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ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to identify risk factors associated with striae gravidarum (SG).Study designA cross-sectional study of 112 primiparous women delivering at a private teaching hospital was conducted. Participants were assessed during the immediate postpartum period for evidence of SG. Presence and severity of SG were compared to characteristics of women using t tests and Chi-square tests.ResultsSixty percent of the study participants had developed SG. Women who developed SG were significantly younger (26.5 ± 4.5 vs 30.5 ± 4.6; P < .001) and had gained significantly more weight during pregnancy (15.6 ± 3.9 vs 38.4 kg ± 2.7; P < .001). Birthweight (BW), gestational age at delivery, and family history of SG were associated with moderate/severe SG.ConclusionMaternal age and weight gain during pregnancy are associated with SG. BW, family history of SG, and gestational age at delivery are associated with moderate/severe SG.

The present study explores the effect of age at menarche on the incidence of asthma during early adulthood. The analysis was based on Canadian girls followed up from 8-11 to 18-21 years of age during the first 6 cycles (1994-2005) of the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth. Early menarche was defined as 1 standard deviation less than the average age at menarche. Asthma occurrence after menarche was measured as asthma that was diagnosed by a health care professional. The authors used logistic regression to investigate the association between early menarche and incidence of asthma, adjusting for possible confounders. A total of 1,176 girls weighted to represent 352,345 Canadian girls were analyzed. The incidence of asthma after menarche was 11.2% (95% confidence interval: 8.3, 14.0). The onset of early menarche (<11.56 years of age) predicted postmenarcheal incidence of asthma; girls who matured early had more than twice the risk of developing asthma during early adulthood than did girls who matured at an average age (odds ratio, 2.34, 95% confidence interval: 1.19, 4.59). The present study provides partial insight into the worldwide rapid increase in asthma rates that coincides with the declining trends in menarcheal timing. Further studies within different contexts are warranted to assess the generalizability of these Canadian findings.

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Endoscopic detection of HGMPE is influenced by the endoscopist's thorough search of this entity, and thus, more time devoted to such a search may lead to higher detection rates.