Great saves or near misses? Severe maternal outcome in Metro East, South Africa: A region-wide population-based case-control study.

Objective: To assess the incidence of severe maternal outcome (SMO), comprising maternal mortality (MM) and maternal near miss (MNM), in Metro East health district, Western Cape Province, South Africa between November 2014 and November 2015 and to identify associated determinants leading to SMO with the aim to improve maternity care.

Methods: Region-wide population-based case-control study. Women were included in the study, if they were maternal deaths or met MNM criteria, both as defined by WHO.

The intrauterine device versus oral hormonal methods as emergency contraceptives: A systematic review of recent comparative studies.

Oral emergency contraceptives do not appear to be as effective as the copper IUD as an emergency contraceptive. There is as yet no estimation of the relative efficacy rates rather than the failure rates. The references for this study were obtained by entering the terms "intrauterine device" "and "emergency contraception" in Medline, PubMed, Popline, Global Health and ClinicalTrials.

Inherited and acquired thrombophilias and poor pregnancy outcome: should we be treating with heparin?

Purpose Of Review: The most important acquired thrombophilia related to poor pregnancy outcome is probably antiphospholipid syndrome. Inherited thrombophilias that have been implicated in venous thromboembolism and poor pregnancy outcome and for which standard tests are generally available are antithrombin III deficiency, the factor V Leiden mutation, prothrombin G20210A mutation and the C677T polymorphism in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase system implicated in mild hyperhomocysteinaemia. The management of antiphospholipid syndrome with previous fetal losses is well documented and substantiated by small clinical trials.