Preconception hemoglobin A1c concentration in healthy women is not associated with fecundability or pregnancy loss.

Objective: To examine the relationship of preconception hemoglobin A1c, a marker of cumulative exposure to glucose over the preceding 2-3 months, with time to pregnancy, pregnancy loss, and live birth among fecund women without diagnosed diabetes or other medical diseases.

Design: A secondary analysis of a prospective cohort of women participating in the Effects of Aspirin in Gestation and Reproduction (EAGeR) trial.

Setting: Four US academic medical centers.

Length of Fellowship Training in Population Health Research and Long-term Bibliometric Outcomes.

Background: The length of research fellowships, the number of doctorates pursuing them, and the academic job market have changed dramatically in recent years. However, there is limited investigation on attributes of fellowships most relevant to future scientific achievement. We analyzed the association of a modifiable aspect of research training, fellowship length, with future achievement and differences across research discipline in the Division of Intramural Population Health Research (DIPHR), Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health.

Associations Between Preconception Plasma Fatty Acids and Pregnancy Outcomes.

Background: Although fatty acids are involved in critical reproductive processes, the relationship between specific fatty acids and fertility is uncertain. We investigated the relationship between preconception plasma fatty acids and pregnancy outcomes.

Methods: We included 1,228 women attempting pregnancy with one to two previous pregnancy losses from the EAGeR trial (2007-2011).

The role of aspirin and inflammation on reproduction: the EAGeR trial .

Inflammation has been linked to several complications in pregnancy, including pregnancy loss. Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, aspirin, a widely available and inexpensive therapy, has potential to help mitigate the negative effects of inflammation along the reproductive pathway. Therefore, the Effects of Aspirin in Gestation and Reproduction (EAGeR) trial was designed to elucidate whether preconception-initiated daily low-dose aspirin would increase the live birth rate in women with 1-2 prior pregnancy losses and no infertility diagnosis and attempting unassisted conception.

Preconception Plasma Phospholipid Fatty Acids and Fecundability.

Context: Fatty acids (FAs) are important for reproductive processes, including steroidogenesis, though associations with fecundability, as measured by time to pregnancy (TTP), are unclear.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between preconception plasma phospholipid FA (PPFA) levels and time to human chorionic gonadotropin-pregnancy among women with prior pregnancy loss.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Prospective cohort of 1228 women attempting pregnancy (aged 18 to 40 years, with one or two prior pregnancy losses) followed for up to six cycles at four US university medical centers during 2006 to 2012.

Pilot study of placental tissue collection, processing, and measurement procedures for large scale assessment of placental inflammation.

Background: Placental dysfunction is related to many pregnancy complications, but collecting placental specimens for investigation in large scale epidemiologic studies is often infeasible. Standard procedures involving immediate collection after birth and snap freezing are often cost prohibitive. We aimed to collect pilot data regarding the feasibility and precision of a simpler approach, the collection of tissue samples following 24 hours of refrigeration of whole placentae at 4°C, as compared to the "gold standard" of snap freezing excised tissue within 40 minutes of delivery for the assessment of inflammatory cytokines.

A prospective study of physical activity and fecundability in women with a history of pregnancy loss.

Study Question: Is physical activity (PA) associated with fecundability in women with a history of prior pregnancy loss?

Summary Answer: Higher fecundability was related to walking among overweight/obese women and to vigorous PA in women overall.

What Is Known Already: PA may influence fecundability through altered endocrine function. Studies evaluating this association have primarily utilized Internet-based recruitment and self-report for pregnancy assessment and have yielded conflicting results.

Vitamin D is associated with bioavailability of androgens in eumenorrheic women with prior pregnancy loss.

Background: Prior studies have reported mixed results regarding relationships between vitamin D, androgens, and sex hormone-binding globulin in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome. However, less is known regarding these associations in eumenorrheic, premenopausal women.

Objective: Our objective was to study the relationships between serum vitamin D and androgen biomarkers in eumenorrheic women with a history of pregnancy loss who were attempting pregnancy.

Association of testosterone and antimüllerian hormone with time to pregnancy and pregnancy loss in fecund women attempting pregnancy.

Objective: To examine whether higher T and/or antimüllerian hormone (AMH) was associated with anovulation, time to pregnancy (TTP), or pregnancy loss risk among healthy, fecund women without diagnosed polycystic ovary syndrome.

Design: Prospective cohort study conducted as a secondary analysis from the Effects of Aspirin in Gestation and Reproduction randomized trial.

Setting: University medical centers.