Faculty Bibliography

INTRODUCTION: Preterm induction of labor can be necessary for maternal and fetal wellbeing. Duration of cervical ripening balloon (CRB) use has been studied only in term inductions. Our study investigated duration of time for CRB expulsion and vaginal delivery in preterm inductions of labor.
METHOD(S): This was a single-institution retrospective cohort study of preterm (<37 weeks) and term (>=37 weeks) inductions with CRB between 2010 and 2021. Cesarean deliveries were excluded. Primary outcome was insertion to expulsion time (IET) of CRB. Secondary outcomes included induction to delivery time (IDT), cervical dilation after expulsion, and misoprostol and Pitocin use. Institutional review board approval was obtained prior to the study.
RESULT(S): A total of 98 patients with vaginal delivery after preterm CRB use were identified and matched 1:1 on baseline characteristics to patients with vaginal delivery after term CRB use. Mean IET was significantly shorter for term CRB than for preterm induction (mean 7.2+/-3.09 hours versus 8.5+/-3.38 hours; P=.004). Mean IDT was significantly shorter for term CRB than preterm CRB induction (18.4+/-7.6 hours versus 22.5+/-9.01 hours; P<.001). Increased use of misoprostol, Pitocin, and second CRB were noted among the preterm cohort compared to the term cohort. Among term patients, more CRB placement at start of induction and greater cervical dilation postballoon were found in comparison to preterm patients.
CONCLUSION(S): Among patients undergoing preterm induction, longer IET, longer IDT, and increased interventions should be expected. Different standards for labor management should be considered for achieving vaginal delivery in preterm inductions

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate whether initiation of an institutional policy of universal perinatal depression screening was associated with sustained increases in frequency in screening and of depression treatment subsequent to a positive screen. METHODS:This retrospective cohort study included women receiving prenatal care in outpatient offices at a single academic medical center from 2008 to 2015. In 2009, an institutional policy of universal perinatal depression screening was disseminated in which screening twice antenatally and again postpartum were recommended. The frequency of screen completion at each recommended time point was compared between the prepolicy and postpolicy cohorts. A test of trend that assessed the frequency of screening each year after policy initiation was used to assess changes over time. The frequency with which care plans were created for women who screened positive for perinatal depression were compared before and after implementation. RESULTS:Of the 5,127 women who met inclusion criteria, 4,005 (78%) were in the postpolicy cohort. The frequency of completion of depression screening at the first prenatal visit (0.1% vs 65.5%), in the third trimester (0.0% vs 42.7%), and at the postpartum visit (69.5% vs 90.0%) increased after initiation of the policy (P<.001 for all). The improvement in postpartum depression screening completion persisted after controlling for potential confounders (adjusted odds ratio 5.3, 95% CI 4.4-6.5). After the initial increase in uptake of screening, the frequency of screening at the first and third trimester prenatal visits continued to increase over time (P<.001 for each), although this frequency remained stable for the postpartum visit (P=.29). Women with a positive postpartum depression screen were more likely to have depression treatment recommended or provided by their obstetrician postpolicy (64.7% vs 30.1%, P<.001). CONCLUSION:Implementation of an institutional policy of universal perinatal depression screening was associated with improvements in perinatal depression screening with concomitant improvements in depression treatment recommendations for women with a positive postpartum depression screen.

OBJECTIVE:This article evaluates gender differences in academic rank and National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding among academic maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) physicians. STUDY DESIGN:This was a cross-sectional study of board-certified academic MFM physicians. Physicians were identified in July 2017 from the MFM fellowship Web sites. Academic rank and receipt of any NIH funding were compared by gender. Data on potential confounders were collected, including years since board certification, region of practice, additional degrees, number of publications, and h-index. RESULTS: = 0.36). CONCLUSION:Compared with female academic MFM physicians, male academic MFM physicians were twice as likely to hold a higher academic rank but were no more likely to receive NIH funding.

This survey-based study gathered information on health professionals' attitudes and behaviors regarding victims of sexual assault, focusing on the applicability and utility of best practices put forth by the World Health Organization and the United Nations. This cross-sectional study involved a self-administered, 84-question survey to health care professionals affiliated with Mulago National Referral and Kayunga Hospitals in Uganda. The survey included demographic questions as well as questions about participants' attitudes toward sexual violence and the role of HPs in addressing sexual violence. The remainder of the survey transformed two sets of international guidelines into a series of statements with which participants could agree or disagree using a Likert-type scale. In total, 75 partially or fully completed surveys were collected, 45 from Mulago, and 30 from Kayunga. A minority of participants indicated that the guidelines were unrealistic (4.1%) or culturally inappropriate (14.1%). Most HPs agreed (91.8%) with the key components of recommended care. However, many respondents highlighted the need for additional training (68%). Nearly half of participants were uncertain or disagreed that there was a clear protocol for care of survivors of sexual violence (48%). Targets for improvement identified by participants included enhanced support of staff, access to resources, and relationships with community partners. Ugandan HPs have been receptive to the World Health Organization and United Nations guidelines. The majority of participants felt that the guidelines were realistic and culturally appropriate. Furthermore, many of these guidelines have been implemented. However, additional steps identified by Ugandan health workers could be undertaken to further improve the care received by survivors of sexual violence.

OBJECTIVES:Obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASIS) are associated with severe short and long-term morbidities, although little is known about the long-term sexual function or satisfaction of women and partners of women with history of OASIS. The objective of this study was to describe the long-term sexual function and satisfaction of women who previously sustained OASIS and to assess sexual satisfaction among their male partners. METHODS:This was a follow-up study of participants enrolled in the For Optimal Recovery: Care After Severe Tears (FORCAST) prospective cohort study of women with a history of OASIS after delivery of a full-term singleton infant between 2011 and 2013. A total of 47 women and 25 male partners at a mean of 45 months ± 8 months after incident delivery completed online validated questionnaires assessing current sexual functioning and satisfaction. The Female Sexual Functioning Index (FSFI) was completed by female participants, whereas the Golombok-Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction (GRISS) was completed by both female participants and their male partners. RESULTS:Nearly half (47%) of women met the criteria for female sexual dysfunction according to the Female Sexual Functioning Index. One-third of women (34%) had an overall GRISS score of 5 or greater, indicating sexual dysfunction. Sixty-two percent of women had a subsequent delivery. Seven male partners (28%) met the criteria for sexual dysfunction according to the GRISS. The most problematic GRISS subscale reported by both men and women was that of infrequency of intercourse. CONCLUSIONS:Even 3 years after sustaining OASIS, up to half of women and many male partners meet the criteria for sexual dysfunction. Future studies including women without history of OASIS are needed to further investigate the role OASIS may play in the development of long-term sexual dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE:Previous studies have shown that risk of cesarean section increases among multiparous women as interbirth interval increases. One possibility is that progress of labor may vary with interbirth interval, such that with longer intervals, labor curves of multiparas more closely resemble those of nulliparas. We sought to define labor curves among a cohort of multiparas with varying interbirth intervals. STUDY DESIGN:-tests for individual effects. Length of second stage was compared using a Wilcoxon's rank-sum test. RESULTS: = 0.003). CONCLUSION:Prolonged interbirth interval is not associated with slower active phase of labor.