Does a large infant head or a short perineal body increase the risk of obstetrical perineal trauma?

Background: Perineal trauma after vaginal delivery can have significant long-term consequences. It is unknown if a larger infant head circumference or smaller maternal perineal anatomy are risk factors for perineal trauma after vaginal delivery.

Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study of low-risk nulliparous women.

Promotion rates for assistant and associate professors in obstetrics and gynecology.

Objective: To estimate promotion rates of physician faculty members in obstetrics and gynecology during the past 30 years

Methods: Data were collected annually by the Association of American Medical Colleges from every school between 1980 and 2009 for first-time assistant and associate professors to determine whether and when they were promoted. Data for full-time physician faculty were aggregated by decade (1980-1989, 1990-1999, 2000-2009). Faculty were included if they remained in academia for 10 years after beginning in rank.

Retention of entry-level faculty members in obstetrics and gynecology.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine retention rates of entry-level physician faculty members in obstetrics and gynecology.

Study Design: Ongoing data were collected by the Association of American Medical Colleges between 1981 and 2009 for full-time, entry-level assistant professors to determine whether they remained at their original departments, switched to another school, or left academia. Retention curves and 5- and 10-year retention rates at their original department and for academia were determined.

Trends in salaries of obstetrics-gynecology faculty, 2000-01 to 2008-09.

Objective: We sought to determine whether downward trends in inflation-adjusted salaries (1989-99) continued for obstetrics and gynecology faculty.

Study Design: Data were gathered from the Faculty Salary Survey from the Association of American Medical Colleges for academic years 2001 through 2009. We compared median physician salaries adjusted for inflation according to rank and specialty.

Medical students' awareness of traditional Southwest Native American values during pregnancy: a randomized, controlled trial.

Objective: To determine if medical students' attendance at specialized prenatal clinics for Southwest Native American women would impact their awareness of and comfort in discussing traditional and unique values during pregnancy.

Study Design: In this unblinded, randomized trial, all 154 third-year students rotating consecutively on our obstetrics-gynecology clerkship consented to enrolling in this study. Participants were randomly assigned either to attend a high-risk prenatal clinic (rural or urban locations) for Native American women or to not attend (control group).

Postpartum perineal pain in a low episiotomy setting: association with severity of genital trauma, labor care, and birth variables.

Background: Perineal pain is common after childbirth. We studied the effect of genital tract trauma, labor care, and birth variables on the incidence of pain in a population of healthy women exposed to low rates of episiotomy and operative vaginal delivery.

Methods: A prospective study of genital trauma at birth and assessment of postpartum perineal pain and analgesic use was conducted in 565 midwifery patients.

Minimum cord length that allows spontaneous vaginal delivery.

Objective: To determine the shortest umbilical cord length that will permit spontaneous vaginal delivery.

Methods: This prospective, observational study included 166 randomly chosen women with no apparent antepartum complications who delivered spontaneously at or beyond 37 weeks. The cord was clamped at the maternal introitus immediately after delivery.