Women who received 600 mg intravenous iron sucrose followed by standard oral iron after four weeks, replenished their iron stores more rapidly and had a more favorable development of the fatigue score indicating improved quality of life.

Objective To evaluate the prevalence and predictors of anal incontinence (AI) in late pregnancy and 1 year after delivery.Design Prospective population-based cohort study. Setting Two maternity units in Norway 2009-2010.Population Primiparae aged 18 years or over.Methods Primiparae answered questions on the St. Mark's score about AI during the last 4 weeks of pregnancy. One year later, the same questionnaires were distributed by postal mail. Socio-economic and delivery-related data were obtained from hospital records.Main outcome measures Self-reported AI.Results Answers on AI in late pregnancy were obtained from 1571 women, and 1030 responded 1 year later. Twenty-four per cent experienced one and 4.7% experienced three or more AI symptoms in late pregnancy. One year later, this was reduced to 19% and 2.2%, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were applied. Formed and loose stool incontinence were strongly associated at both time points. The main predictor of AI 1 year after delivery was AI in late pregnancy. Obstetric anal sphincter injury increased the risk of incontinence of stool and flatus (odds ratio [OR], 4.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.7-9.6) after delivery. Urgency was associated with greater age (OR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.0-3.3) and operative delivery (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.3-2.9).Conclusion One in four primiparae experienced AI in late pregnancy. One year later, still one in five suffered from incontinence. Sphincter injury predicted incontinence of stool and flatus, whereas greater age and operative delivery predicted urgency. The identification and adequate follow-up of pregnant women with AI may reduce AI after delivery.

The incidence of obstetric brachial plexus injury is 0.3% and the recovery rate is 84%, resulting in 0.5 permanent injuries per 1,000 births. Plexus injury is not well predicted by known risk factors. Other etiological factors should be sought.

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of restless legs syndrome in pregnancy. We distributed a questionnaire to 541 consecutive postpartum patients and received answers from 251 (46%) women. Of the participants, 34% reported restless legs syndrome in pregnancy. In 97% of the women in whom restless legs syndrome had started during the pregnancy, the symptoms disappeared within two to three days after delivery. There was no correlation between pregnancy-related restless legs syndrome and low hemoglobin levels in the first trimester, and the incidence of restless legs syndrome was not affected by use of iron supplementation. We conclude that in our population, restless legs syndrome in pregnancy is both frequent and transient, occurring in approximately one in three pregnancies and typically resolving within a few days after delivery.

Fetuses that are smaller than expected at the mid-second trimester ultrasound corresponding to a discrepancy of more than 14 days have an increased risk for adverse obstetric outcome.

Objective To analyse the effectiveness of antenatal care as a screening for nonsymptomatic disease and obstetrical risk conditions. Design Programme evaluation of antenatal care in a geographically based cohort. Setting Routine clinical practice in primary and specialist level of health care without intervention. Subjects One thousand nine hundred and eight women residing in one Norwegian county giving birth during a 12 month period, 1988 to 1989. Outcome measures The detection rates at the time of delivery, for women with five conditions: twin pregnancies, placenta praevia, breech presentation, small for gestational age (SGA) and pre‐eclampsia. Results Two hundred and ninety‐two women had one or more of the actual conditions, 124 (42%) had been diagnosed at the time of the delivery. The detection rate for SGA was remarkably low (14%). The detection rates for pre‐eclampsia (75%), breech presentation (69%), placenta praevia (57%) and twin pregnancies (94%) were in the same range as results reported in the literature. The number of false positive antenatal diagnosis was insignificant. Conclusions Assessing the effectiveness of antenatal diagnosis of growth retardation is connected with major unsolved methodological problems. Clinical management of such cases may be better than indicated by the results based on the ultimate SGA classification. For important obstetrical conditions this study describes an applicable method for practical evaluation of the effectiveness of antenatal care. Areas where care could be improved are demonstrated.

Anxiety could be the intermediate factor between abuse and smoking in pregnancy.

Objective To examine whether physical abuse of a woman by her partner was associated with low Design A case-control study.Setting Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital of Trondheim, Norway.Participants/sample Eighty-six women who were delivered of a low birthweight (< 2500 g) infant (cases) and 92 women who were delivered of an infant with birthweight a 2500 g (controls).Methods An in-depth interview, either postpartum at the maternity ward or one year after delivery. Information about abuse was obtained by direct questioning and a modified version of the Conflict Tactics Scales.Results A total of 17% of the women had experienced abuse by a partner. While 7% had been abused by their current partner before the index pregnancy only one woman reported abuse during pregnancy. Relatively more mothers of low birthweight infants were abused (20%) compared with controls (1 5%), but the association was not statistically significant (OR 1.37, 95% CI 0-63-2.99). Abused women reported a higher consumption of alcohol and cigarettes in pregnancy compared with nonabused women.birthweight. ConclusionAbuse was not found to be a risk factor for low birthweight in this study.