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BackgroundThe benefits and safety of the treatment of mild chronic hypertension (blood pressure,

Background: Studies suggest breastfeeding lowers obesity risk in childhood, but generalizability of existing evidence is limited. We examined associations of breastfeeding with childhood overweight, obesity, and percentage body fat, in a racially diverse maternal-child cohort. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 823 children, ages 4-8 years, enrolled in the Environmental Exposures and Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) cohort, a subset of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Fetal Growth Studies cohort. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for overweight [BMI (kg/m2) 85th to more...

Objective: It is currently unknown whether adjunctive azithromycin prophylaxis at the time of non-elective cesarean has differential effects on neonatal outcomes in the context of prematurity. The objective of this study was to compare whether neonatal outcomes differ in term and preterm infants exposed to adjunctive azithromycin prophylaxis before non-elective cesarean delivery. Study Design: A planned secondary analysis of a multi-center randomized controlled trial that enrolled women with singleton pregnancies ≥24 weeks gestation undergoing non-elective cesarean delivery (during labor or ≥4 h after membrane rupture). Women received standard antibiotic prophylaxis and were randomized to either adjunctive azithromycin (500 mg) or placebo. The primary composite outcome was neonatal death, suspected or confirmed neonatal sepsis, and serious neonatal morbidities (NEC, PVL, IVH, BPD). Secondary outcomes included NICU admission, neonatal readmission, culture positive infections and prevalence of resistant organisms. Odds ratios (OR) for the effect of azithromycin versus placebo were compared between gestational age strata (preterm [less than 37 weeks] versus term [37 weeks or greater]). Tests of interaction examined homogeneity of treatment effect with gestational age. Results: The analysis includes 2,013 infants, 226 preterm (11.2%) and 1,787 term. Mean gestational ages were 34 and 39.5 weeks, respectively. Within term and preterm strata, maternal and delivery characteristics were similar between the azithromycin and placebo groups. There was no difference in the odds of composite neonatal outcome between those exposed to azithromycin versus placebo in preterm neonates (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.48-1.41) and in term neonates (OR 1.06, 95% CI 0.77-1.46), with no difference between gestational age strata (p = 0.42). Analysis of secondary outcomes also revealed no differences in treatment effects within or between gestational age strata. Conclusion: Exposure to adjunctive azithromycin antibiotic prophylaxis for non-elective cesarean delivery does not increase neonatal morbidity or mortality in term or preterm infants. Clinical Trial Registration: , NCT 01235546 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Objective Studies have suggested an association between prenatal care (PNC) and preterm birth (PTB). We evaluated trends in PTB and association of PNC and PTB. Study Design This was a retrospective cohort study of singleton, viable nonanomalous deliveries from 1991 to 2018. PNC utilization was defined by World Health Organization using number of visits: adequate (≥8), suboptimal (5–7), and inadequate (<5). Primary outcome was PTB. Tests of trend were used to assess changes in PTB over time. Baseline characteristics and outcomes were compared. Logistic regression estimated the association of PNC and PTB. We evaluated for effect modification by year of birth. Results Of 92,294 patients, 14,057 (15%) had PTB. Inadequate and suboptimal PNC were associated with higher odds of PTB compared to adequate PNC (adjusted odds ratios = [aOR 6.21], 95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.84–6.60; aOR = 3.57, 95% CI: 3.36–3.79). Inadequate PNC was associated with higher odds of PTB over time (effect modification p < 0.0001). Inadequate PNC was associated with 5.4 times higher odds of PTB in 1998, 7.0 times in 2008, and 9.1 times in 2018. Conclusion Despite an increase in adequate PNC, there was a rise in PTB associated with inadequate and suboptimal PNC. PNC utilization was a stronger risk factor in recent years with higher PTB in patients who attended more than five PNC visits. Key Points PNC utilization is associated with the risk of PTB. Despite an increase in PNC utilization, PTB rates have increased. There is an even stronger association between PNC utilization and PTB over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background: To examine the incidence of overt hypothyroidism 1 and 5 years after pregnancies where screening before 21 weeks identified subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) or hypothyroxinemia (HT). Methods: Secondary analysis of two multicenter treatment trials for either SH or HT diagnosed between 8 and 20 weeks gestation. Current analyses focus only on individuals randomized to the placebo groups in the two parallel studies. SH was diagnosed with thyrotropin (TSH) ≥4.0 mU/L and normal free T4 (fT4) (0.86–1.9 ng/dL). HT was diagnosed with normal TSH (0.08–3.99 mU/L) but fT4 <0.86 ng/dL. Serum from initial testing was stored for later thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibody assay; results were not returned for clinical management. At 1 and 5 years after delivery, participants were asked whether they had either been diagnosed with or were being treated for a thyroid condition. Maternal serum was collected at these visits and thyroid function measured. Subsequent overt hypothyroidism was defined as TSH ≥4.0 mU/L with fT4 <0.86 ng/dL. Results: Data for 1- and 5-year follow-up were available in 307 of the 338 participants with SH and 229 of the 261 with HT. Subsequent hypothyroidism was more common both at year 1 (13.4% vs. 3.1%, p < 0.001) and year 5 (15.6% vs. 2.6%, p < 0.001) for participants with SH compared with those with HT. This progression was more common in individuals with TSH values >10 mIU/mL. Baseline TPO level >50 IU/mL in participants with SH was associated with higher rates of hypothyroidism at year 1 (26.7% vs. 6.5%, odds ratio [OR] = 5.3 [confidence interval (CI) 2.6–10.7]) and year 5 (30.5% vs. 7.5%, OR = 5.4 [CI: 2.8–10.6]) compared with those with TPO levels ≤50 IU/mL. For participants with HT, no differences in overt hypothyroidism were seen at 1 year related to baseline TPO level >50 IU/mL (1/10 (10%) vs. 6/218 (2.8%), OR = 3.9 [CI: 0.43–36.1]), but more participants with TPO levels >50 IU/mL developed hypothyroidism by year 5 (2/10 (20%) vs. 4/218 (1.8%), OR = 13.4 [CI: 2.1–84.1]). Conclusion: SH is associated with higher rates of overt hypothyroidism or thyroid replacement therapy within 5 years of delivery than is HT when these conditions are diagnosed in the first half of pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background: Recent data in nonpregnant individuals suggest a protective effect of influenza vaccination against SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and its severity. Objectives: Our primary objective was to evaluate whether influenza vaccination was associated with COVID‐19 severity and pregnancy and neonatal outcomes among those infected with SARS‐CoV‐2. The secondary objective was to examine the association between influenza vaccination and SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. Study Design: Secondary analysis of a multicenter retrospective cohort of pregnant people who tested positive for SARS‐CoV‐2 between March and August 2020, and a cohort of random deliveries during the same time period. The associations between 2019 influenza vaccination and the primary outcome of moderate‐to‐critical COVID‐19 as well as maternal and perinatal outcomes were examined among all people who tested positive for SARS‐CoV‐2 between March and August 2020. The association between 2019 influenza vaccination and having a positive SARS‐CoV‐2 test was examined among a cohort of individuals who delivered on randomly selected dates between March and August 2020. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed. Results: Of 2325 people who tested positive for SARS‐CoV‐2, 1068 (45.9%) were vaccinated against influenza in 2019. Those who received the influenza vaccine were older, leaner, more likely to have private insurance, and identify as White or Hispanic. They were less likely to smoke tobacco and identify as Black. Overall, 419 (18.0%) had moderate, 193 (8.3%) severe, and 52 (2.2%) critical COVID‐19. There was no association between influenza vaccination and moderate‐to‐critical COVID‐19 (29.2% vs. 28.0%, adjusted OR 1.10, 95% CI 0.90–1.34) or adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes among those who tested positive. Of 8152 people who delivered in 2020, 4658 (57.1%) received the influenza vaccine. Prior vaccination was not associated with a difference in the odds of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection (3.8% vs. 4.2%, adjusted OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.74–1.19). Conclusion: Prior influenza vaccination was not associated with decreased severity of COVID‐19 or lower odds of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...