Low primary cesarean rate and high VBAC rate with good outcomes in an Amish birthing center.

Purpose: Recent national guidelines encourage a trial of labor after cesarean (TOLAC) as a means of increasing vaginal births after cesarean (VBACs) and decreasing the high US cesarean birth rate and its consequences (2010 National Institute of Health Consensus Statement and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists revised guideline). A birthing center serving Amish women in Southwestern Wisconsin offered an opportunity to look at the effects of local culture and practices that support vaginal birth and TOLAC. This study describes childbirth and perinatal outcomes during a 17-year period in LaFarge, Wisconsin.

Culturally specific maternity care in Wisconsin.

There are significant health disparities in maternity care in the United States. One way to decrease these disparities may be to improve prenatal care among underserved minority women. This article reviews cultural and ethnic issues that may impact maternity care within 5 different groups of women commonly seen by maternity care providers in Wisconsin: African American, Latina, Hmong, Amish, and immigrant women.

Pediatric folk beliefs of inner-city black Chicagoans.

Objectives: To estimate the familiarity of black inner-city Chicagoans with pediatric folk beliefs identified by key informants.

Study Design: Five black staff members at an inner-city clinic identified 10 African American folk beliefs regarding pediatric care. A survey of 606 African American patients in Chicago assessed familiarity with these beliefs, and with medical recommendations regarding immunization and sleep position.

Pancreatitis in pregnancy.

Objective: To estimate the incidence, cause, and complications of pancreatitis in pregnancy and to identify factors associated with adverse outcomes.

Methods: This study was a chart review of all pregnant patients diagnosed with pancreatitis from 1992-2001 at 15 participating hospitals. Information was collected on presentation, management, and outcome, along with the number of deliveries at each hospital.

Practical considerations of using topical honey for neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers: a review.

Context: It is increasingly important to identify and use low-cost effective dressings for treating diabetic foot ulcers as medical costs and rates of diabetes continue to rise. Honey is an inexpensive moist dressing with antibacterial and tissue-healing properties that has shown promise in the medical literature. Many clinicians are unfamiliar with its use, but patients with diabetic foot ulcers may wish to try honey therapy or discuss it with their physicians.