Objective: The lack of human data available to inform evidence-based treatment for illness during pregnancy has led to calls for greater inclusion of pregnant women in research, but the extent of their current representation is poorly characterized. Our objective was to measure the current exclusion of pregnant women from industry-sponsored clinical trials as a baseline for future comparison.
Methods: We compiled data from studies enrolling women of childbearing potential posted on www.ClinicalTrials.gov between 1 October 2011 and 31 January 2012. The review was limited to open United States-based phase IV interventional studies sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry evaluating treatment of conditions that may be experienced by but are not limited to pregnant women and did not involve a medication classified as potentially teratogenic. If there was no mention of pregnancy in the inclusion or exclusion criteria, we contacted a study representative to confirm that pregnant women could be enrolled.
Results: Of 558 qualifying industry-sponsored studies, five (1%) were designed specifically for pregnant women. Of 367 phase IV clinical trials with verified inclusion and exclusion criteria, 348 (95%) excluded pregnant women and 19 (5%) did not.
Conclusion: We found the exclusion of pregnant women from industry-sponsored clinical trials to be common practice. Moving beyond reflexive exclusion and developing thoughtful criteria for inclusion of pregnant women in clinical research would likely advance the evidence base to inform treatment decisions during pregnancy and lead to better health outcomes for women and children.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0b013e3182a9ca67 | DOI Listing |
J Echocardiogr
January 2025
Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center, Keimyung University School of Medicine, 1035 Dalgubeol-Daero, Dalseo-Gu, Daegu, 42601, Republic of Korea.
Background: With the growing number of high-risk pregnant women, echocardiography frequently reveals pericardial effusion (PE). However, the clinical implications of PE are unknown.
Method: We analyzed a cohort of 406 high-risk pregnant women who underwent echocardiography in the third trimester between November 2019 and December 2022.
BMC Pregnancy Childbirth
January 2025
Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Reina Sofía Hospital, Tudela, Spain.
Background: There is evidence that exercise may reduce the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and improve other obstetric outcomes in overweight or obese pregnant women. However, the available evidence is of low quality and inconclusive. The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of exercise, compared with usual care, in reducing GDM and other obstetric risks, in overweight and obese pregnant women.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMJ Open
January 2025
Center for Human Nutrition, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Introduction: Optimising the micronutrient status of women before and during reproduction confers benefits to them and their offspring. Antenatal multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS), given as a daily tablet with nutrients at ~1 recommended dietary allowance (RDA) or adequate intake (AI) reduces adverse birth outcomes. However, at this dosage, MMS may not fully address micronutrient deficiencies in settings with chronically inadequate diets and infection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFZ Evid Fortbild Qual Gesundhwes
January 2025
Department Digital Health Sciences and Biomedicine, School of Life Sciences, University of Siegen, Siegen, Germany.
Background: Pregnant women and their families, especially those navigating chronic illness or challenging life situations, often seek information and counseling. The pregnancy period and the transition to parenthood can exacerbate these circumstances, leaving families particularly vulnerable. Addressing stressful situations becomes a hurdle in this context.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Obstet Anesth
December 2024
Department of Anesthesiology, 8700 Beverly Blvd #4209, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90064, United States. Electronic address:
Introduction: Over 90% of pregnant women and 76% expectant fathers search for pregnancy health information. We examined readability, accuracy and quality of answers to common obstetric anesthesia questions from the popular generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots ChatGPT and Bard.
Methods: Twenty questions for generative AI chatbots were derived from frequently asked questions based on professional society, hospital and consumer websites.
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