Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in OBGYN & Women's Health for September 2008. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
News Media Under-Report Drug Company Funding of Research
TUESDAY, Sept. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Reports on medication research published in general news media often fail to disclose that the research received pharmaceutical company funding and frequently refer to drugs by brand name rather than using the generic name, according to an article published in the Oct. 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Excess Prenatal Testosterone Negatively Impacts Males
TUESDAY, Sept. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Excess testosterone exposure during pregnancy reduces the reproductive health of male offspring in sheep, according to a report first released online July 31, in advance of publication in an upcoming issue of Endocrinology.
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Model Can Predict Survival in Breast Cancer Patients
MONDAY, Sept. 29 (HealthDay News) -- A model based on tumor characteristics after endocrine therapy can predict survival in women with breast cancer and help individualize treatment, according to a report published in the Oct. 1 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Incontinence Frequency High Among Female Athletes
MONDAY, Sept. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Urinary stress incontinence is common among menstruating, recreational athletes and may lead to discontinuation or alteration of an enjoyed activity, according to the results of a study published online Sept. 26 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
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Flu Vaccination Rises in Adults But Still Low in Children
MONDAY, Sept. 29 (HealthDay News) -- During the 2006-2007 flu season, influenza vaccination coverage increased among adults, but only one in five children aged 6 months to 23 months were fully vaccinated, according to two reports from researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published in the Sept. 26 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Early Dietary Fish Introduction May Decrease Eczema Risk
MONDAY, Sept. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Introducing fish to an infant's diet before 9 months of age reduces risk of eczema, while breast-feeding does not, according to a report published online Sept. 25 in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.
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Exercise Helps with Smoking Cessation in Pregnancy
MONDAY, Sept. 29 (HealthDay News) -- A physical activity intervention to help pregnant women stop smoking appears to be feasible and beneficial, according to study results published in the Sept. 23 issue of BMC Public Health.
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Britain's Breast-Feeding Promotion Efforts Are Failing
FRIDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- The U.K. health care system is failing to encourage women to breast-feed, and a national breast-feeding promotion strategy is urgently required if breast-feeding rates are to improve, according to an editorial published online Sept. 25 in BMJ.
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Breast Cancer Incidence Increasing in China
FRIDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- China is on the verge of a breast cancer epidemic, with 2.5 million postmenopausal cases anticipated by the year 2021, according to the results of a study published in the Oct. 1 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Glucose Watch in Pregnancy Cuts Risk of Complications
FRIDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Diabetic women whose blood sugar is continuously monitored during pregnancy are more likely to have better glycemic control in the third trimester, and their babies have a lower birth weight and reduced risk of macrosomia, according to research published Sept. 25 in BMJ Online First.
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Community-Based Education Can Halve Neonatal Mortality
FRIDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- A community-based behavior modification program was able to reduce neonatal mortality by more than half in a rural setting in India, researchers report in the Sept. 27 issue of The Lancet.
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Hypnosis May Relieve Hot Flashes in Breast Cancer Survivors
THURSDAY, Sept. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Hypnosis may be beneficial in reducing hot flashes in breast cancer survivors, according to research published online Sept. 22 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Race May Affect Labor Induction Rates
THURSDAY, Sept. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Maternal race is associated with induction of labor, with rates increasing disproportionately among non-African American women, according to the results of a study published in the September issue of Medical Care.
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Abortion Rate in America at 30-Year Low
THURSDAY, Sept. 25 (HealthDay News) -- The rate of women in America seeking abortion hit a 30-year low in 2004, but this trend masks disparities in abortion rates across various demographic groups, according to a report published in August by the Guttmacher Institute.
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Benefits and Risks Affect Cervical Cancer Screening
THURSDAY, Sept. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Among women who regularly screen for cervical cancer, lifetime risk is similar among differing screening approaches, but differences in referral for invasive work-up are significant, researchers report in the Sept. 22 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Bisphosphonate Infusion Linked to Ocular Complication
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Physicians should be aware that bisphosphonate infusions can result in a serious but rare complication: orbital inflammatory disease, according to a case study published in the Sept. 25 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Hormone Therapy May Reduce Breast Cancer Risk
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Among postmenopausal women who carry the BRCA1 mutation, hormone therapy is not associated with an increased risk of breast cancer and may be associated with a reduced risk, according to a report published online Sept. 23 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Parents Make Decisions Based on Hope, Not Science
MONDAY, Sept. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Parents of babies who die as a result of extreme prematurity or potentially lethal congenital abnormalities report that religion, spirituality and hope guided their decisions about resuscitation rather than the physician's predictions about morbidity and death, according to an article published in the September issue of Pediatrics.
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No Change to 2009 Part B Medicare Premium
MONDAY, Sept. 22 (HealthDay News) -- There will be no change to the Part B Standard Medicare premium in 2009 compared with 2008. This is the first time since 2000 that the premium has not risen over the prior year, according to an announcement by the Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
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Call for Expansion of Congenital Disorders Screening
FRIDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Screening all newborns for a panel of 29 disorders recommended by the American College of Medical Genetics would help detect significantly more children with rare disorders, according to a report published in the Sept. 19 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Physician's Office Hours Affect Time to Stroke Treatment
FRIDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- People who experience a transient ischemic attack or a minor stroke outside their primary physician's office hours wait longer before seeking treatment than those who have a stroke during general practice opening hours, according to a report published online Sept. 18 in BMJ.
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Cranberry Juice May Prevent Urinary Symptoms in Pregnancy
FRIDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Cranberry juice may protect against asymptomatic bacteriuria and symptomatic urinary tract infections in pregnant women, although more research is needed to confirm the findings, according to a report in the October issue of the Journal of Urology.
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Antibiotic Resistance Has Become a Global Pandemic
FRIDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- A concerted international and national response, behavior change by consumers and providers, and the development of antibacterial agents are all urgently needed to tackle the global problem of rapidly increasing antibiotic resistance, according to an article published online Sept. 18 in BMJ.
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Timing of C-Section Perioperative Antibiotics Compared
THURSDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Preoperative antibiotics significantly reduce postpartum endometritis compared to antibiotics given at cord clamping, but do not affect neonatal outcomes, according to research published in the September issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Antibiotics Questioned in Spontaneous Preterm Labor
THURSDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Women who go into spontaneous preterm labor without ruptured membranes and no obvious signs of infection should not receive antibiotics because it may increase their children's subsequent risk of functional impairments and cerebral palsy, according to a study published online Sept. 18 in The Lancet.
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Medical Home Concept Needs Wide Support to Succeed
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- The 'medical home' model, whereby patients can enjoy coordinated primary care within a patient-centered practice model, must overcome several obstacles in order to succeed, according to an article published in the Sept. 18 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Healthy Middle-Age Lifestyle Halves Women's Risk of Death
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Middle-aged women who avoid smoking, maintain a healthy body weight, get regular exercise and eat a diet low in red meat and trans-fats can reduce their risk of premature death by more than half, according to study findings published online Sept. 16 in BMJ.
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Maternal Vaccine Reduces Influenza in Infants
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- The use of influenza vaccine in pregnant women can decrease the risk of influenza in their infants up to six months of age and offer protection against febrile respiratory illness in both mothers and infants, according to research published online Sept. 17 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Absent Nasal Bone Helps Predict Down Syndrome
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- While absent nasal bone and increased nuchal folds are both markers for Down syndrome, nasal bone hypoplasia is a more efficient test, according to a report in the September issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Pelvic Floor Disorders Common Among US Women
TUESDAY, Sept. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Pelvic floor disorders such as urinary and fecal incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse affect nearly 25 percent of U.S. women, and are even more prevalent in older and obese women, according to a report published in the Sept. 17 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Bleeding Profile with Contraceptive Ring Use Is Acceptable
TUESDAY, Sept. 16 (HealthDay News) -- In most women who use a transvaginal contraceptive ring, continuous use is associated with an acceptable bleeding profile, reductions in flow and pelvic pain, and a high continuation rate, according to study findings published in the Sept. 1 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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New Osteoporosis Clinical Practice Guideline Released
TUESDAY, Sept. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Among all patients with osteoporosis or a history of fragility fractures, pharmacologic treatment should be offered to reduce fracture risk, according to a new Clinical Practice Guideline published in the Sept. 16 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Estradiol Boosts Collagen Production in Aged Skin
MONDAY, Sept. 15 (HealthDay News) -- In older patients, topical estradiol application appears to stimulate collagen production in sun-protected skin but not in sun-damaged skin, researchers report in the September issue of the Archives of Dermatology.
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Hysterectomy Incidence Declines in California
FRIDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Since 1991, the incidence of hysterectomy for benign gynecologic conditions has dramatically declined in California, according to a report published in the September issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Models for BRCA1/2 Mutation Prediction Miss Mark in Asians
FRIDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Two common prediction models for BRCA1/2 mutations -- BRCAPRO and Myriad II -- underestimated the number of mutation carriers in a sample of Asian Americans, compared to their accurate prediction of mutation carriers in whites, according to research published online Sept. 8 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Maternal Factors Linked to Likelihood of Spanking
FRIDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Mothers with depression or exposure to partner violence are more likely to spank their children, according to research published online Sept. 11 in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.
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Topical Gabapentin Effective in Vulvodynia
FRIDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- In women with vulvodynia, treatment with topical gabapentin may lead to significant pain relief, according to study findings published in the September issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Community Participation Key to Maternal and Child Health
FRIDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Community participation is vital for the successful delivery of maternal, newborn and child health, according to three articles published in the Sept. 13 issue of The Lancet, which has a special focus on the legacy of the 1978 International Conference on Primary Health Care in Alma-Ata.
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Chronic Disease Is Heavy Burden in Developing World
FRIDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Although many countries have made significant progress in reducing mortality, the burden of chronic and non-communicable disease remains heavy and requires integrated strategies to tackle it, according to three papers published in the Sept. 13 issue of The Lancet, which has a special focus on the legacy of the 1978 International Conference on Primary Health Care in Alma-Ata.
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Primary Care Offers Lifeline to Global Health
FRIDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Achieving the Millennium Development Goals requires a renewed commitment to primary health care, while training health care workers and developing meaningful measures of progress are of key importance, according to three papers published in the Sept. 13 issue of The Lancet, which has a special focus on the legacy of the 1978 International Conference on Primary Health Care in Alma-Ata.
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Clinical Breast Exams in India Offer Cost-Effective Benefits
THURSDAY, Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) -- The potential cost-effectiveness of clinical breast examination screening for cancer in India appears at least comparable to the cost-effectiveness of mammography in developed countries, but still may be challenging to implement, researchers report in the Sept. 17 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Drugs Block Bone Loss But Not Bone Formation
THURSDAY, Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) -- A new class of compounds blocks bone loss without affecting parathyroid hormone-induced bone formation, unlike the bisphosphonate class of drugs used to treat osteoporosis, according to a report published online Sept. 4 in Endocrinology.
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Test Improves Sensitivity of Cervical Cancer Detection
THURSDAY, Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Overexpression of a protein associated with viral infection and cell growth in women positive for human papillomavirus (HPV) can improve the sensitivity of cervical cancer detection compared with conventional cytology, according to the results of a study published online Sept. 9 in The Lancet Oncology.
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Postmenopausal Hormone Use Raises Risk of Reflux
TUESDAY, Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Postmenopausal women who take estrogens, selective estrogen receptor modulators or over-the-counter hormone preparations are more likely to have symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux, according to the results of a study published in the Sept. 8 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Calcium Supplement Effects Studied in Older Women
MONDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Supplementation with calcium and vitamin D doesn't appear to protect older women from declines in physical functioning, according to research published in the September issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
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Stress Incontinence Paper Retracted by The Lancet
FRIDAY, Sept. 5 (HealthDay News) -- An article on stress urinary incontinence published in The Lancet in June 2007 has been retracted by the journal due to a report by the Austrian Government's Agency for Health and Food Safety, which pinpointed many irregularities in the research.
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Twin Study Highlights Breast Cancer Risk Over Time
FRIDAY, Sept. 5 (HealthDay News) -- In the twin of a sister with breast cancer, risk of disease is not affected by time since the occurrence, researchers report in the Sept. 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Patterns of Non-Family Infant Abductions Are Changing
FRIDAY, Sept. 5 (HealthDay News) -- The profile of non-family infant abductions is changing, with fewer babies being taken from hospitals and more from homes and public places, according to a report published in the September issue of the American Journal of Nursing.
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Prenatal Cigarette Smoke Leads to Breathing Difficulties
THURSDAY, Sept. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Preterm infants born to smoking mothers, which increases their risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), have defects in oxygen saturation and recovery after breathing pauses during hypoxia, according to study findings published in the Sept. 1 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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Endometrial Cancer Risk Declines with Raloxifene Use
THURSDAY, Sept. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Raloxifene significantly lowers the odds of developing endometrial cancer and is associated with a more favorable histologic type in patients who do develop cancer, according to an article published in the Sept. 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Anastrozole Does Not Impair Cognitive Performance
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Postmenopausal women at high risk for breast cancer given anastrozole as a chemopreventive do not suffer cognitive performance impairment, according to study findings published online Sept. 2 in The Lancet Oncology.
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ACOG: Clinicians Must Address Non-Coital Sex Risks
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Because non-coital sex including mutual masturbation, oral sex and anal sex can increase the high risk of sexually transmitted diseases, it is important that clinicians ask direct questions about their patients' non-coital sexual activity and provide risk reduction counseling, according to an American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Committee Opinion published in the September issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Linked to Anaphylaxis Risk
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 3 (HealthDay News) -- While the risk of anaphylaxis was higher in a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program compared to a similar program for meningococcal vaccination, HPV vaccination is remarkably safe, according to an article published online Sept. 1 in CMAJ, the Canadian Medical Journal.
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Three Questions Can Screen for Postnatal Depression
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Postpartum depression can be reliably diagnosed using just three questions in a primary care setting, according to the results of a study published online Sept. 1 in Pediatrics.
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American Hospitals Sending New Mothers Mixed Messages
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Most hospitals in eastern U.S. states give samples of baby formula to new mothers when they are discharged, according to a report published in the September issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
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ACOG: Bone Loss Fears Should Not Limit Contraceptive Use
TUESDAY, Sept. 2 (HealthDay News) -- A possible adverse effect of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) contraceptive injections -- bone mineral density loss -- should not prevent clinicians from either prescribing DMPA to appropriate patients or limiting its use to two consecutive years, according to an American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Committee Opinion published in the September issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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