Increased Survival Concomitant with Unchanged Morbidity and Cognitive Disability among Infants Born at the Limit of Viability before 24 Gestational Weeks in 2009-2019.

Introduction: The aim was to determine risk factors among mothers and outcomes for their children born at the limit of viability in 2009-2019, before and after the introduction of extended interventionist guidelines.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study of births at 22 + 0-23 + 6 gestational weeks in a Swedish Region in 2009-2015 (n = 119), as compared to 2016-2019 (n = 86) after the introduction of new national interventionist guidelines. Infant mortality, morbidity, and cognitive functions at 2 years corrected age according to the Bayley-III Screening Test were monitored.

Continuous Support Promotes Obstetric Labor Progress and Vaginal Delivery in Primiparous Women - A Randomized Controlled Study.

Obstetric labor and childbirth are mostly regarded as a physiological process, whereas social, cultural, psychological and transcendental aspects have received less attention. Labor support has been suggested to promote labor progress. The aim of this study was to investigate whether continuous labor support by a midwife promotes labor progress and vaginal delivery.

Duration of labor, delivery mode and maternal and neonatal morbidity after remifentanil patient-controlled analgesia compared with epidural analgesia.

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare duration of active labor, delivery mode, maternal and neonatal morbidity and women's satisfaction with delivery after intravenous remifentanil patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) or standard epidural analgesia (EDA). Based on clinical observations, we hypothesized that women with PCA would have shorter labor.

Study Design: An observational study at a university hospital in Sweden 2009-16.

Oral versus vaginal prostaglandin for labor induction.

Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of oral prostaglandin (PG) in solution versus vaginal PG gel for labor induction.

Design: A retrospective study.

Methods: Data from original obstetric records at a university hospital in Sweden 2012-2013.

Circulating maternal cortisol levels during vaginal delivery and elective cesarean section.

Introduction: Maternal S-cortisol levels increase throughout pregnancy and peak in the third trimester. Even higher levels are seen during the physical stress of delivery. Since analgesia for women in labor has improved, it is possible that maternal stress during labor is reduced.

Changed indications for cesarean sections.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the indications for cesarean sections in the early 1990s as compared to the middle 2000s.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Methods: Data were collected from original obstetrical records in a tertiary hospital in 1992 and 2005.

Plasma membrane receptor mediated MAPK signaling pathways are activated in human uterine cervix at parturition.

Background: Cervical ripening resembles an inflammatory reaction. Estrogens induce leukocyte migration into tissue and factors promoting cervical remodeling and labor, although the mechanisms are only partially known. The aim of this study was to investigate whether plasma membrane receptor mediated pathways, known to be activated by estrogens and proinflammatory compounds, are involved in cervical ripening before labor.

Endocrine regulation of cervical ripening in humans--potential roles for gonadal steroids and insulin-like growth factor-I.

Cervical softening is crucial for a normal parturition and corresponds to remodeling of the dominating cervical extra cellular matrix (ECM). The onset of labor as well as cervical ripening is under hormonal control. To get further information about the endocrine regulation of term cervical ripening the following study was undertaken: cervical biopsies were obtained vaginally at elective caesareans, after normal vaginal delivery and after PGE2 or antiprogestin RU486.