Internet-based Treatment for Vulvodynia (EMBLA) - A Randomized Controlled Study.

BACKGROUND: Internet-based ACT (Acceptance and commitment therapy) treatment may improve accessibility and reduce stigma related to seeking health care, but there are a lack of studies investigating internet-based treatment using ACT principles for women with vulvodynia. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of an internet-based treatment of pain during intercourse for women with provoked vulvodynia compared with no intervention during the waiting period before clinical treatment. METHODS: A multicenter randomized controlled trial was conducted during 2016 to 2020, in which 99 participants were included. Participants were randomized to either a 6 week guided internet-based treatment using ACT principles or usual care. Data were collected at baseline, 6 weeks after baseline, and approximately 10 months after baseline. OUTCOMES: Pain-related (pain during intercourse, tampon test, impact of pain on sexual function) and pain behavior-related outcomes (attempts at intercourse, sexual activities besides intercourse, willingness to perform the tampon test, chronic pain acceptance questionnaire) were used as outcomes. RESULTS: Treatment was efficacious in what concerns pain during intercourse and pain acceptance. Less pain during intercourse among women in the intervention group was observed at both post-treatment (primary endpoint, P = .01, Cohen's d = 1.4, 95% CI = 0.33, 2.4), and follow-up (P = .04). Absolut mean difference between groups for pain during intercourse at post-treatment was -2.84, (95 % CI = -4.91, -0.78), and -1.58 at follow-up, (95 % CI = -3.17, 0.02), where the intervention group rated less pain than controls. No differences between groups over time were found for tampon test measures or impact of pain on sexual function. There was a significant difference between groups at all timepoints indicating fewer attempts at intercourse among participants in the intervention group. At post-treatment, women who underwent internet-based treatment reported higher pain acceptance and a rise in activity engagement compared with the control group. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: There is an indication that internet-based treatment could be incorporated into clinical practice as a complement to clinical treatment. STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS: Study strengths included using several forms of recruitment and an intervention built by different professions with long experience of treating patients with vulvodynia. High dropout rate was a limitation of this study. CONCLUSION: Internet-based treatment may have an impact on pain during intercourse and positive effects on pain acceptance. However, conclusions must be drawn with caution due to the small sample size. Engström AH, Bohm-Starke N, Kullinger M, et al. Internet-based Treatment for Vulvodynia (EMBLA) - A Randomized Controlled Study. J Sex Med 2022;19:319-330.

Retinal haemorrhage in infants investigated for suspected maltreatment is strongly correlated with intracranial pathology.

AIM: To test the two prevailing hypotheses regarding the aetiology of infant retinal haemorrhage: (a) traction forces exerted by the lens and/or corpus vitreum on the retina during infant shaking or (b) retinal vessel leakage secondary to intracranial pathology and raised intracranial pressure. METHODS: Comparison of medical findings and reported type of trauma in infants investigated for suspected physical abuse with presence (n = 29) or non-presence of retinal haemorrhage (RH) (n = 119). RESULTS: Intracranial pathology was recorded in 15 (13%) of the non-RH cases and in 27 (97%) of the RH cases (p < 0.0001). All 18 infants with bilateral RH had intracranial pathology. Of 27 infants subjected to witnessed or admitted shaking, two were in the group with RH. One had a single unilateral RH and no intracranial pathology. The other had bilateral RH and intracranial pathology with non-specific white matter changes, acute subdural and subarachnoid haemorrhages, and suspected cortical venous thrombosis. In 15 RH cases, there was no trauma reported and no findings other than RH and intracranial pathology. Accidental blunt head trauma was reported in 7 RH cases. CONCLUSION: The present study indicates that RH in infants is secondary to intracranial pathology of non-specific aetiology.

Time matters-a Swedish cohort study of labor duration and risk of uterine rupture.

INTRODUCTION: Uterine rupture is an obstetric emergency associated with maternal and neonatal morbidity. The main risk factor is a prior cesarean section, with rupture occurring in subsequent labor. The aim of this study was to assess the risk of uterine rupture by labor duration and labor management. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a Swedish register-based cohort study of women who underwent labor in 2013-2018 after a primary cesarean section (n = 20 046). Duration of labor was the main exposure, calculated from onset of regular labor contractions and birth; both timepoints were retrieved from electronic medical records for 12 583 labors, 63% of the study population. Uterine rupture was calculated as events per 1000 births at different timepoints during labor. Risk estimates for uterine rupture by labor duration, induction of labor, use of oxytocin and epidural analgesia were calculated using Poisson regression, adjusted for maternal and birth characteristics. Estimates were presented as adjusted rate ratios (ARR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: The prevalence of uterine rupture was 1.4% (282/20 046 deliveries). Labor duration was 9.88 hours (95% CI 8.93-10.83) for women with uterine rupture, 8.20 hours (95% CI 8.10-8.31) for women with vaginal delivery, and 10.71 hours (95% CI 10.46-10.97) for women with cesarean section without uterine rupture. Few women (1.0/1000) experienced uterine rupture during the first 3 hours of labor. Uterine rupture occurred in 15.6/1000 births with labor duration over 12 hours. The highest risk for uterine rupture per hour compared with vaginal delivery was observed at 6 hours (ARR 1.20, 95% CI 1.11-1.30). Induction of labor was associated with uterine rupture (ARR 1.54, 95% CI 1.19-1.99), with a particular high risk seen in those induced with prostaglandins and no risk observed with cervical catheter (ARR 1.19, 95% CI 0.83-1.71). Labor augmentation with oxytocin (ARR 1.60, 95% CI 1.25-2.05) and epidural analgesia (ARR 1.63, 95% CI 1.27-2.10) were also associated with uterine rupture. CONCLUSIONS: Labor duration is an independent factor for uterine rupture among women attempting vaginal delivery after cesarean section. Medical induction and augmentation of labor increase the risk, regardless of maternal and birth characteristics.

Epidural Analgesia During Childbirth and Postpartum Depressive Symptoms: A Population-Based Longitudinal Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Severe pain has been linked to depression, which raises the question of whether epidural analgesia (EDA) during childbirth is associated with a reduced risk of postpartum depression (PPD). This association has been explored previously, but the studies were restricted by small sample sizes and the inability to control for relevant confounders. This study aimed to investigate the association between the administration of EDA and the development of PPD after adjusting for sociodemographic, psychosocial, and obstetric variables. METHODS: Data were retrieved from the Biology, Affect, Stress, Imaging and Cognition (BASIC) project (2009-2017), a population-based longitudinal cohort study of pregnant women conducted at Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden. The outcome was PPD at 6 weeks postpartum, defined as a score of ≥12 points on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Information was collected through medical records and self-reported web-based questionnaires during pregnancy and 6 weeks after childbirth. Only primiparous women with spontaneous start of childbirth were included (n = 1503). The association between EDA and PPD was examined in multivariable logistic regression models, adjusting for sociodemographic, psychosocial, and obstetric variables. Results are presented as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: Of the 1503 women included in the analysis, 800 (53%) reported use of EDA during childbirth. PPD at 6 weeks postpartum was present in 193 (13%) women. EDA was not associated with higher odds of PPD at 6 weeks postpartum after adjusting for suspected confounders (age, fear of childbirth, antenatal depressive symptoms; adjusted OR [aOR] = 1.22; 95% CI, 0.87-1.72). CONCLUSIONS: EDA was not associated with the risk of PPD at 6 weeks postpartum after adjusting for sociodemographic, psychosocial, and obstetric variables. However, these findings do not preclude a potential association between PPD and childbirth pain or other aspects of EDA that were not assessed in this study.

Difficult birth is the main contributor to birth-related fracture and accidents to other neonatal fractures.

AIM: Specific birth-related fractures have been studied; underestimates might be a problem. We aimed to assess all fractures diagnosed as birth-related as well as other neonatal fractures. METHODS: A population-based study on all infants born in Sweden 1997-2014; data were retrieved from the Swedish Health Registers (10th version of International Classification of Diseases. Outcome measures were birth-related fractures (ICD-10 P-codes) and other neonatal fractures (ICD-10 S-codes). RESULTS: The overall fracture incidence was 2.9 per 1000 live birth (N = 5336); 92.6% had P-codes and 7.4% (S-codes). Some birth-related fractures were diagnosed beyond the neonatal period. Other neonatal fractures could have been birth-related. Clavicle fracture (88.8%) was associated with adverse maternal and infant anthropometrics and birth complications. The few neonates with rib fractures all had concomitant clavicle fracture. For skull fractures, a minor part was birth-related and most were associated with accidents. Half of the long bone fractures were associated with accidents. Birth-related femur fractures were associated with bone fragility risk factors. Five infants with abuse diagnoses had fractures: skull (4), long bone (2) and rib (1). CONCLUSION: Birth-related and other neonatal fractures are rarely diagnosed. Difficult birth is the main contributor to birth-related fracture and accidents to other neonatal fractures.

The epidemiology of infant shaft fractures of femur or humerus by incidence, birth, accidents, and other causes.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this population-based registry study was to analyze both birth-related femur and humerus shaft fractures and diagnosed later in infancy, as regards incidence, perinatal characteristics, other diagnoses, and reported accidents. METHODS: Children born in 1997-2014, diagnosed with a femur or humerus shaft fracture before age 1 year, were identified in the Swedish Health Registries. Rate of birth fractures were estimated by combining femur and humerus shaft fractures coded as birth-related with femur and humerus shaft fractures diagnosed during day 1-7 without registered trauma or abuse. Incidence was computed by comparing infants with femur or humerus shaft fractures to the total at-risk population. RESULTS: The incidence for birth-related femur shaft fractures was 0.024 per 1000 children (n = 45) and that for birth-related humerus shaft fractures was 0.101 per 1000 children (n = 188). The incidence was 0.154 per 1000 children for later femur shaft fractures (n = 287) and 0.073 per 1000 children for later humerus shaft fractures (n = 142). Birth-related femur shaft fracture was associated with shoulder dystocia, cesarean, multiple birth, breech, preterm, and small-for-gestational age, while humerus shaft fracture was associated with maternal obesity, dystocic labor, shoulder dystocia, vacuum-assisted delivery, male sex, multiple birth, breech, preterm, large-for-gestational age, birth weight > 4000 g, and injury of brachial plexus. A bone fragility diagnosis was recorded in 5% of those with birth-related or later femur shaft fractures. Among infants with birth-related humerus shaft fractures, 1% had a bone fragility diagnosis; the figure for later fractures was 6%. Maltreatment diagnosis was associated with later fractures of both types, especially among those aged < 6 months, where approximately 20% (femur) and 14% (humerus) of cases, respectively, were associated with abuse. Fall accidents were reported in 73 and 56% among those with later femur and humerus shaft fractures, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study provides data on epidemiology, birth, parental characteristics, and reported accidents in relation to femur and humerus shaft fractures during infancy. Few children had a bone fragility diagnosis. Fall accidents were the main contributor to femur or humerus shaft fracture during infancy; however, the proportion of fractures attributed to maltreatment was high in children under 6 months.

Obstetric fistula in southern Mozambique: a qualitative study on women's experiences of care pregnancy, delivery and post-partum.

BACKGROUND: Obstetric fistula is still common in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) despite the on-going shift to increased facility deliveries in the same settings. The social behavioural circumstances in which fistula, as well as its consequences, still occur are poorly documented, particularly from the perspective of the experiences of women with obstetric fistula. This study sought to describe women's experiences of antenatal, partum and post-partum care in southern Mozambique, and to pinpoint those experiences that are unique to women with fistula in order to understand the care-seeking and care provision circumstances which could have been modified to avoid or mitigate the onset or consequences of fistula. METHODS: This study took place in Maputo and Gaza provinces, southern Mozambique, in 2016-2017. Qualitative data were collected through in-depth interviews conducted with 14 women with positive diagnoses of fistula and an equal number of women without fistula. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim prior to thematic analysis using NVivo11. RESULTS: Study participants had all attended antenatal care (ANC) visits and had prepared for a facility birth. Prolonged or obstructed labour, multiple referrals, and delays in receiving secondary and tertiary health care were common among the discourses of women with fistula. The term "fistula" was rarely known among participants, but the condition (referred to as "loss of water" or "illness of spillage") was recognised after being prompted on its signs and symptoms. Women with fistula were invariably aware of the links between fistula and poor birth assistance, in contrast with those without fistula, who blamed the condition on women's physiological and behavioural characteristics. CONCLUSION: Although women do seek antenatal and peri-partum care in health facilities, deficiencies and delays in birth assistance, referral and life-saving interventions were commonly reported by women with fistula. Furthermore, weaknesses in quality of care, not only in relation to prevention, but also the resolution of the damage, were evident. Quality improvement of birth care is necessary, both at primary and referral level. There is a need to increase awareness and develop guidelines for prevention, early detection and management of obstetric fistula, including early postpartum treatment, availability of fistula repair for complex cases, and rehabilitation, coupled with the promotion of community consciousness of the problem.

Postnatal growth in children born small for gestational age with and without smoking mother.

BACKGROUND: Maternal smoking impairs fetal growth; however, if postnatal growth differs between children born small for gestational age (SGA) with smoking and non-smoking mother is unknown. METHODS: Cohort-study of term born children born appropriate for gestational age with non-smoking mother (AGA-NS, n = 30,561), SGA (birthweight <10th percentile) with smoking mother (SGA-S, n = 171) or SGA with non-smoking mother (SGA-NS, n = 1761). Means of height and weight measurements, collected at birth, 1.5, 3, 4, and 5 years, were compared using a generalized linear mixed effect model. Relative risks of short stature (<10th percentile) were expressed as adjusted risk ratios (aRR). RESULTS: At birth, children born SGA-S were shorter than SGA-NS, but they did not differ in weight. At 1.5 years, SGA-S had reached the same height as SGA-NS. At 5 years, SGA-S were 1.1 cm taller and 1.2 kg heavier than SGA-NS. Compared with AGA-NS, SGA-S did not have increased risk of short stature at 1.5 or 5 years, while SGA-NS had increased risk of short stature at both ages; aRRs 3.0 (95% CI 2.6;3.4) and 2.3 (95% CI 2.0;2.7), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Children born SGA-S have a more rapid catch-up growth than SGA-NS. This may have consequences for metabolic and cardiovascular health in children with smoking mothers.

Mothers' satisfaction with care during facility-based childbirth: a cross-sectional survey in southern Mozambique.

BACKGROUND: Client satisfaction is an essential component of quality of care. Health system factors, processes of care as well as mothers' characteristics influence the extent to which care meets the expectations of mothers and families. In our study, we specifically aimed to address the mothers' experiences of, and satisfaction with, care during childbirth. METHODS: A population-based cross-sectional study, using structured interviews with published sequences of questions assessing satisfaction, including 4358 mothers who gave birth during the 12 months before June 2016 to estimate satisfaction with childbirth care. Regression analysis was used to determine the predictors of client satisfaction. RESULTS: Most mothers (92.5%) reported being satisfied with care during childbirth and would recommend that a family member to deliver at the same facility. Specifically, 94.7% were satisfied with the cleanliness of the facility, 92.0% reported being satisfied with the interaction with the healthcare providers, but only 49.8% felt satisfied with the assistance to feed their baby. Mothers who had negative experiences during the process of care, such as being abandoned when needing help, disrespect, humiliation, or physical abuse, reported low levels of satisfaction when compared to those who had not had such experiences (68.5% vs 93.5%). Additionally, they reported higher levels of dissatisfaction (20.1% vs 2.1%). Regression analysis revealed that mothers who gave birth in primary level facilities tended to be more satisfied than those who gave birth in hospitals, and having a companion increased, on average, the overall satisfaction score, with 0.06 in type II health centres (CI 0.03-0.10) and with 0.05 in type I health centres (CI - 0.02 - 0.13), compared to - 0.01(CI -0.08 - 0.07) in the hospitals, irrespective of age, education and socio-economic background. CONCLUSION: Childbirth at the primary level facilities contributes to the level of satisfaction. The provision of childbirth care should consider women's preferences and needs, including having a companion of choice. We highlight the challenge in balancing safety of care versus satisfaction with care and in developing policies on the optimum configuration of childbirth care. Interventions to improve the interaction with providers and the provision of respectful care are recommended.

Population-based register study of children born in Sweden from 1997 to 2014 showed an increase in rickets during infancy.

AIM: This population-based study assessed the incidence of rickets in infants up to age of one born in Sweden from 1997 to 2014. We also examined maternal and perinatal factors and co-morbidity. METHODS: We used Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare registers and data from Statistics Sweden. The outcome measure was an International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, code for rickets. RESULTS: There were 273 cases of rickets, with an incidence of 14.7 per 100 000 and a 10-fold incidence increase between 1997 and 2014. The majority (78.4%) were born preterm, half were small-for-gestational age (SGA) (birthweight <10th percentile), 4.8% were born to Asian-born mothers and 3.5% to African-born mothers. The adjusted odds ratios by birth week were 182 (95% CI: 121-272) before 32 weeks and 10.8 (95% CI: 6.72-17.4) by 32-36 weeks. Preterm infants with necrotising enterocolitis had very high odds for rickets and so did SGA term-born infants and those born to African-born mothers. The odds for rickets among preterm infants increased considerably during the later years. CONCLUSION: Rickets increased 10-fold in Sweden from 1997 to 2014 and was mainly associated with prematurity, SGA and foreign-born mothers. Possible reasons may include increased preterm survival rates and improved clinical detection and registration.

Risk of fistula formation and long-term health effects after a benign hysterectomy complicated by organ injury: A population-based register study.

INTRODUCTION: There is a paucity of data on the impact of organ injury on long-term outcomes after a hysterectomy for benign indications. The aim of this study was to investigate fistula formation and patient-reported long-term health outcomes after organ injury at the time of a hysterectomy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a population-based study of 22 538 women undergoing a hysterectomy between 2000 and 2014 in Sweden. Their medical history, characteristics of their surgery, and patient-reported outcomes were retrieved from Swedish national health and quality registers. Predictors for fistula formation were investigated with logistic regression and are presented as odds ratios with a 95% CI. RESULTS: Fistulas were reported in 7% of women with organ injuries, compared with 0.4% of those without organ injuries (adjusted odds ratio 15.29 [9.81-23.85]). Laparotomy and postoperative infection were associated with postoperative fistulas. Most of the women reported having better health 1 year after the hysterectomy, but 7% of those with organ injuries and 24% of those with fistulas reported deteriorated health, compared with 2% of women without injuries. CONCLUSIONS: Organ injury at the time of hysterectomy is associated with the development of fistulas involving the female genital tract and increases the proportion of women reporting deteriorated health 1 year after surgery.

Delineating the association between mode of delivery and postpartum depression symptoms: a longitudinal study.

INTRODUCTION: Although a number of perinatal factors have been implicated in the etiology of postpartum depression, the role of mode of delivery remains controversial. Our aim was to explore the association between mode of delivery and postpartum depression, considering the potentially mediating or confounding role of several covariates. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In a longitudinal-cohort study in Uppsala, Sweden, with 3888 unique pregnancies followed up postpartum, the effect of mode of delivery (spontaneous vaginal delivery, vacuum extraction, elective cesarean section, emergency cesarean section) on self-reported postpartum depression symptoms (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale ≥12) at 6 weeks postpartum was investigated through logistic regression models and path analysis. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of postpartum depression was 13%. Compared with spontaneous vaginal delivery, women who delivered by emergency cesarean section were at higher risk for postpartum depression 6 weeks after delivery in crude (odds ratio 1.45, 95% confidence interval 1.04-2.01) but not in adjusted analysis. However, the path analysis revealed that emergency cesarean section and vacuum extraction were indirectly associated with increased risk of postpartum depression, by leading to postpartum complications, self-reported physical symptoms postpartum, and therefore a negative delivery experience. In contrast, history of depression and fear of delivery increased the odds of postpartum depression and led more frequently to elective cesarean section; however, it was associated with a positive delivery experience. CONCLUSIONS: Mode of delivery has no direct impact on risk of postpartum depression; nevertheless, several modifiable or non-modifiable mediators are present in this association. Women delivering in an emergency setting by emergency cesarean section or vacuum extraction, and reporting negatively experienced delivery, constitute a high-risk group for postpartum depression.

Infant abuse diagnosis associated with abusive head trauma criteria: incidence increase due to overdiagnosis?

Background: The hypothesis of this study is that the diagnosis of infant abuse is associated with criteria for shaken baby syndrome (SBS)/abusive head trauma (AHT), and that that changes in incidence of abuse diagnosis in infants may be due to increased awareness of SBS/AHT criteria. Methods: This was a population-based register study. Setting: Register study using the Swedish Patient Register, Medical Birth Register, and Cause of Death Register. The diagnosis of infant abuse was based on the International Classification of Diseases, 9th and 10th revision. Participants: All children born in Sweden during 1987-2014 with a follow-up until 1 year of age (N = 2 868 933). SBS/AHT criteria: subdural haemorrhage, cerebral contusion, skull fracture, convulsions, retinal haemorrhage, fractures rib and long bones. Outcomes: Incidence, rate ratios, aetiologic fractions and Probit regression analysis. Results: Diagnosis of infant abuse was strongly associated with SBS/AHT criteria, but not risk exposure as region, foreign-born mother, being born preterm, multiple birth and small for gestational age. The incidence of infant abuse has increased tenfold in Sweden since the 1990s and has doubled since 2008, from 12.0 per 100 000 infants during 1997-2007 to 26.5/100 000 during 2008-2014, with pronounced regional disparities. Conclusions: Diagnosis of infant abuse is related to SBS/AHT criteria. The increase in incidence coincides with increased medical preparedness to make a diagnosis of SBS/AHT. Hidden statistics and a real increase in abuse are less plausible. Whether the increase is due to overdiagnosis cannot be answered with certainty, but the possibility raises ethical and medico-legal concerns.

Gaps in obstetric care processes - we can only improve what is being measured.

A multifaceted intervention at all six obstetric units in the Stockholm Health Region was performed in 2008-2011 in order to increase safety for the newborn infants. Case-controlled criterion-based reviews of care processes during labor and delivery have been used to assess factors associated with suboptimal care during labor and delivery. Categories of increased risk of adverse outcome during labor and delivery were defined. Cases with low Apgar scores and healthy controls were scrutinized and compared to data from a study with an identical design performed before the intervention. The risk of suboptimal care increased twice among controls and three times among cases when reviewing specific criteria after a multifaceted intervention. There are still gaps in care processes that need attention. Improving guidelines is important but not enough alone, and the management of fetal surveillance needs further improvement. The complexity of reviewing care processes using criterion-based research methodology is highlighted.

Effect of remote cesarean delivery on complications during hysterectomy: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Cesarean delivery is performed frequently worldwide, and follow-up studies that report complications at subsequent surgery are warranted. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to investigate the association between a previous abdominal delivery and complications during a subsequent hysterectomy and to estimate the fraction of complications that are driven by the presence of adhesions. STUDY DESIGN: This was a longitudinal population-based register study of 25354 women who underwent a benign hysterectomy at 46 hospital units in Sweden 2000-2014. RESULTS: Adhesions were found in 45% of the women with a history of cesarean delivery. Organ injury affected 2.2% of the women. The risk of organ injury (adjusted odds ratio, 1.74; 95% confidence interval, 1.41-2.15) and postoperative infection (adjusted odds ratio, 1.26; 95% confidence interval, 1.15-1.39) was increased with previous cesarean delivery, irrespective of whether adhesions were present or not. The direct effect on organ injury by a personal history of cesarean delivery was estimated to 73%, and only 27% was mediated by the presence of adhesions. Previous cesarean delivery was a predictor of bladder injury (adjusted odds ratio, 1.86; 95% confidence interval, 1.40-2.47) and bowel injury (adjusted odds ratio, 1.83; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-3.03), but not ureter injury. A personal history of other abdominal surgeries was associated with bowel injury (adjusted odds ratio, 2.27; 95% confidence interval, 1.37-3.78), and the presence of endometriosis increased the risk of ureter injury (adjusted odds ratio, 2.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.34-3.44). CONCLUSION: Previous cesarean delivery is associated with an increased risk of complications during a subsequent hysterectomy, but the risk is only partly attributable to the presence of adhesions. Previous cesarean delivery and presence of endometriosis were major predisposing factors of organ injury at the time of the hysterectomy, whereas background and perioperative characteristics were of minor importance.

Early adversity and psychiatric symptoms - a prospective study on Ethiopian mothers and their children.

BACKGROUND: Maternal exposure to adversity during the perinatal period has been associated with increased susceptibility for psychiatric symptoms in the offspring. The aim of this study was to investigate a possible developmental effect of maternal perinatal stressors on emotional and behavioural symptoms in the offspring in a developing country. METHODS: We followed an Ethiopian birth cohort (N = 358), assessing intimate partner violence (IPV) and maternal psychiatric symptoms during the perinatal period and at follow-up 10 years later, as a proxy for adversity, and maternal ratings on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) 10 years later as the outcome. RESULTS: Among the women, exposure to IPV was common (60.6%) during the perinatal period and predicted IPV (29.9% of the mothers) at follow-up (ρ = 0.132; p = 0.012). There was also an association between maternal psychiatric symptoms at the two time points (ρ = 0.136; p = 0.010) and between maternal symptoms and IPV. Current maternal symptoms of anxiety and depression (ß = 0.057; p < 0.001), but not during the perinatal period, were associated with child CBCL-scores. CONCLUSION: Our findings do not support the hypothesis that early adversity increase susceptibility for psychiatric symptoms. However, the findings emphasize the public health problem of IPV in this population, adding to the women's mental health problem.

Neuroticism-related personality traits are associated with posttraumatic stress after abortion: findings from a Swedish multi-center cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Most women who choose to terminate a pregnancy cope well following an abortion, although some women experience severe psychological distress. The general interpretation in the field is that the most consistent predictor of mental disorders after induced abortion is the mental health issues that women present with prior to the abortion. We have previously demonstrated that few women develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) after induced abortion. Neuroticism is one predictor of importance for PTSD, and may thus be relevant as a risk factor for the development of PTSD or PTSS after abortion. We therefore compared Neuroticism-related personality trait scores of women who developed PTSD or PTSS after abortion to those of women with no evidence of PTSD or PTSS before or after the abortion. METHODS: A Swedish multi-center cohort study including six Obstetrics and Gynecology Departments, where 1294 abortion-seeking women were included. The Screen Questionnaire-Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (SQ-PTSD) was used to evaluate PTSD and PTSS. Measurements were made at the first visit and at three and six month after the abortion. The Swedish universities Scales of Personality (SSP) was used for assessment of Neuroticism-related personality traits. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the risk factors for development of PTSD or PTSS post abortion. RESULTS: Women who developed PTSD or PTSS after the abortion had higher scores than the comparison group on several of the personality traits associated with Neuroticism, specifically Somatic Trait Anxiety, Psychic Trait Anxiety, Stress Susceptibility and Embitterment. Women who reported high, or very high, scores on Neuroticism had adjusted odds ratios for PTSD/PTSS development of 2.6 (CI 95% 1.2-5.6) and 2.9 (CI 95% 1.3-6.6), respectively. CONCLUSION: High scores on Neuroticism-related personality traits influence the risk of PTSD or PTSS post abortion. This finding supports the argument that the most consistent predictor of mental disorders after abortion is pre-existing mental health status.