Objective To estimate the prevalence of infertility using a current duration approach for comparison with a traditional constructed measure. Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting National Survey of Family Growth, United States, 2002. Participants A nationally-representative sample of females aged 15–44 years. Interventions None Main Outcome Measure(s) Infertility prevalence estimated by two approaches: 1) a constructed measure derived from questions on sexual activity, contraception, relationship status, and pregnancy, and 2) a measure based on estimated time-to-pregnancy (TTP) derived from the respondents’ current duration of pregnancy attempt (i.e., current duration approach). Associations with self-reported descriptive characteristics using weighted logistic regression or parametric survival models for each respective approach. Results Infertility prevalence was approximately twofold higher using the current duration approach (15.5%; 95% CI: 8.6, 27.5) versus the constructed measure (7.0%; 95% CI: 6.2, 7.8). Both methods identified similar patterns of increasing age, lower education, nulliparity, and history of gynecologic disorders as being associated with measures of impaired fecundity, while opposing patterns were seen for racial/ethnic identification and poverty status. Conclusions Infertility prevalence based on a current duration approach was consistent with other U.S. prospective cohort studies with preconception enrollment. These findings underscore the importance of definition and methodologic approach for estimating the prevalence of infertility.

Supported by the Intramural Research Program of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (Contracts #N01-HD-3-3355, N01-HD-3-3356 and N01-HD-3-3358). There are no competing interests.

Background: Evidence suggesting that persistent environmental pollutants may be reproductive toxicants underscores the need for prospective studies of couples for whom exposures are measured.Objectives: We examined the relationship between selected persistent pollutants and couple fecundity as measured by time to pregnancy.Methods: A cohort of 501 couples who discontinued contraception to become pregnant was prospectively followed for 12 months of trying to conceive or until a human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) test confirmed pregnancy. Couples completed daily journals on lifestyle and provided biospecimens for the quantification of 9 organochlorine pesticides, 1 polybrominated biphenyl, 10 polybrominated diphenyl ethers, 36 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and 7 perfluorochemicals (PFCs) in serum. Using Cox models for discrete time, we estimated fecundability odds ratios (FORs) and 95% CIs separately for each partner’s concentrations adjusting for age, body mass index, serum cotinine, serum lipids (except for PFCs), and study site (Michigan or Texas); sensitivity models were further adjusted for left truncation or time off of contraception (≤ 2 months) before enrollment.Results: The adjusted reduction in fecundability associated with standard deviation increases in log-transformed serum concentrations ranged between 18% and 21% for PCB congeners 118, 167, 209, and perfluorooctane sulfonamide in females; and between 17% and 29% for p,p´-DDE and PCB congeners 138, 156, 157, 167, 170, 172, and 209 in males. The strongest associations were observed for PCB 167 (FOR 0.79; 95% CI: 0.64, 0.97) in females and PCB 138 (FOR = 0.71; 95% CI: 0.52, 0.98) in males.Conclusions: In this couple-based prospective cohort study with preconception enrollment and quantification of exposures in both female and male partners, we observed that a subset of persistent environmental chemicals were associated with reduced fecundity.

III.

Objective To assess neonatal and maternal outcomes when when the second stage of labor was prolonged according to American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines. Methods Electronic medical record data from a retrospective cohort (2002–2008) from 12 U.S. clinical centers (19 hospitals), including 43,810 nulliparous and 59,605 multiparous singleton deliveries ≥ 36 weeks, vertex presentation, who reached 10 cm cervical dilation were analyzed. Prolonged second stage was defined as: nulliparous women with epidural > 3 hours, without > 2 hours; multiparous women with epidural > 2 hours, without > 1 hour. Maternal and neonatal outcomes were compared and adjusted odds ratios calculated controlling for maternal race, BMI, insurance, and region. Results Prolonged second stage occurred in 9.9% and 13.9% of nulliparous and 3.1% and 5.9% of multiparous women, with and without an epidural, respectively. Vaginal delivery rates with prolonged second stage compared to within guidelines were 79.9% versus 97.9% and 87.0% versus 99.4% for nulliparous women with and without epidural, respectively, and 88.7% versus 99.7% and 96.2% versus 99.9% for multiparous women with and without epidural, respectively (P<.001 for all comparisons). Prolonged second stage was associated with increased chorioamnionitis and third-degree or fourth-degree perineal lacerations. Neonatal morbidity with prolonged second stage included sepsis in nulliparous women [with epidural: 2.6% versus 1.2% (AOR 2.08; 95%CI 1.60–2.70); without epidural: 1.8% versus 1.1% (AOR 2.34; 95%CI 1.28–4.27)]; asphyxia in nulliparous women with epidural [0.3% versus 0.1%, AOR 2.39; 95% CI 1.22–4.66]; and perinatal mortality without epidural [0.18% versus 0.04% for nulliparous women (AOR 5.92; 95% CI 1.43–24.51)], and 0.21% versus 0.03% for multiparous women (AOR 6.34; 95%CI 1.32–30.34)]. However, among the offspring of women with epidurals whose second stage was prolonged (3,533 nulliparous and 1,348 multiparous women), there were no cases of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy or perinatal death. Conclusions Benefits of increased vaginal delivery should be weighed against potential small increases in maternal and neonatal risks with prolonged second stage.

Study Objective To estimate the incidence of endometriosis in an operative cohort of women seeking clinical care and in a matched population cohort to delineate more fully the scope and magnitude of endometriosis in the context of and beyond clinical care. Design Matched exposure cohort design. Setting Surgical centers in the Salt Lake City, Utah and San Francisco, California areas. Patients The operative cohort comprised 495 women undergoing laparoscopy/laparotomy between 2007–2009, while the population cohort comprised 131 women from the surgical centers’ catchment areas. Interventions None Main Outcome Measure(s) Incidence of endometriosis by diagnostic method in the operative cohort and by pelvic magnetic resonance imaged (MRI) disease in the population cohort. Results Endometriosis incidence in the operative cohort ranged by two orders of magnitude by diagnostic method: 0.7% for only histology, 7% for only MRI and 41% for visualized disease. Endometriosis staging was skewed toward minimal (58%) and mild disease (15%). The incidence of MRI-diagnosed endometriosis was 11% in the population cohort. Conclusions Endometriosis incidence is dependent upon the diagnostic method and choice of sampling framework. Conservatively, 11% of women have undiagnosed endometriosis at the population level with implications for the design and interpretation of etiologic research.

Background: Air pollution has been linked to gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) but no studies have evaluated impact of preconception and early pregnancy air pollution exposures on GDM risk. Methods: Electronic medical records provided data on 219,952 singleton deliveries to mothers with (n=11,334) and without GDM (n=208,618). Average maternal exposures to particulate matter (PM) <2.5 microns (PM2.5) and PM2.5 constituents, PM <10 microns (PM10), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide (SO2) and ozone (O3) were estimated for the 3-month preconception window, first trimester, and gestational weeks 1-24 based on modified Community Multiscale Air Quality models for delivery hospital referral regions. Binary regression models with robust standard errors estimated relative risks (RR) for GDM per interquartile range (IQR) increase in pollutant concentrations adjusted for study site, maternal age and race/ethnicity. Results: Preconception maternal exposure to NOX (RR=1.09, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.13) and SO2 (RR=1.05, 1.01, 1.09) were associated with increased risk of subsequent GDM and risk estimates remained elevated for first trimester exposure. Preconception O3 was associated with lower risk of subsequent GDM (RR=0.93, 0.90, 0.96) but risks increased later in pregnancy. Conclusion: Maternal exposures to NOX and SO2 preconception and during the first few weeks of pregnancy were associated with increased GDM risk. O3 appeared to increase GDM risk in association with mid-pregnancy exposure but not in earlier time windows. These common exposures merit further investigation.

Objective To describe details of labor induction, including precursors and methods, and associated vaginal delivery rates. Study Design A retrospective cohort study of 208,695 electronic medical records from 19 hospitals across the United States, 2002–2008. Results Induction occurred in 42.9% of nulliparas and 31.8% of multiparas and elective or no recorded indication for induction at term occurred in 35.5% and 44.1%, respectively. Elective induction at term in multiparas was highly successful (vaginal delivery 97%) compared to nulliparas (76.2%). For all precursors, cesarean delivery was more common in nulliparas in the latent compared to active phase of labor. Regardless of method, vaginal delivery rates were higher with a ripe versus unripe cervix, particularly for multiparas (86.6 – 100%). Conclusions Induction of labor was a common obstetric intervention. Selecting appropriate candidates and waiting longer for labor to progress into the active phase would make an impact on decreasing the national cesarean delivery rate.