Relationship between pre-pregnancy body-mass-index and gestational age-specific risk of stillbirth and perinatal death in women with chronic hypertension.

Background: Obesity is a risk factor for stillbirth and perinatal death and is often accompanied by chronic hypertension; however, there are few studies on the relationship between pre-pregnancy BMI and gestational age (GA)-specific rates of stillbirth and perinatal death in women with chronic hypertension.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between pre-pregnancy BMI and GA-specific risk of stillbirth and perinatal death in the presence/absence of chronic hypertension.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of all singleton births in the United States in 2016-17.

Risk of Perinatal and Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Among Pregnant Women With Epilepsy.

Importance: Maternal epilepsy is associated with adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes. A better understanding of this condition and the associated risk of mortality and morbidity at the time of delivery could help reduce adverse outcomes.

Objective: To determine the risk of severe maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality among women with epilepsy.

Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidy in Fertilization Using Comprehensive Chromosome Screening: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The utility of pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT-A) is controversial, with older meta-analyses demonstrating improved pregnancy outcomes, while newer trials have not shown benefit. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis which aimed to evaluate the benefits of PGT-A using comprehensive chromosome screening (CCS) and its effects on fertilization (IVF) outcomes among randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We conducted a systematic search to identify RCTs comparing women undergoing PGT-A with CSS with women not undergoing PGT-A, from inception to December 2020.

Pregnancy-associated mortality due to cardiovascular disease: Impact of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

Background: Reported rates of maternal mortality in the United States have been staggeringly high and increasing, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a chief contributor to such deaths. However, the impact of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) on the short-term risk of cardiovascular death is not well understood.

Objectives: To evaluate the association between HDP (chronic hypertension, gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, eclampsia, and superimposed preeclampsia) and pregnancy-associated mortality rates (PMR) from all causes, CVD-related causes both at delivery and within 1 year following delivery.

Pre-pregnancy and pregnancy disorders, pre-term birth and the risk of cerebral palsy: a population-based study.

Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common cause of childhood physical disability whose aetiology remains unclear in most cases. Maternal pre-existing and pregnancy complications are recognized risk factors of CP but the extent to which their effects are mediated by pre-term birth is unknown.

Methods: Population-based cohort study in Sweden including 2 055 378 singleton infants without congenital abnormalities, born between 1999 and 2019.

A flexible approach to modelling stillbirths using the foetuses at risk approach.

Background: Survival analysis methods are increasingly used to model the gestational age-specific risk of perinatal phenomena such as stillbirth.

Objectives: To compare two types of survival analysis models, and highlight differences by estimating the relationships between pre-pregnancy BMI and gestational age-specific rates of stillbirth.

Methods: The study was based on singleton live births and stillbirths in the United States in 2016-2017, with data obtained from the natality and fetal death files of the National Center for Health Statistics.

The clinical performance and population health impact of birthweight-for-gestational age indices at term gestation.

Background: The assessment of birthweight for gestational age and the identification of small- and large-for-gestational age (SGA and LGA) infants remain contentious, despite the recent creation of the Intergrowth 21st Project and World Health Organisation (WHO) birthweight-for-gestational age standards.

Objective: We carried out a study to identify birthweight-for-gestational age cut-offs, and corresponding population-based, Intergrowth 21st and WHO centiles associated with higher risks of adverse neonatal outcomes, and to evaluate their ability to predict serious neonatal morbidity and neonatal mortality (SNMM) at term gestation.

Methods: The study population was based on non-anomalous, singleton live births between 37 and 41 weeks' gestation in the United States from 2003 to 2017.

Pregnancy, Delivery, and Neonatal Outcomes Associated With Maternal Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Two Cohort Studies in Sweden and British Columbia, Canada.

Importance: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is associated with adverse health-related outcomes. However, pregnancy and neonatal outcomes among women with OCD have been sparsely studied.

Objective: To evaluate associations of maternal OCD with pregnancy, delivery, and neonatal outcomes.

Pre-pregnancy body mass index and adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes in twins: A population retrospective cohort study.

Objective: To examine the association between pre-pregnancy BMI and severe maternal morbidity (SMM), perinatal death and severe neonatal morbidity in twin pregnancies.

Methods: All twin births at ≥ 20 weeks gestation in British Columbia, Canada, from 2000 to 2017 were included. We estimated rates of SMM, a perinatal composite of death and severe morbidity, and its components per 10,000 pregnancies.

Prepregnancy body mass index and adverse perinatal outcomes in the presence of other maternal risk factors.

Background: High prepregnancy body mass index is one of the most common risk factors for adverse perinatal events.

Objective: This study aimed to assess whether the association between maternal body mass index and adverse perinatal outcome is modified by other concomitant maternal risk factors.

Study Design: This was a retrospective cohort study of all singleton live births and stillbirths in the United States from 2016 to 2017, using data from the National Center for Health Statistics.

The association between maternal stature and adverse birth outcomes and the modifying effect of race and ethnicity: a population-based retrospective cohort study.

Background: There are known differences in the risk of perinatal and maternal birth outcomes because of maternal factors, such as body mass index and maternal race. However, the association of maternal height with adverse birth outcomes and the potential differences in this relationship by race and ethnicity have been understudied.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the association between maternal stature and adverse perinatal outcomes and the potential modification of the association by race and ethnicity.

Antenatal Corticosteroid Prophylaxis at Late Preterm Gestation: Clinical Guidelines Versus Clinical Practice.

Objective: We investigated how the Antenatal Late Preterm Steroids (ALPS) trial findings have been translated into clinical practice in Canada and the United States (U.S.).

Does maternal stature modify the association between infants who are small or large for gestational age and adverse perinatal outcomes? A retrospective cohort study.

Objective: To investigate the effect of maternal stature on adverse birth outcomes and quantify perinatal risks associated with small- and large-for-gestational age infants (SGA and LGA, respectively) born to mothers of short, average, and tall stature.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: USA, 2016-2017.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Perinatal Health of Infants Conceived by ART.

Background And Objectives: Although racial and ethnic disparities in adverse birth outcomes have been well documented, it is unknown whether such disparities diminish in women who use medically assisted reproduction (MAR). We examined differences in the association between maternal race and ethnicity and adverse birth outcomes among women who conceived spontaneously and those who used MAR, including assisted reproduction technology (ART), eg, in-vitro fertilization, and also non-ART MAR, eg, fertility drugs.

Methods: We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study using data on all singleton births (N = 7 545 805) in the United States from 2016 to 2017.

Early coronavirus disease 2019 restrictive measures and changes in maternal characteristics, use of assisted reproductive technology, and stillbirth.

Background: The initial COVID-19 pandemic response-related effects on conceptions following the use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART), and on changes in the maternal characteristics of women who conceived during the early vs. pre-pandemic period, have been understudied.

Objectives: To examine the effects of ART clinic closures in the United States (US) in March 2020 on the frequency of ART-conceived live births, multiple births and stillbirths; and to describe changes in the characteristics of women who conceived in the early pandemic period.