Acupuncture before planned admission for induction of labor (ACUPUNT study): a randomized controlled trial.

Background: The increase in the use of induction of labor is a worldwide phenomenon in the current management of labor and delivery in Western societies, with approximately one out of every 4 pregnancies undergoing this procedure This has led women to seek various methods for stimulation of the onset of labor. Some data suggest that the use of acupuncture for favoring spontaneous labor onset could reduce the number of inductions of labor procedures. However, good quality evidence in this respect is not yet available.

The role of acupuncture in the present approach to labor induction: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the bibliographic references available on the contribution of acupuncture as a strategy to avoid labor induction and the methodology used; and explore the characteristics of the population and the results of the intervention in order to direct the design of future studies.

Data Source: A systematic search for publications between January 2000 and September 2023 of the CENTRAL, PubMed, CINAHL, SCOPUS, ClinicalTrials.gov, and EUDRACT databases was performed.

Determination of the steroid profile in alternative matrices by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

The simultaneous determination of a broad panel of steroids provides more accurate information about the hormonal status than the detection of a single hormone. For that reason, the determination of the steroid profile, i.e.

New care challenges: detection of anxiety in pregnant women at risk.

Pregnancy is considered a period of well-being and happiness in a woman's life. However, these expectations are occasionally disrupted by maternal and/or foetal problems, and situations of vulnerability develop. The evidence suggests that pregnancy-related anxiety is strongly associated with adverse maternal and child outcomes such as pospartum depression, premature birth, low birth weight, and health and mental development problems in childhood.

A Program Aimed at Reducing Anxiety in Pregnant Women Diagnosed With a Small-for-Gestational-Age Fetus: Evaluative Findings From a Spanish Study.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of anxiety-reducing techniques including music therapy, sophrology, and creative visualization in pregnant women with a fetus diagnosed as small for gestational age and improved fetal and neonatal weight. This was a quasi-experimental study with a nonrandomized clinical trial design. We compared 2 groups of pregnant women with a fetus diagnosed as small for gestational age with no abnormalities on Doppler studies.