Non-Obstetric Maternal Mortality Trends by Race in the United States.

OBJECTIVES: Public health interventions to reduce maternal mortality have largely focused on obstetric causes of death. However, previous studies have noted that non-obstetrics factors, such as motor vehicle accidents, substance overdoses, homicides, and suicides, may account for a large proportion of maternal deaths. The study objective was to examine trends in maternal deaths from non-obstetric causes across races in the United States (US). METHODS: A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 80,710,348 live births using data from the "Birth Data" and "Mortality Multiple Cause" files compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2000 to 2019. The annual incidence of maternal deaths attributed to non-obstetric causes (/100,000 live-births) during pregnancy and up to 42 days postpartum were calculated across racial groups. Then the effects of race on the risk of non-obstetric maternal mortality and temporal changes over the study period were examined using logistic regression models. RESULTS: From 2000 to 2019, a total 7,334 women died during pregnancy, childbirth, and within 42 days postpartum from non-obstetric causes, representing 34.5% (7,334/21,241) of all maternal mortality. Of non-obstetric deaths, 31.3% were caused by transport accidents and 27.3% by accidental poisoning. American Indian women were found to have the highest risk of non-obstetric maternal mortality (OR 2.20,95% CI 1.90-2.56), and 46.1% (176/382) of all deaths among pregnant American Indian women were caused by non-obstetric complications. Risk of non-obstetric maternal mortality increased overall during the 20-year study period, with a greater increase among Black (1.15, 1.13-1.17) and American Indian women (1.17, 1.13-1.21). CONCLUSION: Non-obstetric causes of death have become increasingly prevalent in the US, especially in American Indian women. Novel interventions to address these non-obstetric factors should especially target American Indian women to improve maternal outcomes.

Maternal and newborn outcomes in pregnancies complicated by Guillain-Barré syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare autoimmune disorder that affects the peripheral nervous system. The purpose of our study was to evaluate maternal and fetal/neonatal outcomes among pregnancies complicated by GBS. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project - National Inpatient Sample from the United States. ICD-9 codes were used to identify all pregnant women who delivered between 1999 and 2015 and had a diagnosis of GBS. The remaining women without GBS who delivered during that time period constituted the comparison group. The associations between maternal GBS and obstetrical and fetal/neonatal outcomes were evaluated using multivariate logistic regression, while adjusting for the confounding effects of maternal characteristics. RESULTS: Of 13,792,544 births included in our study, 291 were to women with GBS, for an overall incidence of 2.1/100,000 births. A steady increase in maternal GBS was observed over the study period (from 1.26 to 3.8/100,000 births, p=0.02). Further, women with GBS were more likely to have pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia, OR 1.69 (95 % CI 1.06-2.69), sepsis, 9.30 (2.33-37.17), postpartum hemorrhage, 1.83 (1.07-3.14), and to require a transfusion, 4.39 (2.39-8.05). They were also at greater risk of caesarean delivery, 2.07 (1.58-2.72) and increased length of hospital stay, 4.48 (3.00-6.69). Newborns of women with GBS were more likely to be growth restricted, 2.50 (1.48-4.23). CONCLUSIONS: GBS in pregnancy is associated with maternal and newborn adverse outcomes. These patients would benefit from close follow-up throughout their pregnancy and in the postpartum period.

Racial disparities in national maternal mortality trends in the United States from 2000 to 2019: a population-based study on 80 million live births.

PURPOSE: In the United States (US), deaths during pregnancy and childbirth have increased over the past 2 decades compared to other high-income countries, and there have been reports that racial disparities in maternal mortality have widened. The study objective was to examine recent trends in maternal mortality in the US by race. METHODS: Our population-based cross-sectional study used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2000-2019 "Birth Data" and "Mortality Multiple Cause" data files from the US to calculate maternal mortality during pregnancy, childbirth, and puerperium across race. Logistic regression models estimated the effects of race on the risk of maternal mortality and examined temporal changes in risk across race. RESULTS: A total of 21,241 women died during pregnancy and childbirth, with 65.5% caused by obstetrical complications and 34.5% by non-obstetrical causes. Black women, compared with White women, had greater risk of maternal mortality (OR 2.13, 95% CI 2.06-2.20), as did American Indian women (2.02, 1.83-2.24). Overall maternal mortality risk increased during the 20-year study period, with an annual increase of 2.4 and 4.7/100,000 among Black and American Indian women, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Between 2000 and 2019, maternal mortality in the US increased, overall and especially in American Indian and Black women. Targeted public health interventions to improve maternal health outcomes should become a priority.

Incidence and risk factors of bladder injury during cesarean delivery: a cohort study.

PURPOSE: To identify risk factors associated with bladder injury during cesarean delivery, and to determine the frequency of associated morbidities. METHODS: Data obtained from the United States' Health Care Cost and Utilization Project-Nationwide Inpatient Sample were used to conduct a retrospective population-wide cohort study. ICD-9 codes were used to identify women who underwent a cesarean delivery between 1999 and 2015. Subsequently, women were classified based on whether or not they experienced a bladder injury during delivery. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine predictors of bladder injury in cesarean deliveries and to examine the associated morbidities while adjusting for baseline maternal demographics and clinical characteristics. RESULTS: Of 4,169,681 cesarean deliveries identified, there were 7,627 (0.2%) bladder injuries for an overall incidence of 18 per 10,000. Women ≥ 35 years were at greater risk of bladder injury 1.5 (1.4-1.6), as were women with endometriosis 2.0 (1.5-2.7) and Crohn's disease 2.7 (1.7-4.2). Risk of bladder injury increased if the cesarean delivery was associated with placenta previa 2.2 (1.9-2.4), previous cesarean delivery 4.3 (4.1-4.6), failed instrumental delivery 4.1 (3.5-4.8), fetal distress 1.7 (1.6-1.8), failed trial of labor after cesarean delivery 1.3 (1.2-1.4), and labor dystocia 1.7 (1.6-1.8). Cesarean hysterectomies presented the greatest risk for bladder injury 37.0 (33.7-40.6). Bladder injury was associated with an increased frequency of sepsis, venous thromboembolism, peritonitis, blood transfusions and longer hospital stays. CONCLUSION: Bladder injury during cesarean deliveries is a rare outcome but it is more common among women with certain demographic and clinical characteristics. Among these cases, strategies to prevent sepsis and venous thromboembolism should be considered.

Hospital antenatal admissions for threatened preterm labor: how long should we be "observing"?

PURPOSE: We sought to describe temporal trends in hospital admissions for threatened preterm labor (TPTL) and to examine hospital admission duration among women delivered or discharged undelivered. METHODS: We carried out a cohort study on all TPTL admissions among pregnancies with a live singleton fetus and intact membranes between 1999 and 2015 using the United States' Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project-Nationwide Inpatient Sample. ICD-9 codes were used to identify women with TPTL. Duration of antenatal admission length of stay was calculated in days following admission to hospital until delivery ("Delivery Admission") or undelivered discharge ("Observation Admission"). Analyses included evaluating trends of birth admissions over total admissions, identifying predictors of delivery using logistic regression, and measuring risk for delivery with increasing duration of antepartum hospitalization. RESULTS: Of 15,335,288 pregnancy admissions, 1,089,987 admissions were for TPTL, with 61.8% being 'Delivery Admissions". During the 16-year study period, overall rates of TPTL admissions declined with a rising proportion of admissions being "Delivery Admissions". "Delivery Admissions" were more common among patients who were older, non-Caucasian, obese, or who had placental abruption. "Observation Admissions" were more common among admissions for antepartum hemorrhage or antepartum spotting. Among all "Delivery Admissions" for TPTL, 89% had delivered within 2 days, 7% delivered within 3-6 days, and 5% delivered beyond 6 days. CONCLUSION: Overall admissions for TPTL declined over the study period with increasing proportions being "Delivery Admissions". Protocols taking into consideration declining risk of preterm birth among patients undelivered after 2 days may be helpful in reducing unnecessary prolonged observation admissions.

Association Between First-Trimester Bleeding and Retained Placenta Requiring Dilatation and Curettage.

OBJECTIVE: Early subchorionic hemorrhage may lead to a disruption in the placental-uterine matrix, which may result in an adherence of the placenta to the endometrium. We evaluated the effect of a first-trimester bleed on the need for a post-vaginal delivery dilatation and curettage (D&C) for removal of retained placenta. METHODS: We conducted a case-control study at a tertiary care centre between 2012 and 2016. Patients identified through medical records as having required a post-vaginal delivery D&C for retained placenta were considered cases and were matched 1:5 with patients delivering vaginally within 1 week who did not require a D&C. History of first-trimester bleeding and subchorionic hemorrhage were identified through chart review. Conditional logistic regression analyses estimated the effect of a first-trimester bleed on the requirement for D&C for retained placenta. Models were adjusted for maternal age and previous uterine surgery. RESULTS: There were 68 cases of retained placenta requiring D&C, for an estimated 3 in 1000 deliveries. Patients requiring D&C were slightly older than controls but were otherwise comparable with respect to baseline demographic characteristics. In adjusted analyses, patients who required a postpartum D&C were more likely than controls to have had a first-trimester bleed at 11.8% and 0.6%, respectively (OR 25.3; 95% CI 4.7-135.4, P < 0.001). Postpartum D&C for retained placenta was associated with postpartum hemorrhage, need for blood transfusion, and manual removal of placenta. CONCLUSION: First-trimester bleeding should be considered a high-risk determinant for post-vaginal delivery D&C for retained placenta and for severe postpartum hemorrhage.

Use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in obstetric patients: a retrospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: There is little information on the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in pregnant women. Our objectives are to estimate the use of ECMO in pregnant patients, identify clinical conditions associated with ECMO use, and assess survival rates by the associated condition. METHODS: Using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project-Nationwide Inpatient Sample, we carried out a retrospective cohort study of all delivery admissions in the United States from January 1, 1999, to October 1, 2015. Within the cohort, women who received ECMO therapy were identified using ICD-9 codes and then survival rates among these women were calculated. RESULTS: There were 83 women who underwent ECMO therapy in our cohort of 15,335,205 births, for an overall ECMO use rate of 0.54/100,000 pregnancies. The incidence of ECMO use increased from 0.23/100,000 in 1999 to 2.57/100,000 in 2015. Patients on ECMO were more likely to be older, have a lower income, and have pre-existing medical conditions when compared with the patients not on ECMO. The overall survival rate for the ECMO group was 62.7%. The most common reason for ECMO use was acute respiratory failure. Etiologies associated with the highest survival in those on ECMO were pneumonia and venous thromboembolism, which were found to have survival rates of 75.0% and 81.0%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The incidence of ECMO use in the obstetric population increased over the last decade and a half. Although it carries a limited survival rate within this population, it has proven life-saving for many suffering from complications of pregnancy and delivery.

Neonatal outcomes of pregnancy-associated breast cancer: Population-based study on 11 million births.

BACKGROUND: As the age at first pregnancy continues to rise in the United States so does the incidence of breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy. Our objective was to evaluate temporal trends in the incidence of pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) and to measure neonatal outcomes associated with PABC. METHODS: We conducted a population-based cohort study using the 1999-2012 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project-Nationwide Inpatient Sample (HCUP-NIS) from the United States. Logistic regression models, adjusted for maternal baseline characteristics, examined the effect of PABC on neonatal outcomes. RESULTS: There were 11 846 300 deliveries between 1999 and 2012, of which 772 cases of PABC were identified, resulting in an overall incidence of 6.5 cases/100 000 pregnancies. There was a significant increase in the incidence of PABC during the study period (P < 0.05). Women with PABC tended to be older, of white ethnicity, belong to a higher income quartile and to be treated in an urban teaching hospital. In pregnancies complicated by breast cancer, there was a greater risk of preterm delivery (OR 4.84, 95% CI 4.05-5.79) and preterm premature rupture of membranes (OR 1.79, 95% CI 1.06-3.05). No associations were observed between PABC and intrauterine growth restriction, congenital anomalies or intrauterine fetal demise. CONCLUSION: There is an uptrend in the incidence of PABC and therefore, the need for counseling these patients is also increasing. Although pregnancies with the diagnosis of maternal breast cancer are more prone to premature births, it is encouraging that these babies do not appear to be at increased risk for congenital anomalies, growth restriction, or fetal demise.

Effect of Sjögren's syndrome on maternal and neonatal outcomes of pregnancy.

Background Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune connective tissue disease affecting the body's moisture-producing glands. Some studies have linked SS to adverse maternal/neonatal outcomes, but sample sizes have tended to be small, with few outcomes examined. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of SS on pregnancy outcomes for mother and neonate using a large dataset. Methods We carried out a retrospective cohort study of women who delivered between 1999 and 2014 using data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from the United States. SS categorization is based on ICD-9 coding. Baseline characteristics were compared in both groups and multivariate logistic regression was used to compare maternal and fetal outcomes of pregnancies in women with and without SS. Results The prevalence of SS in our population was 1.34 cases/10,000 births, with the rate increasing over the study period. Women with SS tended to be older, Caucasian and to have pre-existing comorbidities. Births to women with SS were at greater risk of pre-eclampsia [odds ratio (OR) 1.63, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.34-1.99]; premature rupture of membranes (OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.04-1.57); preterm delivery (OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.34-1.81); cesarean delivery (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.17-1.41); and venous thromboembolic events (OR 3.71, 95% CI 2.57-5.35). Infants of women with SS were more likely to have intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) (OR 3.00, 95% CI 2.46-3.65); and congenital malformations (OR 3.26, 95% CI 2.30-4.62). Conclusion SS is a high-risk pregnancy condition associated with significant comorbidities and adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. Women with SS may benefit from increased surveillance during their pregnancies.

Pregnancy outcomes after thyroid cancer.

Background Thyroid cancer is one of the most common cancers in women of reproductive age. Our purpose was to evaluate the association between thyroid cancer and maternal and neonatal outcomes of pregnancy. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, Nationwide Inpatient Sample (HCUP-NIS) database from the US. A cohort consisting of women who delivered between 1999 and 2014 was created. Multivariate logistic regression, controlling for baseline maternal characteristics, was used to compare pregnancy complications and neonatal outcomes of pregnant women with thyroid cancer [International Classification of Diseases, ninth edition (ICD-9) code 193] diagnosed before or during pregnancy with those of the obstetric population without thyroid cancer. Results The study included 14,513,587 pregnant women, of which 581 women had a diagnosis of thyroid cancer (4/100,000). During the observation period, there was an upward trend in the prevalence of thyroid cancer among pregnant women, though not statistically significant (P = 0.147). Women with thyroid cancer were more likely to be Caucasian, belong to a higher income quartile, have private insurance, to be discharged from an urban teaching hospital and to have pre-gestational hypertension. Women with thyroid cancer had a greater chance of delivering vaginally, requiring transfusion of blood and developing venous thromboembolism (VTE). Neonates of mothers with thyroid cancer were not found to be at increased risk for the adverse neonatal outcomes examined, specifically, congenital malformations, intrauterine growth restriction, fetal death and preterm labor. Conclusion Pregnancies complicated by thyroid cancer have higher incidences of VTE and need for transfusions, with comparable overall newborn outcomes.

Effect of pre-pregnancy body mass index on respiratory-related neonatal outcomes in women undergoing elective cesarean prior to 39 weeks.

Objective To examine the association between pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and neonatal respiratory-related outcomes among women who underwent an elective cesarean section (CS). Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s 2009-2013 period linked birth/infant death dataset. Women who had elective CSs at term were categorized by their pre-pregnancy BMI as normal, overweight, obese or morbidly obese. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusted for baseline characteristics, were calculated using multivariate logistic regression to estimate the neonatal risks in relation to maternal pre-pregnancy BMI. Results Our cohort consisted of 717,080 women, of whom 39.9% had normal BMI, 27.0% were overweight, 25.7% obese and 7.4% morbidly obese. A dose-dependent relationship between maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and assisted ventilation was seen. Furthermore, infants born to morbidly obese women were at significantly increased risk for assisted ventilation over 6 h (OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.15-1.35) and admission to intensive care units (OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.13-1.21). Infant mortality rates were 4.2/1000 births for normal weight women, and 5.5/1000 births among the morbidly obese group (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.25-1.64). Risk for adverse outcomes was increased with elective SC performed at earlier gestational age, and this effect was not modified by use of corticosteroids. Conclusion Overweight and obese women are at particularly greater risk of adverse newborn outcomes when elective CSs are done before 39 weeks. In these women, elective CSs should be delayed until 39 weeks, as corticosteroid use did not eliminate this association.

The effect of assisted reproductive technology on the incidence of birth defects among livebirths.

PURPOSE: Our study objective is to examine the association between births conceived with assisted reproductive technology (ART) and birth defects using a large database from the United States. METHODS: Using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Period-linked birth-infant death data files and fetal death database for 2011-2013, we conducted a retrospective cohort study comprised of live births that occurred in the USA during that time. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate the association between ART and birth defects, both overall and by specific defects. RESULTS: There were 11,862,780 live births between 2011 and 2013. Of these births, 11,791,730 were spontaneous pregnancies and 71,050 were conceived by ART, with an increasing trend in incidence of ART during the study period and an overall increasing trend of birth defects. Overall, infants conceived by ART had a greater risk of having birth defects than did infants conceived spontaneously (77/10,000 vs 25/10,000, respectively, OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.94-2.35). The malformations most commonly associated with ART were cyanotic heart defects (OR 2.74, 95% CI 2.42-3.09), cleft lip and/or palate (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.14-1.89), and hypospadias (OR 1.77, 95% CI 1.42-2.19). There were no differences in risk of omphalocele or neural tube defects between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: There is an overall and type-specific increased risk of birth defects in the ART population. Appropriate counseling and specialized ultrasound evaluations should be considered in pregnancies conceived by ART.

Pregnancy outcomes in HIV-positive women: a retrospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: In the United States, an estimated 8500 HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) positive women gave birth in 2014. This rate appears to be increasing annually. Our objective is to examine obstetrical outcomes of pregnancy among HIV-positive women. METHODS: A population-based cohort study was conducted using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database (2003-2011) from the United States. Pregnant HIV-positive women were identified and compared to pregnant women without HIV. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate the adjusted effect of HIV status on obstetrical and neonatal outcomes. RESULTS: Among 7,772,999 births over the study period, 1997 were in HIV-positive women (an incidence of 25.7/100,000 births). HIV-infected patients had greater frequency of pre-existing diabetes and chronic hypertension, and use of cigarettes, drugs, and alcohol during pregnancy (p < 0.001). Upon adjustment for baseline characteristics, HIV-infected women had greater likelihood of antenatal complications: preterm premature rupture of membranes (OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.14-1.60) and urinary tract infections (OR 3.02, 95% CI 2.40-3.81). Delivery and postpartum complications were also increased among HIV-infected women: cesarean delivery (OR 3.06, 95% CI 2.79-3.36), postpartum sepsis (OR 8.05, 95% CI 5.44-11.90), venous thromboembolism (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.46-3.33), blood transfusions (OR 3.67, 95% CI 3.01-4.49), postpartum infection (OR 3.00, 95% CI 2.37-3.80), and maternal mortality (OR 21.52, 95% CI 12.96-35.72). Neonates born to these mothers were at higher risk of prematurity and intrauterine growth restriction. CONCLUSION: Pregnancy in HIV-infected women is associated with adverse maternal and newborn complications. Pregnant HIV-positive women should be followed in high-risk healthcare centers.

Medical and obstetric outcomes among pregnant women with tuberculosis: a population-based study of 7.8 million births.

BACKGROUND: Worldwide, tuberculosis remains a major health concern, with an estimated 9.6 million people infected in the year 2014, of which one-third were women. Tuberculosis is estimated to be even more prevalent in pregnant women than the general population. To date there has been conflicting evidence on the maternal and neonatal complications of tuberculosis in pregnancy. OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine trends in the incidence of tuberculosis in pregnancy and to examine the associations between tuberculosis in pregnancy and maternal and fetal complications. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the 2003 through 2011 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample. We identified hospital admissions during which women with and without tuberculosis delivered. The temporal patterns in incidence of tuberculosis were estimated, as were the rates of pulmonary and nonpulmonary tuberculosis. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the adjusted effects of tuberculosis on maternal and neonatal outcomes. RESULTS: During the study period, there were 7,772,999 births, of which 2064 were to women with tuberculosis, for an overall incidence of 26.6 per 100,000 births. From 2003 through 2011, there was an upward trend in the incidence of tuberculosis from 1.92-4.06 per 10,000 births (P < .0001), mostly due to increasing numbers of nonpulmonary tuberculosis. Compared with noncases, tuberculosis occurred with greater frequency in women who were 25-34 years of age and of Hispanic ethnicity. Significantly more women with tuberculosis had concurrent HIV. In addition, delivery hospitalizations with tuberculosis compared with those without tuberculosis were more likely to experience chorioamnionitis, preterm labor, postpartum anemia, blood transfusion, pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and mechanical ventilation. Maternal mortality was significantly increased in women with tuberculosis. Congenital anomalies were higher among babies delivered to women with tuberculosis. CONCLUSION: The rate of tuberculosis in pregnancy is rising in the United States. Although this increase appears to be mostly due to nonpulmonary disease, there was also a high incidence of maternal respiratory complications, mortality, and postpartum obstetric morbidity.

Hysterectomy for Uterine Cancer in the Elderly: A Comparison Between Laparoscopic and Robot-Assisted Techniques.

OBJECTIVE: The mainstay of treatment for uterine corpus cancer is surgical, and the gold standard approach has become minimally invasive surgery. The aim of this study is to compare the perioperative complications and demographics of patients 80 years old or more undergoing robotic and laparoscopic hysterectomy for uterine cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, we retrospectively identified all women aged 80 years or older who had hysterectomies for uterine cancer by either modality. The complication rates of surgery in both groups were adjusted for potential confounding and compared using logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: There were 915 women aged 80 years or older identified with uterine corpus cancer who had either laparoscopic or robotic surgery. Robotically treated patients were more likely to be obese (8.8% vs 3.5%) but were otherwise similar in terms of mean age, comorbidities, income, ethnicity, and insurance status. Those undergoing robotic surgery were less likely to have admissions beyond 3 days (29.0% vs 38.2%; adjusted odds ratio, 0.66; P < 0.01) and had a lower composite incidence of any complication (24.3% vs 31.6%; adjusted odds ratio, 0.7; P < 0.05). When looking at those who had lymph node dissections, there was a lower rate of postoperative ileus, and a trend toward fewer venous thromboembolic events. CONCLUSIONS: Among octogenarians and nonagenarians with uterine corpus cancer, robotic surgery is associated with a shorter hospital admission and a better complication profile than laparoscopy.

Restrictions on Oral and Parenteral Intake for Low-risk Labouring Women in Hospitals Across Canada: A Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE: The dietary intake allowed during the latent and active phases of labour varies between Canadian hospitals. Our objective was to document current restrictions on oral and parenteral intake for low-risk labouring women in hospitals across Canada. METHODS: We carried out a cross-sectional study of 118 Canadian hospitals that have specialized birthing centres. Information on dietary protocols for low-risk women in labour was obtained from each hospital via a brief telephone interview with the head nurse of each birthing centre. Data were presented by stage of labour, both with and without epidural anaesthesia, and also by dextrose supplementation of intravenous fluids. RESULTS: If epidural anaesthesia was not used during the active phase of labour, oral intake was restricted to clear fluids and/or ice chips in 50.9% of surveyed hospitals and oral intake could include solid food in 38.1%. However, when epidural anaesthesia was used during the active phase of labour, oral intake was restricted to clear fluids and ice chips in 82.8% of surveyed hospitals, while oral intake could include solid food in 7.2%. Furthermore, in 77.5% of hospitals, not only was oral intake during active labour with epidural anaesthesia limited to clear fluids and/or ice chips, but in addition this restrictive diet was not supplemented with parenteral dextrose. CONCLUSION: The majority of low-risk pregnant women in Canadian hospitals are subjected to caloric restriction during the active phase of labour, especially when epidural anaesthesia is administered. Further studies on this subject are warranted because such pervasive practices may have important population effects on labouring women.

Incidence and causes of maternal mortality in the USA.

AIM: To characterize the most common causes and risk factors of maternal mortality in the USA and observe trends over the past 9 years. METHODS: We carried out a population-based retrospective cohort study using data from the Health Care Cost and Utilization Project, Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Women who were pregnant between 2003 and 2011 were identified. Baseline characteristics of pregnant women who died and those who lived were measured. ICD-9 codes for each cause of death were examined by up to three independent reviewers. Causes of death were categorized into the nine most common subgroups and trends were examined by tertiles of the period 2003-2011. RESULTS: During this 9-year period, there were approximately 7 million births and 1102 maternal deaths, for an overall incidence of 14.2 per 100 000 births. Primary causes of maternal death included sepsis (20.6%), cardiac disease (17.8%), hemorrhage (16.2%), venous thromboembolism (15.2%), and hypertensive disorders (9.4%). During the study period, there was a significant decrease in the frequency of sepsis from 33.2% to 10.0% and a non-significant decrease in venous thromboembolism from 19.1% to 12.9%. There were increases noted in all other groups, notably in terms of hemorrhage from 8.2% to 22.0% and hypertensive disorders from 2.1% to 16.4%. CONCLUSION: Maternal mortality remains a rare event. Although sepsis was the overall predominant cause of mortality during the study period, frequency declined over time and it was surpassed by hemorrhage and hypertensive disorders as the leading causes of maternal mortality.

Laparoscopic and robot-assisted hysterectomy for uterine cancer: a comparison of costs and complications.

OBJECTIVE: Increasingly, robotic surgery is being used for total hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and lymph node dissection for uterine cancer. The purpose of this study was to compare the costs and complications among women undergoing robotic and laparoscopic hysterectomy for uterine cancer. STUDY DESIGN: We carried out a cohort study using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database between 2008 and 2012 on all women diagnosed with uterine cancer, classifying women as either laparoscopically or robotically treated, excluding laparotomies or vaginal approaches. Logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the adjusted effect of surgical approach on complication rates. RESULTS: There were 10,347 women who underwent hysterectomies for uterine cancer either laparoscopically (39%) or robotically (61%). The rate of robotic surgery consistently increased over the 5 year period. Women undergoing robotic surgery had more comorbid conditions (diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, renal disease, obesity or morbid obesity, and pulmonary disease). In adjusted analyses, women undergoing robotic surgery were more likely to have a lymph node dissection (73.01% vs 66.04%; P < .0001) and an admission lasting <3 days (86.01% vs 82.5%; P < .0001) compared with those undergoing laparoscopic surgery. The composite endpoint of any complication was similar between both cohorts (20.56% robotic vs 21.00% laparoscopy). In overall and subset analyses, robotic surgery was more costly, with median charges of $38,161.00 compared with $31,476.00 in those undergoing laparoscopic surgery (P < .0001). CONCLUSION: Despite the considerably greater burden of comorbidities in those undergoing robotic surgery compared with laparoscopy, the former have shorter hospital admissions, a greater rate of lymph node dissection, and similar postoperative morbidity and mortality, albeit at greater total cost.

Incidence and risk factors of sepsis mortality in labor, delivery and after birth: population-based study in the USA.

AIM: Maternal sepsis is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality around the world. The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence and mortality rate of sepsis, and the associated risk factors for their development during pregnancy, labor, delivery and the post-partum period. METHODS: We conducted a population-based cohort study consisting of 5 million births that occurred in the USA. Data were obtained from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project-Nationwide Inpatient Sample (HCUP-NIS) database from 1998 to 2008. Logistic regression was used to calculate the adjusted odds ratio and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) for sepsis development and sepsis-related death during admission for delivery. RESULTS: The overall incidence of maternal sepsis was 29.4 per 100 000 births (95%CI: 28.0-30.9) with a sepsis case fatality rate of 4.4 per 100 births (95%CI: 3.5-5.6). Both the incidence of maternal sepsis and sepsis-related death rate have increased over the last decade. Women who are black, older than 35 years and who smoke were more likely to experience maternal sepsis. An association was also found between maternal sepsis and diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, eclampsia, preterm birth, hysterectomy, puerperal infection, post-partum hemorrhage, transfusion and chorioamnionitis. CONCLUSIONS: Mortality from maternal sepsis during labor and delivery is an increasing and important problem in westernized countries. Initiatives aimed at improving early recognition and effective management may help reduce the occurrence and outcomes of maternal sepsis at time of labor and delivery.

Circumcision and prostate cancer: a population-based case-control study in Montréal, Canada.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the possible association between circumcision and prostate cancer risk, to examine whether age at circumcision influences prostate cancer risk, and to determine whether race modifies the circumcision-prostate cancer relationship. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: PROtEuS (Prostate Cancer and Environment Study), a population-based case-control study set amongst the mainly French-speaking population in Montréal, Canada, was used to address study objectives. The study included 1590 pathologically confirmed prostate cancer cases diagnosed in a Montréal French hospital between 2005 and 2009, and 1618 population controls ascertained from the French electoral list, frequency-matched to cases by age. In-person interviews elicited information on sociodemographic, lifestyle and environmental factors. Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) between circumcision, age at circumcision and prostate cancer risk, adjusting for age, ancestry, family history of prostate cancer, prostate cancer screening history, education, and history of sexually transmitted infections. RESULTS: Circumcised men had a slightly lower risk, albeit not statistically significant, of developing prostate cancer than uncircumcised men (OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.76-1.04). Circumcision was found to be protective in men circumcised aged ≥36 years (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.30-0.98). A weaker protective effect was seen among men circumcised within 1 year of birth (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.72-1.04). The strongest protective effect of circumcision was recorded in Black men (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.19-0.86, P-value for interaction 0.02) but no association was found with other ancestral groups. CONCLUSION: Our findings provide novel evidence for a protective effect of circumcision against prostate cancer development, especially in those circumcised aged ≥36 years; although circumcision before the age of 1 year may also confer protection. Circumcision appeared to be protective only among Black men, a group that has the highest rate of disease. Further research into the differences in effect of circumcision on prostate cancer risk by ancestry is warranted, as is the influence of age at circumcision.