Is questionnaire-based alcohol counseling more effective for pregnant women than standard maternity care?

Objective: To compare current standard maternity care in Sweden concerning provision of alcohol advice with a more comprehensive questionnaire-based counseling model.

Methods: The study population included pregnant women in Linköping who were registered at a maternity care center during a 2-year period and whose pregnancies resulted in liveborn infants without birth defects, representing 93% of all pregnant women. Anonymous questionnaires were mailed to the women.

Weight gain restriction during pregnancy is safe for both the mother and neonate.

The objective of this study was to investigate whether pregnancy, delivery, and neonatal outcome among obese pregnant women who took part in an intervention study for weight restriction differed from a group of obese pregnant women attending regular antenatal care. The intervention group consisted of 155 obese pregnant women and 193 obese pregnant women who formed a control group. We found that a weight gain restriction of less than 7 kg during pregnancy is safe for both the mother and the neonate.

Non-elective caesarean delivery due to ineffective uterine contractility or due to obstructed labour in relation to maternal body mass index.

Objective: To assess whether non-elective caesarean section due to obstructed labour and/or ineffective uterine contractility was associated with maternal body mass index (BMI).

Study Design: The prospective dataset from the Swedish Medical Birth Registry consisted of 233,887 nulliparous women with a spontaneous onset of labour categorized in six classes of pre-pregnancy BMI, who delivered in Sweden between, January 1, 1999 and December 31, 2005. The mode of delivery was classified as either vaginal or by caesarean section.

Alcohol use before and during pregnancy and factors influencing change among Swedish women.

Objective: To investigate alcohol intake during pregnancy among women, to assess health cares providers' advice to the women and the relative importance of different factors on changes in the women's drinking.

Design: Questionnaire study.

Setting: Linkoping, Sweden.

Hyperemesis gravidarum that requires hospitalization and the use of antiemetic drugs in relation to maternal body composition.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess whether maternal prepregnancy body mass index was associated with the use of antiemetic drugs in early pregnancy and/or with the occurrence of hyperemesis gravidarum.

Study Design: A retrospective, population-based, cohort study. Women who delivered singleton infants (n = 749,435) from 1995-2003 were evaluated concerning the use of antiemetic drugs in early pregnancy (data available from 1995).

Optimal gestational weight gain for body mass index categories.

Objective: To establish optimal gestational weight gain for each maternal body mass index (BMI) category based on significant risk estimates of adverse maternal and fetal outcome.

Methods: The study population consisted of 298,648 singleton pregnancies delivered in Sweden between January 1, 1994, and December 31, 2004. The number of individuals in each weight gain class was compared with the number of individuals in all other weight gain classes in the same BMI group with regard to adverse maternal and fetal outcome.

Consumer satisfaction with a weight-gain intervention programme for obese pregnant women.

Objective: to investigate women's attitudes and satisfaction with a weight-gain intervention programme during pregnancy.

Design: exploratory, descriptive study. Data were collected via interviews.

Detection of fetal structural abnormalities by an 11-14-week ultrasound dating scan in an unselected Swedish population.

Background: To determine the detection rate of fetal structural abnormalities by a routine 11-14-week ultrasound scan for dating in an unselected pregnant population.

Methods: A prospective observational cohort study of 2,708 unselected pregnant women attending an abdominal ultrasound examination at 11-14 weeks gestation. The number of major fetal structural abnormalities diagnosed after birth was obtained from a computerized database at the same unit.

Obstetric outcome of 6346 pregnancies with infants affected by congenital heart defects.

Objective: To evaluate whether pregnancies with infants affected by congenital heart defects are associated with adverse obstetric and perinatal outcome.

Study Design: In a prospective population-based cohort study from Sweden (1992-2001), 6346 singleton pregnancies with infants affected by congenital heart defects were, after suitable adjustments, compared to all delivered women.

Results: The prevalence of cardiovascular defects was 9.

Maternal obesity and the risk for orofacial clefts in the offspring.

Objective: To estimate whether obese women have an increased risk of orofacial clefts in their offspring, compared with average-weight women.

Design And Participants: The study was based on information on maternal body mass index (BMI) collected in early pregnancy and on the existence of orofacial clefts in the offspring, ascertained from multiple sources. The study included 1686 women who had infants with an orofacial cleft and as controls all delivered women (n = 988,171) during the study period, 1992 through 2001.

Maternal morbid obesity and the risk of adverse pregnancy outcome.

Objective: To evaluate whether morbidly obese women have an increased risk of pregnancy complications and adverse perinatal outcomes.

Methods: In a prospective population-based cohort study, 3,480 women with morbid obesity, defined as a body mass index (BMI) more than 40, and 12,698 women with a BMI between 35.1 and 40 were compared with normal-weight women (BMI 19.

Maternal obesity and infant heart defects.

Objective: This study determined whether obese women have an increased risk of cardiovascular defects in their offspring compared with average weight women.

Research Methods And Procedures: In a case-control study, prospectively collected information was obtained from Swedish medical health registers. The study included 6,801 women who had infants with a cardiovascular defect and, as controls, all delivered women (N = 812,457) during the study period (1992 to 2001).

Chlorination byproducts and nitrate in drinking water and risk for congenital cardiac defects.

Drinking water disinfection byproducts have been associated with an increased risk for congenital defects including cardiac defects. Using Swedish health registers linked to information on municipal drinking water composition, individual data on drinking water characteristics were obtained for 58,669 women. Among the infants born, 753 had a cardiac defect.

Risk factors for cardiovascular malformation--a study based on prospectively collected data.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for cardiovascular malformation.

Methods: In a case-referent study prospectively collected data were obtained from original medical records. The study included 277 woman who had infants with a severe cardiac defect, and for each case two referents (medical records study) were included.