Browse Complications of Pregnancy Articles by Topic

Military Medical Treatment Facilities Could Fill Some Gaps in Maternal Care

Women living in rural and underserved areas could benefit.

Physician Assistants in OB/GYN Field Want More Ethics Expertise

Survey respondents named many ethical challenges they faced: end-of-life care, complex pregnancies, risk and benefits to mother and fetus, and counseling adolescents.

Gestational Diabetes Risk May Be Higher Earlier in Pregnancy for Women with Sleep-Disordered Breathing

Screening and treatment might need to begin much earlier for these patients.

CMS, HHS Offer Multipronged Approach to Improving Maternal Health

Biden administration asks hospitals to review policies and procedures, calls on states to expand postpartum coverage under Medicaid and CHIP.

COVID-19 Vaccination, Pregnancy, Lactation, and Fertility

Vaccination rates are notably low among pregnant women. Clinicians should underscore the safety of vaccination and the risks of natural infection, particularly in pregnancy and in patients with underlying comorbidities.

IRBs Often Reluctant to Approve Inclusion of Pregnant Participants in Research

Some IRB members cite uncertainty on whether inclusion of pregnant participants could affect the study’s scientific validity. Others acknowledge they rely on the common, default practice of excluding pregnant individuals without requiring justification. Guidance is needed for characterizing the risk level of research procedures in the context of pregnancy.

Disease-Specific Contraceptive Counseling Needed for Sickle Cell Disease Patients

Healthcare providers need to focus on educating women with sickle cell disease about different types of contraception, efficacy, and risks while addressing disease-specific concerns. Women with sickle cell disease are at risk for pregnancy complications, such as higher risks for maternal and fetal mortality, pre-eclampsia, and intrauterine growth restriction.

Researchers Study COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach to Pregnant Women

The results of a recent study highlight the gaps in COVID-19 vaccination among pregnant women in the United States. Although pregnant women are at increased risk for severe illness and death from the disease, many remain unvaccinated.

Cardiovascular Disease Risk Is Increasing Among Reproductive-Age Women

Cardiovascular disease among women of reproductive age has increased in recent years for a variety of reasons, and reproductive health providers should be aware of particular risk factors and issues involving this population. Clinicians should help this high-risk group prevent unplanned pregnancies, researchers noted.

Adolescents with HIV Experience High Rates of Unintended Pregnancies

Adolescents living with HIV in the United States are among the groups with the highest rates of adolescent pregnancy. The latest research shows these pregnancies are likely to be unintended. Researchers found 83.6% of pregnancies among HIV-infected adolescents were unintended. Among adult women with HIV in this study, 68.7% experienced unintended pregnancy.