We have studied the causes and outcome of obstetric brachial plexus palsy in all children born in Malmö during the 10-year period 1973-1982. Forty-eight of 25,736 live-born children (0.19%) were neonatally diagnosed as having a brachial plexus paresis. Twenty-five percent of these, i.e., one child in 2,000 liveborn, had a persistent palsy. The obstetric history was characterized by high birthweight, vertex presentation with shoulder dystocia and multiparity; and in two cases the mother had two children with brachial palsy. The children who recovered totally did so during the first few months. The prognosis for the more common upper brachial plexus, or Erb's, was more favorable than that for entire brachial plexus palsy. All the children with persistent palsy were afflicted with considerable reduction in arm function, resulting in varying degrees of handicap, such as not being able to use the palsied arm at all or not being able to perform certain tasks--writing properly, playing a musical instrument, doing the hair, wearing clothing with shoulder straps, etc. We wish to point out that, in several cases, obstetric brachial plexus palsy results in a lifelong handicap and that prevention and therapy are essential both in obstetric and in pediatric management.

Prolonged and severe dyspareunia is a great health problem among all women and especially young women, for whom a rising incidence of dyspareunia is suggested and discussed. Surprisingly few women have consulted a physician, raising the question of why this is the case and what can be done about it.

Hormonal contraceptives induce hyperplasia of the vaginal epithelium. The significant changes in the intraepithelial leukocyte population in depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate and levonorgestrel implant users most probably reflect altered local immune capacity.

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There are no indications of a primary sexual disturbance in women with vulvar vestibulitis. However, the finding that women with vulvar vestibulitis have many different somatic symptoms indicates a psychosomatic strain in the illness. Regardless of whether this is primary or secondary, it should be taken into consideration when treating the patients.