Intrapartum cardiotocography -- the dilemma of interpretational variation.

Objective: To evaluate and compare interobserver variation in interpretation of intrapartum cardiotocograms.

Subjects: Fifteen senior (experience >4 years) and 16 junior (experience < or =4 years) obstetricians from 10 delivery units.

Design: Thirty-one obstetricians interpreted intrapartum cardiotocographic (CTG) readings from 22 parturients.

Feminine life-course of Estonian women born in 1937-47: a questionnaire survey.

Background: This study describes reproductive health, use of contraception, age at menopause, the prevalence of climacteric complaints, and hormone replacement therapy among Estonian women born in 1937-47.

Methods: A sample of 800 Estonian women born in 1937-47 was composed at random from the Estonian population registry in 1997. A postal questionnaire was sent to all participants.

A double blind, randomized trial on augmentation of labour with a combination of intravenous propranolol and oxytocin versus oxytocin only.

Objective: To compare the combination of intravenous propranolol and oxytocin with oxytocin only in augmentation of labour.

Study Design: A prospective randomized double-blind study in an obstetric department of a large university hospital in Finland. A total of 107 parturients with arrested first stage of labour owing to inadequate uterine contractility were randomized to receive intravenously once or twice a 2 mg dose of propranolol or placebo combined with oxytocin infusion.

Good perinatal outcome in selective vaginal breech delivery at term.

Background And Aim: To compare perinatal outcome in groups of planned vaginal breech delivery, elective cesarean section with the fetus in breech presentation, and planned vaginal delivery with the fetus in cephalic presentation in a university hospital with a tradition of managing breech deliveries by the vaginal route.

Methods: A cohort study from a 7-year period 1995-2002, including 590 planned vaginal deliveries with a term (> 37 weeks) singleton fetus in breech presentation, 396 elective cesarean sections with a term singleton fetus in breech presentation, and 590 control women intending vaginal delivery with a singleton term fetus in cephalic presentation.

Results: The Apgar scores were lower in the group of planned vaginal breech delivery, but in other outcome measures there were no significant intergroup differences.

Effects of ospemifene and raloxifene on hormonal status, lipids, genital tract, and tolerability in postmenopausal women.

Objective: To compare ospemifene and raloxifene regarding their effects on hormones, lipids, genital tract, and tolerability in postmenopausal women.

Design: A randomized, double-blind study in which 118 healthy postmenopausal women received 30 (n = 29), 60 (n = 30), or 90 mg (n = 30) of ospemifene or 60 mg (n = 29) of raloxifene for 3 months.

Results: There were no significant differences in the baseline characteristics between study groups.