Association of parity with the timing and type of menopause: A longitudinal cohort study.

We investigated the time-varying association between parity and timing of natural menopause, surgical menopause, and premenopausal hysterectomy among 23,728 women aged 40-65 years at enrollment in the Alberta's Tomorrow Project cohort study (2000-2022), using flexible parametric survival analysis. Overall, natural menopause was most common by study end (57.2%), followed by premenopausal hysterectomy (11.4%) and surgical menopause (5.3%). Risks of natural menopause before age 50 years were elevated for 0 births (adjusted hazard ratio at age 45: 1.33, 95% CI 1.18-1.49) and 1 birth (age 45: 1.21, 1.07-1.38), but similar for ≥3 births (age 45: 0.95, 0.85-1.06), compared to 2 births (reference). Elevated risks of surgical menopause before age 45 years for 0 births (age 40: 1.37, 1.09-1.69) and 1 birth (age 40: 1.11, 0.85-1.45) attenuated when excluding women with past infertility or recurrent pregnancy loss, and reduced risks were observed over time for ≥3 births (age 50: 0.84, 0.75-0.94). Risks of premenopausal hysterectomy were lower before age 50 years for 0 births (age 45: 0.82, 0.76-0.88) but elevated after age 40 years for ≥3 births (age 50: 1.25, 1.08-1.45). These complex associations necessitate additional research on the sociobiological impacts of childbearing on gynecologic health.

The association between reproductive history and abdominal adipose tissue among postmenopausal women: results from the Women's Health Initiative.

STUDY QUESTION: What is the association between reproductive health history (e.g. age at menarche, menopause, reproductive lifespan) with abdominal adiposity in postmenopausal women? SUMMARY ANSWER: Higher visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) tissue levels were observed among women with earlier menarche, earlier menopause, and greater parity. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Postmenopausal women are predisposed to accumulation of VAT and SAT. Reproductive health variables are known predictors of overall obesity status in women, defined by BMI. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: This study is a secondary analysis of data collected from the baseline visit of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI). The WHI is a large prospective study of postmenopausal women, including both a randomized trial and observational study. There were 10 184 women included in this analysis. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: Data were collected from a reproductive health history questionnaire, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scans, and anthropometric measures at WHI baseline. Reproductive history was measured via self-report, and included age at menarche, variables related to pregnancy, and age at menopause. Reproductive lifespan was calculated as age at menopause minus age at menarche. Statistical analyses included descriptive analyses and multivariable linear regression models to examine the association between reproductive history with VAT, SAT, total body fat, and BMI. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: Women who reported early menarche (<10 years) or early menopause (<40 years) had the highest levels of VAT. Adjusted multivariable linear regression results demonstrate women who experienced menarche >15 years had 23 cm2 less VAT (95% CI: -31.4, -14.4) and 47 cm2 less SAT (95% CI: -61.8, -33.4) than women who experienced menarche at age 10 years or earlier. A similar pattern was observed for age at menopause: compared to women who experienced menopause <40 years, menopause at 50-55 years was associated with 19.3 cm2 (95% CI: -25.4, -13.3) less VAT and 27.4 cm2 (-29.6, 10.3) less SAT. High parity (>3 pregnancies) was also associated with VAT and SAT. For example, adjusted beta coefficients for VAT were 8.36 (4.33, 12.4) and 17.9 (12.6, 23.2) comparing three to four pregnancies with the referent, one to two pregnancies. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: The WHI reproductive health history questionnaire may be subject to poor recall owing to a long look-back window. Residual confounding may be present given lack of data on early life characteristics, such as maternal and pre-menarche characteristics. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: This study contributes to our understanding of reproductive lifespan, including menarche and menopause, as an important predictor of late-life adiposity in women. Reproductive health has also been recognized as a sentinel marker for chronic disease in late life. Given established links between adiposity and cardiometabolic outcomes, this research has implications for future research, clinical practice, and public health policy that makes use of reproductive health history as an opportunity for chronic disease prevention. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): HRB and AOO are supported by the National Institute of Health National Institute of Aging (R01AG055018-04). JWB reports royalties from 'ACSM'S Body Composition Assessment Book' and consulting fees from the WHI. The remaining authors have no competing interests to declare. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: N/A.

Hysterectomy versus Uterine Preservation for Pelvic organ prolapse Surgery (HUPPS): A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: One in five females will have surgery to treat pelvic organ prolapse in their lifetime. Uterine-preserving surgery involving suspension of the uterus is an increasingly popular alternative to the traditional use of hysterectomy with vaginal vault suspension to treat pelvic organ prolapse; however, comparative evidence with native tissue repairs remains limited in scope and quality. OBJECTIVE: To compare 1-year outcomes between hysterectomy-based and uterine-preserving native tissue prolapse surgeries performed through minimally invasive approaches. STUDY DESIGN: We used a non-randomized design with patients self-selecting their surgical group to integrate a pragmatic, patient-centred, and autonomy-focused approach. Participants chose between uterine-preserving surgery or hysterectomy-based surgery, guided by neutral, evidence-based discussions and individualized decision-making, with support from fellowship-trained urogynecologists. Inverse probability of treatment weighting based on high-dimensional propensity scores was used to balance baseline differences across surgical groups in an effort to resemble a randomized clinical trial. A prospective cohort study of 321 participants with stage ≥2 prolapse involving the uterus who desired surgical treatment were recruited between 2020 and 2022 and followed to 1 year (retention >90%). Patients chose to receive uterine-preserving POP surgery through hysteropexy (n=151) or hysterectomy with vaginal vault suspension (n=170; reference group), with repair of anterior and/or posterior prolapse if indicated. The primary outcome was anatomic prolapse recurrence within one year, defined as apical descent ≥50% of the total vaginal length. Secondary outcomes were peri-operative, functional, clinical, and healthcare outcomes measured at 6 weeks and 1 year. Inverse probability of treatment weighted linear regression and modified Poisson regression were used to estimate adjusted mean differences (aMD) and relative risks (aRR), respectively. RESULTS: Apical anatomic recurrence rates at 1 year were 17.2% following hysterectomy and 7.5% following uterine-preservation, resulting in an adjusted relative risk of 0.35 (95% CI 0.15, 0.83). Uterine-preserving surgery was associated with shorter length of surgery (aMD -0.68 hours [-0.80, -0.55]) and hospitalization (aMD -4.34 hours [-7.91, -0.77]), less use of any opioids within 24 hours (aRR 0.79 [0.65, 0.97]), and fewer procedural complications (aRR 0.19 [0.04, 0.83]) than hysterectomy. Up to 1 year, uterine-preserving surgery was associated with lower risk of composite recurrence (stage ≥2 prolapse in any compartment or retreatment; aRR 0.47 [0.32, 0.69]) than hysterectomy, driven by anatomic outcomes. There were no clinically meaningful differences in functional or healthcare outcomes between surgical groups. CONCLUSION: This study adds real-world evidence to the growing body of research supportive of uterine-preserving surgery as a safe, efficient, and effective alternative to hysterectomy during native tissue prolapse repair. Given mounting evidence on safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of uterine-preserving surgery and its alignment with the preferences of approximately half of patients to keep their uterus, the standard of care should include routine offering and patient choice between uterine-preserving and hysterectomy-based surgery for pelvic organ prolapse.

Unilateral Oophorectomy and Age at Natural Menopause: A Longitudinal Community-Based Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between unilateral oophorectomy (UO) and age at natural menopause. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of survey data from Alberta's Tomorrow Project (2000-2022). SETTING: Prospective cohort study in Alberta, Canada. POPULATION: 23 630 women; 548 experienced UO and 23 082 did not experience UO. METHODS: Flexible parametric survival analysis was used to analyse age at natural menopause, and logistic regression was used to analyse early menopause and premature ovarian insufficiency by UO status, controlling for birth year, parity, age at menarche, past infertility, hormonal contraceptive use and smoking. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Age at natural menopause occurred by a final menstrual period without medical cause and sub-classified as early menopause (< 45 years) and premature ovarian insufficiency (< 40 years). RESULTS: Compared to no UO, any UO was associated with elevated risk of earlier age at natural menopause, which was strongest in early midlife (adjusted HR at age 40 1.71, 95% CI 1.31-2.19) and diminished over time. Compared to age 55 years at UO, risks of earlier age at natural menopause were largest and uniform in magnitude when UO occurred between approximately ages 20-40 years (adjusted HR for UO at age 30 2.32, 1.46-3.54) and then diminished as age at UO approached the average age at natural menopause. Any UO was associated with higher odds of early menopause (adjusted OR 1.90, 1.30-2.79) and premature ovarian insufficiency (adjusted OR 3.75, 1.72-8.16). CONCLUSIONS: Unilateral oophorectomy is associated with earlier age at natural menopause, particularly when performed before 40 years of age.

Exclusion of pregnant and lactating persons from breast cancer clinical trials: a review of active trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov.

INTRODUCTION: Treatment of pregnancy-associated breast cancer is complex, as providers try to balance risks to the pregnant person and the developing fetus. Given increased case fatality and increasing incidence, there is a pressing need understand the efficacy and safety of different treatment regimens in this population; however, pregnant and lactating people have traditionally been excluded from participating in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Given recent efforts to expand the inclusion criteria for oncology RCTs, this study aimed to review the inclusion/exclusion criteria of current breast cancer RCTs to assess what proportion of trials permitted enrollment of pregnant and lactating persons. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive search of ClinicalTrials.gov in January 2022 to identify interventional studies of breast cancer in adults that were actively recruiting. The primary outcomes were the exclusion of pregnant and lactating people. RESULTS: The search identified 1706 studies, of which 1451 met eligibility criteria. Overall, 69.4% and 54.8% of studies excluded pregnant and lactating people, respectively. The exclusion of pregnant and lactating persons differed by study characteristics but extended across all trial designs, locations, phases and interventions. Exclusion of pregnant and lactating persons was most common in trials where the intervention was biological (86.3%), drug (83.5%) or radiation (81.5%). CONCLUSIONS: The exclusion of pregnant and lactating people from clinical trials contributes to evidence gaps in how to treat this population. A paradigm shift is needed that focuses on how research can be used to protect pregnant people from future harms, instead of protecting pregnant people from research-related risks.

Education level is associated with the occurrence and timing of hysterectomy: A cohort study of Canadian women.

INTRODUCTION: Hysterectomy is a common surgery with discernible practice variations that could be influenced by socioeconomic factors. We examined the association between level of educational attainment and the occurrence and timing of hysterectomy in Canadian women. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study of 30 496 females in the Alberta's Tomorrow Project (2000-2015) followed approximately every 4 years using self-report questionnaires. Educational attainment was defined as high school diploma or less, college degree, university degree (reference group), and postgraduate degree. We used logistic regression analyzing hysterectomy occurrence at any time and before menopause, separately, and flexible parametric survival models analyzing hysterectomy timing with age as the time scale. Multivariable models controlled for race/ethnicity, rural/urban residence, parity, oral contraceptive use, and smoking. RESULTS: Overall, 39.1% of females reported a high school diploma or less, 28.9% reported a college degree, 23.5% reported a university degree, and 8.5% reported a postgraduate degree. A graded association was observed between lower education and higher odds of hysterectomy (high school or less: adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.68, 95% CI 1.55-1.82; college degree: AOR 1.58, 95% CI 1.45-1.72); results were similar for premenopausal hysterectomy. A graded association between lower education and earlier timing of hysterectomy was also observed up to approximately age 60 (eg at age 40: high school or less adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] 1.61, 95% CI 1.49-1.75; college degree AHR 1.53, 95% CI 1.40-1.67). CONCLUSIONS: Women with lower levels of education were more likely to experience hysterectomy, including hysterectomy before menopause and at younger ages.

Perinatal mental illness and maternal autoimmune disease: A review of current evidence and avenues for future research.

This review summarizes evidence on the association between perinatal mental illness and maternal autoimmune disease and identifies avenues for future research. Perinatal mental illness has several characteristics in common with autoimmune disease, including increased incidence in the early postpartum period, recurrence across pregnancies, evidence of elevated immune-mediated cytokines, and familial risk, as well as the general predominance of mental illness in females versus males. Several studies have demonstrated elevated risk of maternal autoimmune disease in women with perinatal mental illness, and of perinatal mental illness in those with autoimmune dysfunction, suggesting a bi-directional relationship. Further research is needed to elucidate the importance of the specific diagnosis, severity, and timing of perinatal mental illness and specific diagnosis of autoimmune disease, as well as the relative importance of perinatal versus non-perinatal mental illness. Such research could have implications for prevention, treatment, and follow-up of perinatal mental illness.

Association of infertility with type and timing of menopause: a prospective cohort study.

STUDY QUESTION: What is the association between past infertility and the type and timing of menopause in midlife women? SUMMARY ANSWER: Women with a history of infertility were more likely to experience surgical menopause overall and had elevated risk of earlier surgical menopause until age 43 years but experienced no differences in the timing of natural menopause. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Infertility is experienced by 12-25% of women and is thought to reveal a propensity for poor health outcomes, such as chronic illness, later in life. However, little is known about whether infertility is linked with characteristics of the menopausal transition as women age, despite possible shared underlying pathways involving ovarian function and gynecologic disease. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: Secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study of 13 243 midlife females recruited in Phase 1 of the Alberta's Tomorrow Project (Alberta, Canada) and followed approximately every 4 years (2000-2022). PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: Data were collected through standardized self-report questionnaires. History of infertility, defined as ever trying to become pregnant for more than 1 year without conceiving, was measured at baseline. Menopause characteristics were measured at each study follow-up. Menopause type was defined as premenopause, natural menopause, surgical menopause (bilateral oophorectomy), or indeterminate menopause (premenopausal hysterectomy with ovarian conservation). Timing of natural menopause was defined as the age at 1 full year after the final menstrual period, and timing of surgical and indeterminate menopause was defined as the age at the time of surgery. We used flexible parametric survival analysis for the outcome of menopause timing with age as the underlying time scale and multinomial logistic regression for the outcome of menopause type. Multivariable models controlled for race/ethnicity, education, parity, previous pregnancy loss, and smoking. Sensitivity analyses additionally accounted for birth history, menopausal hormone therapy, body mass index, chronic medical conditions, and age at baseline. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: Overall, 18.2% of women reported a history of infertility. Past infertility was associated with earlier timing of surgical menopause exclusively before age 43 years (age 35: adjusted hazard ratio 3.13, 95% CI 1.95-5.02; age 40: adjusted hazard ratio 1.83, 95% CI 1.40-2.40; age 45: adjusted hazard ratio 1.13, 95% CI 0.87-1.46) as well as greater odds of experiencing surgical menopause compared to natural menopause (adjusted odds ratio 1.40, 95% CI 1.18-1.66). Infertility was not associated with the timing of natural or indeterminate menopause. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: Information on the underlying cause of infertility and related interventions was not collected, which precluded us from disentangling whether associations differed by infertility cause and treatment. Residual confounding is possible given that some covariates were measured at baseline and may not have temporally preceded infertility. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: Women with a history of infertility were more likely to experience early surgical menopause and may therefore benefit from preemptive screening and treatment for gynecologic diseases to reduce bilateral oophorectomy, where clinically appropriate, and its associated health risks in midlife. Moreover, the lack of association between infertility and timing of natural menopause adds to the emerging knowledge that diminishing ovarian reserve does not appear to be a primary biological mechanism of infertility nor its downstream implications for women's health. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): Alberta's Tomorrow Project is only possible due to the commitment of its research participants, its staff and its funders: Alberta Health, Alberta Cancer Foundation, Canadian Partnership Against Cancer and Health Canada, and substantial in-kind funding from Alberta Health Services. The views expressed herein represent the views of the author(s) and not of Alberta's Tomorrow Project or any of its funders. This secondary analysis is funded by Project Grant Priority Funding in Women's Health Research from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (Grant no. 491439). N.V.S. is supported by a Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. H.K.B. is supported by the Canada Research Chairs Program. E.A.B. is supported by an Early Career Investigator Award in Maternal, Reproductive, Child and Youth Health from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. A.K.S. has received honoraria from Pfizer, Lupin, Bio-Syent, and Eisai and has received grant funding from Pfizer. N.V.S., H.K.B., and E.A.B. have no conflicts of interest to report. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: N/A.

Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy at the time of benign hysterectomy among females with disabilities: a population-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Up to 40% of patients aged ≤55 years undergo concomitant bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy at the time of benign hysterectomy, with practice variation in bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy occurring along the lines of patient health and social factors. Disability is common in premenopausal women and is an important determinant of reproductive health more broadly; however, studies on bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy rates among women with disabilities are lacking. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine whether the use of concomitant bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy at the time of benign hysterectomy differs by preexisting disability status in adult females aged ≤55 years. STUDY DESIGN: This population-based cross-sectional study used data from the 2016-2019 US National Inpatient Sample. Females undergoing inpatient hysterectomy for a benign gynecologic indication (n=74,315) were classified as having physical (6.1%), sensory (0.1%), intellectual or developmental (0.2%), or multiple (0.2%) disabilities and compared with those without a disability. Logistic regression was used to estimate risk ratios for differences in bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy rates by disability status, adjusted for patient and clinical factors. Models were stratified by potentially avoidable or potentially appropriate bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy based on the presence of clinical indications for ovarian removal and by age group. RESULTS: Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy at the time of benign hysterectomy occurred in 26.0% of females without a disability, with rates clearly elevated in those with a physical (33.2%; adjusted risk ratio, 1.10; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-1.14) or intellectual or developmental (31.1%; adjusted risk ratio, 1.32; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.64) disability, possibly elevated in those with multiple disabilities (38.2%; adjusted risk ratio, 1.20; 95% confidence interval, 0.94-1.45), and similar in those with a sensory disability (31.2%; adjusted risk ratio, 0.98; 95% confidence interval, 0.83-1.13). The results were similar but with lower statistical precision for potentially avoidable and potentially appropriate bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, which occurred in 9.1% and 17.0% of females without a disability, respectively. The largest differences in bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy rates among women with any disability were observed in the perimenopausal 45- to 49-year age group. CONCLUSION: Females with disabilities experienced elevated concomitant bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy rates at the time of benign hysterectomy, particularly those with an intellectual or developmental disability and those of perimenopausal age, although some estimates were imprecise. Equity-focused physician training in surgical counseling and research into the epidemiology and experiences of gynecologic conditions among females with a disability may be beneficial.

Small for gestational age preterm infants and later adiposity and height: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Overweight and obesity and their consequent morbidities are important worldwide health problems. Some research suggests excess adiposity origins may begin in fetal life, but unknown is whether this applies to infants born preterm. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to assess the association between small for gestational age (SGA) birth and later adiposity and height among those born preterm. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL until October 2022. STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION: Studies were included if they reported anthropometric (adiposity measures and height) outcomes for participants born preterm with SGA versus non-SGA. Screening, data extraction and risks of bias assessments were conducted in duplicate by two reviewers. SYNTHESIS: We meta-analysed across studies using random-effects models and explored potential heterogeneity sources. RESULTS: Thirty-nine studies met the inclusion criteria. In later life, preterm SGA infants had a lower body mass index (-0.66 kg/m2 , 95% CI -0.79, -0.53; 32 studies, I2 = 16.7, n = 30,346), waist circumference (-1.20 cm, 95% CI -2.17, -0.23; 13 studies, I2 = 19.4, n = 2061), lean mass (-2.62 kg, 95% CI -3.45, 1.80; 7 studies, I2 = 0, n = 205) and height (-3.85 cm, 95% CI -4.73, -2.96; 26 studies, I2 = 52.6, n = 4174) compared with those preterm infants born non-SGA. There were no differences between preterm SGA and preterm non-SGA groups in waist/hip ratio, body fat, body fat per cent, truncal fat per cent, fat mass index or lean mass index, although power was limited for some analyses. Studies were rated at high risk of bias due to potential residual confounding and low risk of bias in other domains. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to their preterm non-SGA peers, preterm infants born SGA have lower BMI, waist circumference, lean body mass and height in later life. No differences in adiposity were observed between SGA preterm infants and non-SGA preterm infants.

Small for date preterm infants and risk of higher blood pressure in later life: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Historical reports suggest that infants born small for gestational age (SGA) are at increased risk for high blood pressure (BP) at older ages after adjustment for later age body size. Such adjustment may be inappropriate since adiposity is a known cause of cardiovascular and metabolic disease. OBJECTIVES: To assess the association between SGA births and later BP among preterm births, considering potential background confounders and over-adjustment for later body size. METHODS: A database search of studies up to October 2022 included MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL. Studies were included if they reported BP (systolic [SBP] or diastolic [DBP]) (outcomes) for participants born preterm with SGA (exposure) or non-SGA births. All screening, extraction steps, and risk of bias (using the Risk of Bias In Non-randomised Studies of Interventions [ROBINS-I] tool) were conducted in duplicate by two reviewers. Data were pooled in meta-analysis using random-effects models. We explored potential sources of heterogeneity. RESULTS: We found no meaningful difference in later BP between preterm infants with and without SGA status at birth. Meta-analysis of 25 studies showed that preterm SGA, compared to preterm non-SGA, was not associated with higher BP at age 2 and older with mean differences for SBP 0.01 mmHg (95% CI -0.10, 0.12, I2  = 59.8%, n = 20,462) and DBP 0.01 mm Hg (95% CI -0.10, 0.12), 22 studies, (I2  = 53.0%, n = 20,182). Adjustment for current weight did not alter the results, which could be due to the lack of differences in later weight status in most of the included studies. The included studies were rated to be at risk of bias due to potential residual confounding, with a low risk of bias in other domains. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence indicates that preterm infants born SGA are not at increased risk of developing higher BP as children or as adults as compared to non-SGA preterm infants.

Impact of lifetime lactation on the risk and duration of frequent vasomotor symptoms: A longitudinal dose-response analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between lifetime lactation and risk and duration of frequent vasomotor symptoms (VMS). DESIGN: Prospective cohort. SETTING: USA, 1995-2008. SAMPLE: 2356 parous midlife women in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation. METHODS: Lifetime lactation was defined as the duration of breastfeeding across all births in months. We used generalised estimating equations to analyse risk of frequent VMS and Cox regression to analyse duration of frequent VMS in years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Frequent VMS (hot flashes and night sweats) were measured annually for 10 years, defined as occurring ≥6 days in the past 2 weeks. RESULTS: Overall, 57.1% of women reported hot flashes and 43.0% reported night sweats during follow-up. Lifetime lactation was inversely associated with hot flashes plateauing at 12 months of breastfeeding (6 months: adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.85, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.75-0.96; 12 months: AOR 0.78, 95% CI 0.65-0.93) and was inversely associated with night sweats in a downward linear fashion (6 months: AOR 0.93, 95% CI 0.81-1.08; 18 months: AOR 0.82, 95% CI 0.67-1.02; 30 months: AOR 0.73, 95% CI 0.56-0.97). Lifetime lactation was associated with shorter duration of hot flashes and night sweats in a quadratic (bell-shaped) fashion. The association was strongest at 12-18 months of breastfeeding and significant for hot flashes (6 months: adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] 1.35, 95% CI 1.11-1.65; 18 months: AHR 1.54, 95% CI 1.16-2.03; 30 months: AHR 1.18, 95% CI 0.83-1.68). CONCLUSIONS: Longer lifetime lactation is associated with decreased risk and duration of frequent VMS.

Age and postoperative opioid use in women undergoing pelvic organ prolapse surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Our objective was to explore the relation between patient age and postoperative opioid use up to 24 hours following pelvic organ prolapse (POP) surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study following 335 women ranging in age from 26 to 82 years who underwent surgery for multi-compartment POP at a tertiary center in Alberta, Canada. Patient characteristics were measured using baseline questionnaires. Perioperative data were collected from medical chart review during and up to 24 hours following surgery. We used logistic regression to analyze the odds of being opioid-free and linear regression to analyze mean differences in opioid dose, measured as total morphine equivalent daily dose, exploring for a potential non-linear effect of age. Adjusted models controlled for preoperative pain, surgical characteristics and patient health factors. RESULTS: Overall, age was positively associated with greater odds of being opioid-free in the first 24 hours after surgery (adjusted odds ratio per increasing year of age = 1.07, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04-1.09, n = 332 women). Among opioid users, age was inversely associated with total opioid dose (adjusted mean difference per increasing year of age = 0.71 mg morphine equivalent daily dose, 95% CI -0.99 to -0.44, n = 204 women). There was no evidence of a non-linear relation between age and postoperative opioid use or dose. CONCLUSIONS: In the context of POP surgery, we found that younger women were more likely to use opioids after surgery and to use a higher dose in the first 24 hours when compared with older women. These findings support physicians to consider age when counseling POP patients regarding pain management after surgery, and to direct resources aimed at opioid-free pain control towards younger patients.

Association of postpartum medication practices with early breastfeeding cessation among mothers with chronic conditions: A prospective cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Use of medications is a common concern for breastfeeding women, particularly when they are strongly needed or unavoidable to manage maternal chronic conditions. Yet the influence of medication usage patterns on breastfeeding duration in mothers with chronic conditions is unclear. The objective of this study was to examine whether postpartum medication practices were associated with shorter breastfeeding duration or earlier than planned breastfeeding cessation among mothers with chronic conditions. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We analyzed 346 mothers with chronic conditions enrolled in a prospective, community-based pregnancy cohort study (Alberta, Canada) who initiated breastfeeding after birth. Data were collected through self-report questionnaires spanning late pregnancy to 6 months postpartum. Based on reported use of preexisting medications while breastfeeding, women were classified as continuing medications (reference group), discontinuing one or more medications, or those who did not use preexisting medications. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to analyze the association of medication practices and overall breastfeeding duration in weeks. Logistic regression was used to analyze the association of medication practices and earlier than planned breastfeeding cessation. Multivariable models adjusted for demographic and health-related factors. RESULTS: Overall, 30.6% of women with chronic conditions stopped breastfeeding in the first 6 months, almost all of whom did so earlier than planned. In multivariable models, medication discontinuation was significantly associated with shorter breastfeeding duration (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-2.70) and earlier than planned breastfeeding cessation (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.85, 95% CI 1.01-3.42), whereas medication non-use was not associated with differences in breastfeeding outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Women with chronic conditions who discontinued preexisting medications while breastfeeding had significantly shorter breastfeeding duration and were less likely to meet their breastfeeding goals in the first 6 months postpartum compared to women who continued preexisting medications.

Breastfeeding difficulties in the first 6 weeks postpartum among mothers with chronic conditions: a latent class analysis.

BACKGROUND: Breastfeeding difficulties frequently exacerbate one another and are common reasons for curtailed breastfeeding. Women with chronic conditions are at high risk of early breastfeeding cessation, yet limited evidence exists on the breastfeeding difficulties that co-occur in these mothers. The objective of this study was to explore clusters of breastfeeding difficulties experienced up to 6 weeks postpartum among mothers with chronic conditions and to examine associations between chronic condition types and breastfeeding difficulty clusters. METHODS: We analyzed 348 mothers with chronic conditions enrolled in a prospective, community-based pregnancy cohort study from Alberta, Canada. Data were collected through self-report questionnaires. We used latent class analysis to identify clusters of early breastfeeding difficulties and multinomial logistic regression to examine whether types of chronic conditions were associated with these clusters, adjusting for maternal and obstetric factors. RESULTS: We identified three clusters of breastfeeding difficulties. The "physiologically expected" cluster (51.1% of women) was characterized by leaking breasts and engorgement (reference outcome group); the "low milk production" cluster (15.4%) was discerned by low milk supply and infant weight concerns; and the "ineffective latch" cluster (33.5%) involved latch problems, sore nipples, and difficulty with positioning. Endocrine (adjusted relative risk ratio [RRR] 2.34, 95% CI 1.10-5.00), cardiovascular (adjusted RRR 2.75, 95% CI 1.01-7.81), and gastrointestinal (adjusted RRR 2.51, 95% CI 1.11-5.69) conditions were associated with the low milk production cluster, and gastrointestinal (adjusted RRR 2.44, 95% CI 1.25-4.77) conditions were additionally associated with the ineffective latch cluster. CONCLUSION: Half of women with chronic conditions experienced clusters of breastfeeding difficulties corresponding either to low milk production or to ineffective latch in the first 6 weeks postpartum. Associations with chronic condition types suggest that connections between lactation physiology and disease pathophysiology should be considered when providing breastfeeding support.

Does Size Matter? Opioid Use after Laparoscopy for Apical Pelvic Organ Prolapse Using an 8 mm versus 10-12 mm Accessory Port.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a change in lateral accessory port (LAP) size from 10-"?>12 mm to 8 mm among women undergoing laparoscopic native tissue pelvic organ prolapse (POP) surgery was effective at reducing opioid use after surgery. DESIGN: Prospective cohort of women taking part in a POP surgical registry. SETTING: Tertiary academic hospital in Calgary, Canada. PATIENTS: Women undergoing laparoscopic uterosacral ligament apical suspensions for stage ≥2 POP with either uterine preservation or concomitant hysterectomy. A total of 92 women were included during a 15-month study period from June 2020 and September 2021. INTERVENTIONS: Laparoscopic apical suspension using either a 10-"?>12 mm or 8 mm LAP, with the change occurring at the midpoint of the study period. Fascial defects from 10-"?>12 mm ports were closed with a fascial closure device. Perioperative care and technique were otherwise unchanged. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Postoperative opioid use was measured by mean morphine equivalent daily dose, accounting for all oral and intravenous opioids used in the first 24 hours after surgery. A total of 50 cases (54.3%) used a 10-12 mm LAP, and 42 cases (45.7%) used an 8 mm LAP. Mean morphine equivalent daily dose after surgery with a 10-12 mm LAP was significantly higher than with an 8 mm LAP (35.3 [95% confidence interval (CI) 24.9-45.6] vs 13.6 [95% CI 8.0-19.2], p <.001). The proportion of women who did not require opioids postoperatively was higher in the 8 mm group (45.2%, n = 19) than the 10-12 mm group (18.0%, n = 9) (crude odds ratio 3.76, 95% CI 1.47-9.66). Similarly, the proportion of women who did not fill an opioid prescription after discharge was higher in the 8 mm group (35.7%, n = 15) than the 10-12 mm group (16.0%, n = 8) (crude odds ratio 2.92, 95% CI 1.09-7.81). These results remained statistically significant after adjustment for age, body mass index, race and ethnicity, length of procedure, and concomitant procedures performed. CONCLUSION: Compared with a 10-12 mm port, the use of an 8 mm LAP during laparoscopic native tissue apical POP surgery is associated with decreased opioid use in the first 24 hours after surgery.

Systematic review of the evidence for resolution of common breastfeeding problems-Ankyloglossia (Tongue Tie).

AIM: Tongue tie is a common problem affecting breastfeeding due to poor infant latch and/or maternal pain. Evidence of whether treatment improves breastfeeding outcomes is conflicting. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the effectiveness of tongue-tie treatment on breastfeeding difficulties. METHODS: We searched peer-reviewed and grey literature in MEDLINE (OVID), PubMed, CINAHL Plus, EMBASE and PsycINFO, from 01/1970 to 09/2019. INCLUSION: randomised and non-randomised clinical trials, and quasi-experimental study designs, involving breastfeeding interventions for full-term singleton infants, using standardised measure of breastfeeding difficulty. EXCLUSION: qualitative and purely observational studies, lacked operational definition of breastfeeding difficulty, lacked control/comparison group. We assessed risk of bias, summarised study quality and results and conducted meta-analysis using random effects modelling. RESULTS: Six studies on tongue-tie division were included (4 randomised and 2 non-randomised). Meta-analysis of standardised mean differences in breastfeeding difficulty scores in four studies showed statistically significant differences in favour of frenotomy (Pooled SMD +2.12, CI:(0.17-4.08)p = 0.03). Similarly, a statistically significant difference in favour of frenotomy was observed for pain (Pooled SMD -1.68, 95% CI: (-2.87- -0.48). CONCLUSION: Results support that infant frenotomy is effective for improving standardised scores on breastfeeding difficulty and maternal pain scales and could improve breastfeeding outcomes.

Cesarean Deliveries Among Immigrant and Canadian-Born Women in a Representative Community Population in Canada: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine differences in the rate of cesarean delivery between Canadian-born women and immigrants to Canada and by duration of time in Canada and rate of cesarean delivery in their country-of-origin. METHODS: We used linked data from hospitalization records and the Canadian Community Health Survey for all deliveries after 20 weeks gestation between 2002 and 2017 in Canada (excluding Québec). Odds of cesarean delivery in recent immigrants (<5 y in Canada) and non-recent immigrants (≥5 y in Canada) were compared with those of Canadian-born women using multivariable logistic regression. Immigrants were further categorized using the cesarean delivery rate in their country-of-origin as low (<10%), medium (≥10 to <35%), or high (≥35%). RESULTS: Of the 53 505 women included, 89% were Canadian-born, 4% were recent immigrants and 7% were non-recent immigrants. Overall, 28.6% of women had a cesarean delivery. After adjusting for medical and socio-economic factors, the odds of cesarean delivery among recent immigrants (OR 1.12; 95% CI 0.95-1.34) and non-recent immigrants (OR 1.11; 95% CI 0.98-1.25) did not differ statistically from those of Canadian-born women. Recent immigrants from countries with lower cesarean delivery rates had higher odds of cesarean delivery (OR 1.34; 95% CI 1.05-1.70), whereas the odds of cesarean for recent immigrants from medium- and high-rate countries did not differ from those of Canadian-born women. CONCLUSION: After accounting for demographic and medical factors, few differences remained in cesarean delivery rates between immigrants and Canadian-born women. Country-of-origin practices are unlikely to reflect preferences for cesarean delivery in immigrant women in Canada.

Pregnancy complications and risk of preterm birth according to maternal age: A population-based study of delivery hospitalizations in Alberta.

INTRODUCTION: Pregnancy-related medical complications are associated with a 2- to 5-fold increased risk of preterm birth (PTB), but the nature of this etiologic relation in context with maternal factors remains poorly understood. Previous studies have generally treated maternal age as a confounder but overlooked its potential as an effect modifier, whereby the magnitude of the effect of complications on PTB could differ significantly across age groups. We investigated whether advanced maternal age (≥35 years) modified the association between pregnancy complications and PTB, and compared population-attributable fractions of PTB from complications in women older vs younger than 35 years. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We analyzed population-based, cross-sectional data from the Alberta Discharge Abstract Database for women aged 18-50 years with singleton live births in hospital between 2014 and 2017 (n = 152 246). Complications were preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and placental disorders identified using diagnostic codes. Outcomes were spontaneous (sPTB) or iatrogenic (iPTB) PTB before 37 weeks of gestation. We estimated risk ratios and risk differences using modified Poisson and log binomial regression, respectively, adjusting for confounders (pregnancy history, comorbidities). Population-attributable fractions estimates were calculated from risk ratios. Age modification was tested using interaction terms and Z-tests. RESULTS: Prevalence of advanced maternal age was 19.2%. Pregnancy complications and s/iPTB were more common among women aged ≥35 years. Age modified the risk of PTB from preeclampsia only, with risk differences of 9.9% (95% CI 7.2%-12.6%) in older women vs 6.1% (95% CI 4.8%-7.4%) in younger women (P-interaction = 0.012) for sPTB, and 29.5% (95% CI 26.0%-33.1%) vs 20.8% (95% CI 18.9%-22.6%, P-interaction <0.001) for iPTB. Population-attributable fractions of s/iPTB types for all complications were consistently 2%-5% larger in women aged ≥35 years, and significantly larger for preeclampsia (sPTB: 5.1% vs 2.7%, P = 0.002; iPTB: 18.8% vs 14.0%, P < 0.001) and placental disorders (sPTB: 12.5% vs 8.7%, P < 0.001; iPTB: 13.2% vs 8.9%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Of the pregnancy complications studied, advanced maternal age only modified the association between PTB and preeclampsia, such that older women with preeclampsia have a higher risk for s/iPTB than younger counterparts. Pregnancy complications contribute to a sizable proportion of PTBs in Alberta, especially among women aged ≥35 years. Findings may inform clinical risk assessment and population-level policy targeting PTB.