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September 2012 Briefing - OBGYN & Women’s Health

Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in OBGYN & Women's Health for September 2012. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.

Simple Form Identifies Ovarian Cancer Warning Signs

FRIDAY, Sept. 28 (HealthDay News) -- A simple, quick, easy-to-use paper form can help identify symptoms potentially indicative of ovarian cancer in women treated in the primary care clinic setting, according to research published in the September issue of the Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

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Young BRCA Carriers Face Complex Life-Altering Decisions

FRIDAY, Sept. 28 (HealthDay News) -- For young women, carrying a BRCA mutation impacts actions and decisions related to getting married, having children, and receiving a diagnosis of breast cancer, according to a study published in the October issue of the American Journal of Nursing.

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Pregnancy Generates Sustained Maternal Anergy to Fetal Antigen

FRIDAY, Sept. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Pregnancy generates fetal-specific immune cells that suppress the immune response towards the fetus, which are rapidly re-accumulated in subsequent pregnancies, according to an experimental study published online Sept. 26 in Nature.

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Single Progesterone Test Can Rule Out Viable Pregnancy

FRIDAY, Sept. 28 (HealthDay News) -- For women in early pregnancy with symptoms and an inconclusive ultrasound assessment, a single progesterone measurement can rule out a viable pregnancy, according to a study published online Sept. 27 in BMJ.

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Negative Response to Uncertain Prenatal Microarray Results

THURSDAY, Sept. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Women do not necessarily consider the potential significance and ambiguity of the information they could receive from prenatal microarray testing, according to a study published online Sept. 6 in Genetics in Medicine.

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Early Menopause Ups Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke Risk

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Women who experience menopause before the age of 46 have an increased risk of coronary heart disease and stroke, according to a study published in the October issue of Menopause.

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Risk of Post-Cesarean Infection Up for Overweight, Obese

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- About 10 percent of U.K. women who undergo cesarean section develop a surgical site infection, with the odds significantly increased for overweight or obese women, according to a study published in the October issue of BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

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Efficacy of Black Cohosh for Menopausal Symptoms Unclear

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- There is insufficient evidence to support the use of black cohosh for menopausal symptoms, according to the results of a systematic literature review published online Sept. 12 in The Cochrane Library.

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When Clinically Indicated, Chemo Use High for Breast Cancer

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Fewer than half of women with localized breast cancer for whom adjuvant chemotherapy is discretionary, either due to clinical factors or age, tend to utilize adjuvant chemotherapy; however, when clinically indicated, women initiate chemotherapy at a high rate, according to research published online Sept. 24 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

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BPA Alters Oogenesis and Follicle Formation in Primates

TUESDAY, Sept. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Rhesus monkeys exposed to bisphenol A (BPA) experience alterations in early oogenesis and follicle formation, according to a study published online Sept. 24 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Obstructive Sleep Apnea Linked to Perinatal Complications

TUESDAY, Sept. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with perinatal complications in obese pregnant women, according to a study published online Sept. 21 in Obstetrics & Gynecology.

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Protein Linked to Male Infertility Can Activate Eggs

TUESDAY, Sept. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Injecting eggs with a recombinant human phospholipase Cζ (PLCζ), a protein linked to male infertility, can activate calcium ion oscillations, which are necessary for oocyte activation and successful embryo development, according to a study published online Sept. 24 in Fertility and Sterility.

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Being Born Preterm Linked to Later Pregnancy Complications

MONDAY, Sept. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Women born preterm are at significantly increased risk of experiencing pregnancy complications of their own, according to a study published online Sept. 24 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.

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Decrease Seen in Global Peri-Op, Anesthesia-Related Mortality

FRIDAY, Sept. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Over the last five decades, there has been a decrease in perioperative and anesthesia-related mortality, according to a study published in the Sept. 22 issue of The Lancet, a theme issue on surgery.

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Health Benefits Seen for Moving to Less Poor Neighborhood

THURSDAY, Sept. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Moving from a high-poverty to a lower-poverty neighborhood correlates with long-term improvements in physical and mental health and subjective well-being, according to a study published in the Sept. 21 issue of Science.

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Thin Placenta at Birth Ups Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death Later

THURSDAY, Sept. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Sudden cardiac death in adults is associated with placental size at birth, with a significantly increased risk of death for decreased placental thickness, according to a study published online Sept. 19 in the International Journal of Epidemiology.

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Drug Class Unexpectedly Effective on Breast Cancers

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Drugs that normally target cancer cells defective in DNA homologous recombination repair, poly(ADP-Ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, are also effective on breast cancer cells positive for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), even in the absence of the repair defect, according to a study published in the Sept. 15 issue of Cancer Research.

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VTE Risk Varies by Hormone Therapy Formulation

TUESDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- The risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in postmenopausal women differs considerably according to the formulation of hormone therapy (HT) used, with the highest VTE risk seen in users of oral estrogen-progestin HT containing medroxyprogesterone acetate, according to research published online Sept. 10 in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.

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Progestogens Not Effective in Multiple Gestations

TUESDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Progestogen treatment may be beneficial for pregnant women who have previously given birth to preterm babies, but does not seem to be effective for multiple gestations, according to research published online Sept. 5 in Obstetrics & Gynecology.

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Maternal Vitamin D Linked to Infant Development

MONDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- During pregnancy, higher maternal circulating concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃ (25[OH]D₃) correlates with improved mental and psychomotor development in infants, according to a study published online Sept. 17 in Pediatrics.

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Sexting Linked to Riskier Sexual Behavior in Teens

MONDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Sending or receiving sexually explicit materials via cellphone, "sexting," is associated with higher reported rates of sexual activity in adolescents, according to a study published online Sept. 17 in Pediatrics.

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Review: Inhaled Analgesia Provides Pain Relief in Labor

MONDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- For women in labor, inhaled analgesia provides pain relief but is associated with considerable side effects, according to a study published online Sept. 12 in The Cochrane Library.

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Spindle Abnormalities Seen in Oocytes of Severely Obese

FRIDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Oocytes from severely obese women undergoing in vitro fertilization display significant spindle abnormalities, which may contribute to poor reproductive outcomes, according to a study published online Sept. 11 in Human Reproduction.

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Exposure to Air Pollution Tied to Low Vitamin D in Newborns

FRIDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Exposure to two urban pollutants during pregnancy correlates with a decrease in the blood serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) of newborns, according to a study published online Aug. 17 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

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Diagnosis of Congenital Heart Disease Ups Maternal Depression

THURSDAY, Sept. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Mothers who receive a prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease (CHD) commonly report posttraumatic stress, depression, and anxiety, according to research published online Sept. 12 in The Journal of Pediatrics.

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European Review: Benefits of Mammograms Outweigh Harms

THURSDAY, Sept. 13 (HealthDay News) -- For women in Europe, mammographic screening is associated with a reduction in breast cancer mortality that is greater than the potential harms of over-diagnosis and false-positive screening results (FPRs), according to a study published in the September issue of the Journal of Medical Screening.

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Vitamin A Metabolite Linked to Sex-Specific Fat Accumulation

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- An enzyme that regulates the levels of a vitamin A metabolite may play a role in explaining why women are more prone to obesity and accumulation of abdominal fat, particularly after menopause, according to a study published online Aug. 28 in Diabetes.

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Pregnancy-Associated Cancers on the Rise in Australia

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- The incidence of pregnancy-associated cancers is increasing in Australia, with the increase only partially explained by increasing maternal age, according to a study published online Sept. 5 in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

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Gestational Diabetes, Poverty Link to ADHD Strengthened

TUESDAY, Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) -- The previously reported association between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and low socioeconomic position (SEP) has been confirmed in a large German cohort, according to a research letter published online Sept. 10 in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

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Antihypertensive Use in Pregnancy Increasing

MONDAY, Sept. 10 (HealthDay News) -- The prevalence of antihypertensive use in pregnancy is approaching 5 percent and is increasing, according to a study published online Sept. 10 in Hypertension.

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Mother's Depression During Infancy Affects Child's Growth

MONDAY, Sept. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Maternal depression at nine months postpartum may negatively affect physical growth in early childhood, according to a study published online Sept. 10 in Pediatrics.

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Fetal Well-Being Generally Fine After Strenuous Exercise

FRIDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- In general, fetal well-being is fine after strenuous exercise in both active and inactive pregnant women, according to a study published in the September issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

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Not All Docs/Nurses Want to Be Asked About Hand Hygiene

FRIDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Although most health care workers (HCWs) appreciate the role of patients in preventing health care-associated infection, a considerable proportion are uncomfortable with patients asking about their hand hygiene, according to a letter published online Sept. 3 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

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Diagnostic Radiation Ups Breast Cancer Risk in BRCA Carriers

FRIDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- For BRCA1/2 mutation carriers, exposure to diagnostic radiation before age 30 correlates with a significantly increased risk of breast cancer, with a dose-response pattern, according to a study published online Sept. 6 in BMJ.

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Maternal Smoking Link to Teen Obesity Mediated by Fat Intake

THURSDAY, Sept. 6 (HealthDay News) -- The increased risk of obesity seen in adolescents who experienced prenatal exposure to maternal cigarette smoking (PEMCS) is associated with enhanced dietary intake of fat, which may be partially mediated by changes in the amygdala, according to research published online Sept. 3 in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

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Less Pain After Hysterectomy With Vessel Sealing

THURSDAY, Sept. 6 (HealthDay News) -- An electrosurgical bipolar vessel sealing procedure during vaginal hysterectomy leads to less pain during the evening after surgery and shorter operating time than conventional clamping and suturing, according to research published online Aug. 24 in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

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Anthracycline, Trastuzumab for Breast CA Up Heart Failure Risk

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 5 (HealthDay News) -- For women with incident, invasive breast cancer, treatment with anthracycline and trastuzumab is associated with an increased risk of heart failure and/or cardiomyopathy, compared to having no chemotherapy, according to a study published in the Sept. 5 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

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MAOA Gene Expression Linked to Happiness in Women

TUESDAY, Sept. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Women with low expression of a gene involved in breaking down neurotransmitters report greater happiness, according to a study published online Aug. 4 in Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry.

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Bottle-Feeding Linked to Increased Pyloric Stenosis Risk

TUESDAY, Sept. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Bottle-fed infants have a significantly increased risk of developing pyloric stenosis (PS) in the first few months after birth, compared with infants who are not bottle-fed, according to a study published online Sept. 3 in Pediatrics.

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