Browse Complications of Pregnancy Articles by Topic

Ultrasound vs. MRI in Diagnosis of Placenta Accreta

The authors of this two-center study found that magnetic resonance is not superior to ultrasound in diagnostic accuracy for placenta accreta spectrum disorders, and its usefulness is tempered particularly by a tendency to falsely upgrade the stage of severity.

Should Two-Dose Methotrexate Be the Standard of Care for Ectopic Pregnancy?

In this meta-analysis, the two-dose methotrexate treatment protocol was associated with higher odds of treatment success and a shorter treatment period compared to the single-dose protocol.

Low-Dose Aspirin and Preterm Birth

SYNOPSIS: A reanalysis of an earlier randomized clinical trial to assess the ability of low-dose aspirin to prevent preeclampsia has shown that the drug diminishes the risk of spontaneously delivering prior to 34 weeks by about half.

Does Treatment of Bacterial Vaginosis Prevent Spontaneous Preterm Birth?

In this randomized, controlled trial from France, screening for and treatment of bacterial vaginosis in pregnant women at low risk for preterm birth with oral clindamycin or placebo did not reduce the rate of spontaneous preterm birth between 16 and 36 weeks.

Venous Thromboembolism Risk After Abortion

Women experience a two-fold increase in risk of venous thrombosis (relative to nonpregnant women) following induced abortion, but a more than six-fold overall reduction in risk of thrombosis compared to women who continue the pregnancy to term.

A New Treatment for Early Pregnancy Loss

In a recent trial, researchers found that pretreatment with mifepristone followed by treatment with misoprostol resulted in a higher likelihood of successful management of first-trimester pregnancy loss than treatment with misoprostol alone. The rate of surgical evacuation also was reduced in the mifepristone pretreatment arm compared to the misoprostol-alone arm.

All About Cesarean Delivery

A collection of articles and letters to the editors suggests that postpartum ultrasound evaluation of uterine wall thickness is of little value in predicting uterine wall complications in subsequent pregnancies, that two-layer closure of the uterus during cesarean delivery probably is better than single-layer closure, and that staple closure of the skin in patients with three or more previous cesarean deliveries is associated with more wound complications than suture closure.

Management of IUGR: Revisited

This special feature will discuss enlightening information that has surfaced about management of intrauterine growth restriction.

Update on Early Pregnancy Loss Management

Early pregnancy failure typically is defined as an intrauterine pregnancy in the first trimester that is not viable, either because the gestational sac is empty or because the embryo or fetus has no cardiac activity. This article will discus the main options for the management of early pregnancy failure: expectant management, medical management with misoprostol, and surgical management. Women’s preferences should guide treatment decisions, given that all three options are medically safe.

Interpregnancy Interval and Chances for Recurrent Miscarriage

Authors of a recent study surprisingly have shown that the best chances of avoiding another early pregnancy loss is to become pregnant within six months of a miscarriage.