We aimed to describe the outcomes of counselling for preterm delivery. PubMed, Embase, and PsycInfo were systematically searched (from 2000 to 2016) using the following terms: counselling, pregnancy complications, high-risk pregnancy, fetal diseases, and prenatal care. A total of nine quantitative studies were identified, five randomized and four nonrandomized. All studies were conducted in the...

OBJECTIVE To examine whether the concentrations of maternal serum TSH and free thyroxine (fT4) through pregnancy, the presence of thyroid autoimmunity (TAI) or the dose of levo-thyroxine (LT4) replacement can predict the occurrence of maternal or fetal/neonatal complications in pregnant women treated for maternal hypothyroidism. DESIGN The study included 92 women with singleton pregnancies an...

Placental transfer of penicillin and gentamicin occurs both in normal pregnant mares and mares with placentitis. Microdialysis is a useful technique for monitoring therapeutic drug levels in the equine allantoic fluid and should aid development of effective treatment protocols for mares with high-risk pregnancies.

INTRODUCTION risk perception in women with high risk pregnancies affects their decisions about perinatal care and is of interest to anyone involved in the care of pregnant women. This paper provides a metasynthesis of qualitative studies of risk perception in women with high risk pregnancies. METHODS a systematic search of eight electronic databases was conducted. Additional papers were obtai...

BACKGROUND Extreme temperature is associated with adverse birth outcomes but it is unclear whether it increases early delivery risk. OBJECTIVES We aimed to determine the association between ambient temperature and early delivery. METHODS Medical records from 223,375 singleton deliveries from 12 U.S. sites were linked to local ambient temperature. Exposure to hot (> 90th percentile) or cold ...

OBJECTIVE To assess the association between maternal caffeine intake and risk of pregnancy loss using a systematic review and meta-analysis. DESIGN Categorical and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. SETTING Relevant articles were identified by searching MEDLINE and SCOPUS databases through 30 January 2015. Two authors independently extracted information from eligible studie...

Female patients with systemic lupus erythematosus are often of childbearing age at diagnosis, and though fertility in these patients is similar to the general population, successful pregnancy remains a rare occurrence. This incidence is, however, increasing and the management of these high risk pregnancies is often further complicated by the patient's need for dialysis as a result of lupus neph...

This study was conducted to assess the results from the use of a maternity waiting home, a health facility to which women with high risk pregnancies are referred during the last weeks of pregnancy in rural Zambia. It compared the risk status and pregnancy outcome in women staying as waiters with those women who give birth in hospital after direct admission (non-waiters). Forty seven per-cent of...

BACKGROUND Auxiliary Midwives (AMWs) are community health volunteers supporting the work of midwives, especially maternal and child health services in hard to-reach areas in Myanmar. This paper assessed the contributions of AMW to maternal and child health services, factors influencing their productivity and their willingness to serve the community. METHOD The study applied quantitative cross...

Despite advances in reproductive health law, many Filipino women experience unintended pregnancies, and because abortion is highly stigmatized in the country, many who seek abortion undergo unsafe procedures. This report provides a summary of reproductive health indicators in the Philippines—in particular, levels of contraceptive use, unplanned pregnancy and unsafe abortion—and describes the so...