Obstetrics News and Research

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Gynecology and obstetrics are twin subjects that deal with the female reproductive system. While obstetrics deals with pregnancy and its associated procedures and complications, gynaecology involves treating women who are not pregnant.

Many maternal deaths from pre-eclampsia in the UK linked with substandard care

An editorial published this week in the Lancet online highlights the shocking fact that many maternal deaths in the UK are associated with substandard care and are potentially preventable.

17 Dec 2011

Vaginal progesterone decreases odds of premature delivery in women

A new study co-authored by the University of Kentucky's Dr. John O'Brien found that applying vaginal progesterone to women who are at a high risk of preterm birth significantly decreased the odds of a premature delivery.

16 Dec 2011

FUJIFILM to acquire SonoSite

FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, a diversified technology company that operates in healthcare, highly functional materials, and document solutions, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement with SonoSite, Inc., a pioneer and leader in bedside and point-of-care ultrasound technology, pursuant to which Fujifilm will acquire SonoSite for approximately $995 million.

15 Dec 2011

Vaginal progesterone safe and effective in preventing preterm birth

Women with a short cervix should be treated with vaginal progesterone to prevent preterm birth, according to a landmark study by leading obstetricians around the world. Vaginal progesterone decreased the rate of preterm birth by 42%, and significantly reduced the rate of respiratory distress syndrome and the need for mechanical ventilation, as well as a composite of several complications of premature newborns.

15 Dec 2011

Vaginal progesterone reduces rate of preterm birth and neonatal complications

A team of investigators of the National Institutes of Health housed at the Detroit Medical Center (DMC) and Wayne State University (WSU) published today that performing a cervical ultrasound in all pregnant women and treating those with a short cervix with vaginal progesterone reduces the rate of preterm birth and neonatal complications.

15 Dec 2011

Gynaecological cancer survival rates have improved in Eastern England

Gynaecological cancer survival rates have improved in Eastern England following the reorganisation of services and multidisciplinary team working finds a new study published in the gynaecological oncology themed issue of BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

15 Dec 2011

FETO improves infant survival rate in severe cases of congenital diaphragmatic hernia

A new study published in the journal Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology reveals that fetal tracheal occlusion (FETO) improves infant survival rate in severe cases of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH).

14 Dec 2011

Link between maternal pre-pregnant BMI, weight change in pregnancy and offspring birthweight

A new study published in the journal Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica (AOGS) reveals that both pre-pregnant weight (body mass index, BMI) and weight gain in pregnancy are important predictors of babies' birthweight. This is important since high birthweight may also predict adult overweight.

14 Dec 2011

Link between vitamin D deficiency and urinary incontinence

Vitamin D deficiency is higher among certain demographic segments, including women, the elderly, and the obese. All three groups also share an increased risk of pelvic floor problems, including urinary incontinence. Could there be a connection? Perhaps so, according to recent research.

12 Dec 2011

Positive data from Aeterna Zentaris AEZS-131 preclinical study on TNBC

Aeterna Zentaris Inc. today announced positive preclinical data in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) for its highly selective Erk 1/2 inhibitor anticancer compound, AEZS-131.

11 Dec 2011

Sebelius overturns FDA on morning after pill access

The Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius this Wednesday has overturned the Food and Drug Administration's plan to remove the age limit on who can buy Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd's Plan B One-Step pill – commonly known as the “morning after pill” without a prescription.

8 Dec 2011

Women & Infants the first to offer digital breast tomosynthesis in southeastern New England

There is still a one in eight lifetime risk that a woman will develop breast cancer, and the best tool against the disease remains early detection. Now, Women & infants Hospital of Rhode Island has taken the breast cancer battle to the next level with the installation of the most advanced imaging technology available, called digital breast tomosynthesis.

8 Dec 2011

King's College London submits first clinical grade xeno-free hES cell lines to the UKSCB

Stem cell scientists at King's College London will announce they have submitted to the UK Stem Cell Bank (UKSCB) their first clinical grade human embryonic stem (hES) cell lines that are free from animal-derived products, known as 'xeno-free' stem cells.

7 Dec 2011

Women experience intimate partner violence, depression after childbirth

Forty percent of women who report depressive symptoms following birth also reported intimate partner violence finds a new study published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

7 Dec 2011

Novel breast cancer surgical technique now available in New England

Jennifer Gass, MD, chief of surgery at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island and a breast surgeon with the Breast Health Center in the hospital's Program in Women's Oncology, recently completed a one-month sabbatical in Paris with the world-renowned breast surgeon Krishna B. Clough, MD, medical director of the Paris Breast Center.

30 Nov 2011

Polarized filter may improve ability to detect precancerous changes, reduce unnecessary biopsies

The same filtered light that enables sunglasses to reduce glare may improve a physician's ability to detect early signs of cervical cancer, reducing unnecessary biopsies and surgery.

30 Nov 2011

Mayo Clinic becomes FUS Foundation's new Research Award recipient

The Focused Ultrasound Surgery Foundation has announced that its Research Awards Program is funding a Mayo Clinic study that will be the first to use U.S. commercial database information to compare the costs of three minimally-invasive treatments for symptomatic uterine fibroids, a benign and often debilitating condition that affects more than one in four American women.

30 Nov 2011

Tenofovir gel no more effective than placebo gel in preventing HIV

An independent review of the VOICE study, funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and conducted by the Microbicide Trials Network, determined that tenofovir gel was no more effective than placebo gel in preventing HIV.

28 Nov 2011

ZONARE's ZST powered z.one ultrasound system showcased at RSNA 2011

ZONARE Medical Systems, Inc., a developer of premium ultrasound solutions, will showcase the z.one system focused on abdominal ultrasound imaging solutions for diverse patient populations here shown at the 97th Annual Meeting of the Radiology Society of North America, November 27 – December 2.

28 Nov 2011

Study evaluates safety and effectiveness of Diamondback device for heart attacks

Drilling through concrete to create an opening may sound more like construction than medicine, but the approach is similar to what researchers at Orlando Regional Medical Center (ORMC) are doing in a clinical trial to evaluate a device that breaks through hardened coronary arteries, in an effort to prevent heart attacks and relieve chest pain.

23 Nov 2011