No abstract

Compared to spontaneous onset of delivery, induction of labor is associated with an increased risk for emergency cesarean section both among nulliparous and multiparous women. When labor is induced, the high risk for emergency cesarean must be kept in mind.

Objective  To analyse the association between fetal size at time of dating ultrasound and risk for preterm delivery and small‐for‐gestational‐age (SGA) birth and to evaluate if timing of ultrasound, that is before 14 weeks of gestation or after 16 weeks affects this association. Design  Retrospective cohort study. Setting  Ultrasound departments of Ultragyn, Stockholm, Sweden. Population  A total of 28 776 singleton pregnancies dated between 1998 and 2004. Methods  Obstetric outcome was assessed through linkage of the cohort to the Swedish Medical Birth Register. Main outcome measures  Risks of preterm delivery, low birthweight for gestational age, pre‐eclampsia, asphyxia, respiratory distress, instrumental delivery, caesarean section, and postterm birth were calculated for the groups dated early and late. Results  When the expected date of delivery was postponed after ultrasound dating by 7 days or more, there was an increased risk for preterm delivery and pre‐eclampsia in the late dating group (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.27–1.73 and OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.02–1.60, respectively) but not in the early dating group. In both dating groups, there was an increased risk for SGA birth (OR 1.77, 95% CI 1.13–2.78 and OR 2.09, 95% CI 1.59–2.73, respectively) There was no increased risk for any of the other diagnoses. Conclusion  Our study gives further support to the notion that intrauterine growth restriction may be present as early as the first trimester. Accordingly, our study also suggests that surveillance of pregnancies with postponed estimated date of delivery may provide means for increased detection of fetal growth restriction.

ObjectivesEvaluation of the performance of VIA (visual inspection with acetic acid) trained nurses to learn colposcopy and the Swede score method to detect cervical lesions by using stationary colposcope or a portable, hand-held colposcope; the Gynocular, as compared to doctors.DesignA crossover randomised clinical trial.SettingThe Colposcopy Clinic of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, Bangladesh.Participants932 women attending the clinic as either screening naïve for VIA screening (404) or women referred as VIA positive (528) from other VIA screening centres in the Dhaka region.InterventionVIA trained nurses were trained on-site in colposcopy and in the Swede score systematic colposcopy method. The Swede score grade cervical acetowhiteness, margins plus surface. vessel pattern, lesion size and iodine staining. The women were randomised to start the examination by either a stationary colposcope or the Gynocular. Swede scores were first obtained by a nurse and the same patient was equally evaluated by a doctor.Primary and secondary outcome measuresAgreement between nurses and doctors in Swede scores was evaluated using the weighted κ statistic for the Gynocular and standard colposcope. The ability to predict CIN 2+ (CIN 2, CIN 3 and invasive cervical cancer) using Swede scores was evaluated using receiver-operating characteristic curves.ResultsThe Swede scores obtained by nurses and doctors using the Gynocular and stationary colposcope showed high agreement with a κ statistic of 0.858 and 0.859, respectively, and no difference in detecting cervical lesions in biopsy. Biopsy detected CIN 2+ in 39 (4.2%) women.ConclusionsOur study showed that VIA nurses can perform colposcopy. There was no significant differences compared to doctors in detecting cervical lesions by stationary colposcope or the Gynocular using the Swede score system. Swede scores obtained by nurses using the Gynocular could offer an accurate cervical diagnostic approach in low resource settings.Trial registration numberISRCTN53264564.

Objective To investigate the association between caesarean section and later endometriosis. Design A prospective cohort study. Setting The Swedish Patient Register (PAR) and the Swedish Medical Birth Registry (MBR). Sample Women who were delivered in Sweden between 1986 and 2004. Methods Women with the diagnosis of endometriosis, defined as codes 617 (International Classification of Diseases, ninth revision, ICD–9) or N80 (ICD–10), were retrieved from the PAR. Obstetric outcome was assessed through linkage with the MBR. Out of 709 090 women, 3110 were treated as inpatients with a first diagnosis of endometriosis after their first delivery. Women with a diagnosis of endometriosis before their first delivery were excluded. Cox analyses were performed to obtain hazard ratios for endometriosis and adjusted for maternal age at first delivery, body mass index, maternal smoking, and years of involuntary childlessness at study entry. Kaplan–Meier estimates were performed to calculate the risk according to time elapsed. Main outcome In‐hospital diagnosis of endometriosis. Results The Cox analyses yielded a hazard ratio of 1.8 (95% CI 1.7–1.9) for endometriosis in women who had had a previous caesarean section compared with women with vaginal deliveries only. The risk of endometriosis increased over time: one additional case of endometriosis was found for every 325 women undergoing caesarean section within 10 years. No increase in risk could be seen after two caesarean deliveries. The risk of caesarean scar endometrioma was 0.1%. Conclusion In addition to the recognised risk of scar endometrioma, we found an association between caesarean section and general pelvic endometriosis. Further studies are needed to confirm our findings.