A comparison between the pregnancy outcome of women with gestation diabetes treated with glibenclamide and those treated with insulin.

The pregnancy outcome of 33 women with gestational diabetes who were treated with glibenclamide and changed to insulin if glibenclamide failed, were compared with the pregnancy outcome of 21 women with gestational diabetes treated conventionally with insulin. The pregnancy outcome, with regard to the overall glycaemic control, rates of preterm labour, neonatal hypoglycaemia, fetal macrosomia, perinatal morbidity and mortality, were not statistically different between the two treatment groups. The limited number of women studied, and the non-random allocation of these women to each treatment group however, could have influenced these results.

Effect of oral gamolenic acid from evening primrose oil on menopausal flushing.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of gamolenic acid provided by evening primrose oil in treating hot flushes and sweating associated with the menopause.

Design: Randomised, double blind, placebo controlled study.

Setting: District general hospital and teaching hospital.

Oral contraceptives: an epidemiological perspective.

Oral contraceptives (OCs) containing a fixed dose of estrogen and progestogen in a 21-day regimen initially were approved for unrestricted use in the 1960s in the United States. OCs have been used and studied extensively for more than 30 years. They have always been seen as providing excellent efficacy.

Patient-recorded domiciliary fetal monitoring.

Domiciliary fetal monitoring via a telephone link has been in clinical use at the Royal Free Hospital for 2 years, during which time 858 traces of 134 patients who were moderately at risk have been transmitted to the hospital. All recognized abnormal heart rate patterns were detected during the study period. In seven patients obstetric intervention took place on the basis of the domiciliary fetal monitoring recording and subsequent hospital monitoring.