the original trial composite outcome of moderate or severe cerebral palsy at 2 years of age, or stillbirth, or infant death by 1 year of age. Secondary outcomes included components of the composite and mild cerebral palsy at 2 years, Bayley Scales of Infant Development II motor and mental scores, death before two years, and use of auditory aids or corrective lenses. Multivariable logistic regression models were performed to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals., Results: Of 1,826 women included, 503 (27.5%) used tobacco. Tobacco users were more likely to be older, unmarried, and white; have a prior preterm birth; have received no prenatal care; and to use illicit drugs or alcohol. Gestational age at delivery, betamethasone exposure, and magnesium exposure were not different between groups. There were no differences in the composite primary outcome or in rates of cerebral palsy by tobacco use. Moderate developmental delay was more common among tobacco exposed in bivariate but not adjusted analysis (20.5 vs. 15.9%, p  = 0.035). In adjusted analysis, tobacco exposure was associated with increased use of corrective lenses (5.0 vs. 2.9%, aOR: 2.28, 95% confidence interval: 1.28-4.07)., Conclusion: Prenatal tobacco exposure is not associated with neurodevelopmental impairment in infants born preterm. However, tobacco exposure may be associated with impaired vision., Key Points: · Tobacco exposure is not associated with impaired neurodevelopment in this preterm population.. · Prenatal tobacco exposure is associated with increased need for corrective lenses.. · Tobacco use in pregnancy may be a risk factor for poorer visual acuity in children.., Competing Interests: None declared., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Aim: To characterize symptom-specific distress and impact on quality of life (QOL) among women with urge, passive, and combined urge/passive fecal incontinence (FI) phenotypes. A secondary aim was to characterize FI symptom-specific distress and impact on women with a novel fourth phenotype, stress FI., Methods: Women with at least monthly FI from 2003 to 2017 were included. Participants completed the Modified Manchester Health Questionnaire (MMHQ) including MHQ and Fecal Incontinence Severity Index (FISI). Anorectal manometry (ARM) and endoanal ultrasound (EAUS) testing was performed. Total MHQ and FISI scores were compared across FI subtypes controlling for pertinent baseline covariates., Results: The cohort included 404 subjects, 220 meeting criteria for urge FI, 67 passive FI, and 117 combined urge/passive FI. On MHQ, women with combined urge/passive FI were most impacted (p < 0.01). FISI scores were significantly different from combined urge/passive FI having the greatest impact (38.1 ± 12.5) and urge FI (31.1 ± 11.3), p < 0.01 having the least. No differences were observed in ARM measurements or anal sphincter defects among the three groups (all p > 0.05). Twenty-nine subjects were identified with stress FI. There were no differences in overall MHQ or FISI scores or anal sphincter evaluation among the urge, passive, and stress FI groups (all p > 0.05)., Conclusion: Women with combined urge/passive FI have higher symptom distress and impact on QOL than urge or passive FI alone. Further research is needed to determine the significance of stress FI as a subtype and response to treatment., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objective: The percentage of operative vaginal deliveries (OVDs) in the United States has sharply declined. In May 2016, our institution's obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) residency program implemented a twice-yearly OVD curriculum consisting of didactics and simulation. We sought to evaluate the impact of this curriculum., Study Design: We performed a retrospective cohort study of all deliveries at our institution from July 2011 to May 2018. Deliveries were evaluated quarterly for the pre- (July 2011-April 2016) and postcurriculum (July 2016-May 2018) periods. Forceps-assisted vaginal delivery (FAVD), vacuum-assisted vaginal delivery (VAVD), and total OVD percentages, and the ratio of forceps to vacuums were calculated. Pre- and postcurriculum percentages were compared using Wilcoxon's rank-sum test. Cubic regression curves were fit to quarterly percentages to illustrate trends over time., Results: The quarterly OVD percentage was unchanged following curriculum implementation (mean 3.2% [Q 1 -Q 3 : 2.6-3.5%] pre- vs. 3.1% [2.5-3.8%] post-, p  > 0.99). The FAVD percentage was increased (1.2% [0.8-1.5%] vs. 2.0% [1.4-2.6%], p  = 0.027) and the VAVD percentage was decreased (2.0% [1.6-2.2%] vs. 1.2% [0.9-1.3%], p  < 0.001). This was accompanied by an increase in the ratio of FAVD to VAVD (0.6 [0.4-0.8] vs. 1.7 [1.3-2.2], p  < 0.001). FAVD percentage (3.1%) was higher in the last quarter than any other quarter in the 7-year study period, and total OVD percentage (3.9%) was higher in 2018 than any other calendar year., Conclusion: The implementation of an OVD curriculum in our OB/GYN residency program resulted in an increase in the percentage of FAVD and the ratio of FAVD to VAVD., Key Points: · OVD utilization in the United States continues to decline.. · We demonstrate real-world impact of an OVD curriculum.. · OVD curriculum implementation increases usage of FAVD.., Competing Interests: None declared., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Our objective was to evaluate the three domains of financial hardship (psychological response, material conditions, and coping behaviors) among gynecologic cancer patients receiving treatment., Methods: We conducted a single-institution survey of gynecologic cancer patients starting a new line of therapy for primary or recurrent disease. Psychological response was measured using Comprehensive Score for Financial Toxicity, with score < 26 indicating financial distress. We measured material conditions by patient-reported changes in employment or spending and coping behaviors by patient-reported medication non-adherence. We performed descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis, and multivariate logistic regression., Results: Among 121 participants, the mean age was 59 years, 28% were African-American, 50% reported income < $40,000, 74% had private insurance, 20% had only public insurance, and 7% were uninsured. Sixty-five (54%) participants screened positive for financial distress. Age < 65 years (aOR 2.61, 95% CI 1.04-6.52) and income < $40,000 (aOR 3.41, 95% CI 1.28-9.09) were associated with increased odds of screening positive for financial distress. Participants with financial distress were significantly more likely to report material hardship, including losing wages (46% vs. 18%, p < 0.01), not paying bills on time (40% vs. 7%, p < 0.01), and borrowing money (39% vs. 4%, p < 0.01). Financial distress was not associated with coping behaviors, such as not taking (6% vs. 2%, p = 0.37) or refilling medications (5% vs. 2%, p = 0.62)., Conclusions: Financial distress affects over half of gynecologic cancer patients starting a new line of treatment and is associated with material hardship. Younger age and lower income can be used to identify patients at increased risk., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Warner Huh reports personal fees from Antiva, Zillco, Licor, and Inovio outside the scope of the submitted work. The authors report no other conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate group B streptococcus (GBS) colonization prevalence and feasibility of intrapartum GBS screening/antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP) in Cameroon, Africa., Methods: Prospective cohort in the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services network. Maternity providers collected anogenital swabs from consenting term women in labor for testing by a rapid GBS-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system. Positive tests (GBS+) resulted in initiation of intravenous ampicillin until delivery. Primary outcomes were GBS prevalence and proportion of GBS+ women receiving ampicillin before delivery and more than 4 hours before delivery., Results: A total of 219 women were enrolled from January 10 to April 27, 2017. GBS prevalence was 12.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 7.9-16.7) with GBS+ women more likely to reside in urban areas (19.6% vs 9.7%, P=0.004). Of 27 GBS+ women, 19 (70.4%) received ampicillin before delivery and 14 (51.9%) 4 hours or longer before delivery. A median two doses of ampicillin (interquartile range [IQR] 1-5) were given and started at a median of 105 minutes (IQR 90-155) after swab collection and 20 minutes (IQR 10-45) after GBS result. Of the 8 women who did not receive ampicillin, 7 (87.5%) delivered before test results., Conclusion: A GBS IAP protocol is feasible in Cameroon and should be evaluated for widespread implementation in Cameroon and other low-income countries to decrease GBS-related morbidity., (© 2019 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.)

Objective: To compare perinatal and maternal outcomes in low-risk multiparous women who underwent elective induction of labor in the 39th week of gestation with those who were expectantly managed., Methods: We performed a single center retrospective cohort study of low-risk multiparous women delivering nonanomalous singletons between 39 and 42 completed weeks of gestation from 2014 to 2018. The primary outcome was a perinatal composite of death, neonatal respiratory support, a 5-minute Apgar score of 3 or less, and shoulder dystocia. Groups were compared using χ, Fisher exact, two sample t-test, and Wilcoxon rank sum tests, as appropriate. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to adjust for potential confounders., Results: Of the 3,703 low-risk multiparous women meeting inclusion criteria, 453 (12%) delivered between 39 0/7 and 39 4/7 after an elective induction of labor. Women who underwent elective induction of labor were more likely to be privately insured, non-Hispanic, and weigh more at their first prenatal visit (all P<.01) compared with expectant management. An elective induction of labor was associated with decreased frequency of the perinatal composite morbidity (4.0% vs 7.1%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.57, 95% CI 0.34-0.96) compared with expectant management. Fewer cesarean deliveries occurred among women in the elective induction of labor group (5.1% vs 6.6%; aOR 0.60, 95% CI 0.37-0.97). Other maternal outcomes (hypertensive disorders, chorioamnionitis, and operative vaginal deliveries) as well as neonatal intensive care unit admissions were not different between groups., Conclusion: Elective induction of labor in low-risk multiparous women in the 39th week of gestation was associated with decreased perinatal morbidity and a lower frequency of cesarean delivery compared with expectant management.

Objective: A high proportion of postcesarean wound complications occur after patients have been discharged from the hospital, increasing personal and health care costs. We undertook this study to evaluate the association between skin closure methods (suture vs. staple) following a cesarean delivery and the frequency of wound complications occurring after hospital discharge., Study Design: This is a secondary analysis of data from a randomized trial in which women undergoing cesarean delivery at ≥24 weeks' gestation were randomized to receive metallic staples or subcuticular suture for skin closure after surgery. Staples were removed at the time of hospital discharge on postoperative days 3 to 4 for Pfannenstiel incisions or days 7 to 10 for vertical. The primary outcome for this analysis was any wound complication occurring after hospital discharge. Wound complications were infections or any wound disruption without infection (including seromas and hematomas). Associations were examined using chi-square and Fisher's exact tests, as appropriate, and multivariable logistic regression., Results: A total of 350 patients with follow-up through 4 to 6 weeks postpartum were included in the analysis: n  = 171 received suture closure and n  = 179 received staples. In the primary trial, wound complications occurred in 14.5% ( n  = 26) of individuals with staples and 5.9% ( n  = 10) with sutures ( p  = 0.008). Twenty-one (58.3%) of the 36 wound complications occurred after hospital discharge. The incidence of wound complications occurring after hospital discharge was 6.7% ( n  = 12) of patients receiving staples and 5.3% ( n  = 9) of those receiving sutures; p  = 0.57; relative risk [95% confidence interval]: 1.27 [0.55-2.95]). After multivariable adjustment, type of skin closure method was not associated with wound complication after discharge from the hospital (odds ratio: 1.29; 0.52-3.17)., Conclusion: Although suture closure compared with staples was associated with fewer wound complications after cesarean delivery, we found no significant differences between closure types in the frequency of wound complications occurring after hospital discharge., Competing Interests: None., (Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.)

Background: The differential impact of aging on fecal incontinence symptom severity and condition-specific quality of life remains unclear., Objective: The purpose of this study was to characterize differences in symptom distress, quality of life, and anorectal physiology assessments in older versus younger women with fecal incontinence., Design: This was a cross-sectional study., Settings: This study was conducted at a tertiary genitorectal disorder clinic., Patients: Women presenting for fecal incontinence evaluation between 2003 and 2016 were classified as older or younger based on age ≥65 or <65 years., Main Outcome Measures: The main outcomes were symptom-specific quality of life and distress measured by validated questionnaires (the Modified Manchester Health Questionnaire containing the Fecal Incontinence Severity Index); anorectal physiology and anatomy were assessed by manometry and endoanal ultrasound., Results: Of 879 subjects, 286 and 593 were classified as older and younger (mean ages, 71.4 ± 5.3 y and 51.3 ± 10.5 y). Solid stool leakage was more frequent in older women (83.2% vs 76.7%; p = 0.03), whereas liquid stool leakage (83.2% vs 82.8%; p = 0.88) and fecal urgency (76.9% vs 78.8%; p = 0.54) did not differ between groups. Mean symptom severity scores were similar between groups (28.0 ± 11.9 and 27.6 ± 13.5; p = 0.69); however, there was greater negative impact on quality of life among younger women (46.3 ± 22.0 vs 51.8 ± 21.8; p < 0.01). Multivariable linear regression controlling for pertinent covariates revealed younger age as an independent predictor for worse condition-specific quality-of-life scores (p < 0.01). Squeeze pressures were similar between groups, whereas younger women had greater resting pressures and higher rates of sphincter defects (external, 7.7% vs 20.2%; internal, 12.2% vs 26.8%; both p < 0.01)., Limitations: This study was limited by its lack of patient obstetric history and the duration of their incontinence symptoms., Conclusions: Characteristics differ between older and younger women seeking care for fecal incontinence. The differential impact and age-related phenotypes may provide useful information for patient counseling and developing management algorithms for women with fecal incontinence. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/A910.

Objectives: Opportunistic salpingectomy is a cost-effective strategy recommended for ovarian cancer (OvCa) risk reduction at the time of gynecologic surgery in women who have completed childbearing. We aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of opportunistic salpingectomy compared to standard tubal ligation (TL) during cesarean delivery., Study Design: A cost-effectiveness analysis using decision modeling to compare opportunistic salpingectomy to TL at the time of cesarean using probabilities of procedure completion derived from a trial. Probability and cost inputs were derived from local data and the literature. The primary outcome was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) in 2017 U.S. dollars per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) at a cost-effectiveness threshold of $100,000/QALY. One- and two-way sensitivity analyses were performed for all variables. A probabilistic sensitivity analysis determined the proportion of simulations in which each strategy would be cost-effective., Results: Opportunistic salpingectomy was cost-effective compared to TL with an ICER of $26,616 per QALY. In 10,000 women desiring sterilization with cesarean, opportunistic salpingectomy would result in 17 fewer OvCa diagnoses, 13 fewer OvCa deaths, and 25 fewer unintended pregnancies compared to TL - with an associated cost increase of $4.7 million. The model was sensitive only to OvCa risk reduction from salpingectomy and TL. Opportunistic salpingectomy was not cost-effective if its cost was >$3163.74 more than TL, if the risk-reduction of salpingectomy was <41%, or if the risk-reduction of TL was >46%. In probabilistic sensitivity analysis opportunistic salpingectomy was cost effective in 75% of simulations., Conclusions: In women undergoing cesarean with sterilization, opportunistic salpingectomy is likely cost-effective and may be cost-saving in comparison to TL for OvCa risk reduction., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of salpingectomy compared with standard bilateral tubal ligation at the time of cesarean delivery in women with undesired fertility., Methods: We included women at 35 weeks of gestation or greater desiring permanent sterilization at the time of cesarean delivery. Patients were randomized after skin incision to bilateral salpingectomy or bilateral tubal ligation by a computer-generated scheme. If salpingectomy could not be completed on one or both sides, bilateral tubal ligation was attempted. Primary feasibility outcomes were total operative time and bilateral completion of the randomized procedure. Secondary outcomes included clinically estimated blood loss and surgical complications up to 6 weeks postpartum. We estimated that 80 patients (40 per group) would provide greater than 80% power to identify a 10-minute difference in the primary outcome (time) with a SD of 15 minutes and a two-sided α of 0.05. Analysis was by intent to treat., Results: Of 221 women screened from June 2015 to April 2017, 115 (52%) consented to the study; 80 were randomized-40 to salpingectomy and 40 to bilateral tubal ligation. Groups were similar at baseline. A total of 27 bilateral salpingectomies were successfully completed compared with 38 bilateral tubal ligations (68% compared with 95%, P=.002). Total operative time was on average 15 minutes longer for salpingectomies (75.4±29.1 compared with 60.0±23.3 minutes, P=.004). No adverse outcomes directly related to the sterilization procedure were noted in either group. Although estimated blood loss of only the sterilization procedure (surgeon estimate) was greater for the salpingectomy group (median 10 [interquartile range 5-25] compared with 5 [interquartile range 5-10] cc, P<.001), total estimated blood loss and safety outcomes were similar for both groups., Conclusion: Adding 15 minutes to total operative times, salpingectomy can be successfully completed in approximately two thirds of women desiring permanent contraception with cesarean delivery., Clinical Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02374827.