Spontaneous abortion: a prospective cohort study of younger women from the general population in Denmark. Validation, occurrence and risk determinants

Pregnancy outcomes in female multiple sclerosis patients exposed to intramuscular interferon beta-1a or peginterferon beta-1a reported in a German Patient Support Programme - results from the non-interventional post-authorization safety study PRIMA

Background

Based on data from two large cohort studies, a label update became applicable for the class of interferon beta therapies in 9/2019, allowing interferons during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Objective

To assess pregnancy outcomes of women with multiple sclerosis (MS) exposed to peginterferon beta-1a or intramuscular interferon beta-1a therapy (IFN).

Design

Non-interventional post-authorization safety study.

Methods

PRIMA was conducted from April to October 2021 in Germany. Retrospective pregnancy data were retrieved from adult female patients diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS or clinically isolated syndrome, exposed to IFN before or during pregnancy and registered in the patient support programme (PSP) of the marketing authorization holder's MS Service Centre. The primary endpoint was the outcome of pregnancy. Prospective postpartum data were collected from mothers reporting live births.

Results

In total, 426 women reporting 542 pregnancies between December 2001 and July 2020 (14 pregnancies after the label update) were enrolled. Among patients with confirmed exposure during pregnancy (N = 362), 306 pregnancies (84.5%) resulted in live births (77.6% without defects, 1.9% with defects and 4.4% preterm). Spontaneous abortion, elective termination and stillbirth were reported in 10.9%, 2.8% and 0.2% of the cases, respectively. Higher rates of spontaneous abortions were reported in women with continuous IFN use. A total of 162 women completed the questionnaire for 192 live births within the prospective study part. Mothers restarted IFN therapy or switched to another disease-modifying therapy postpartum in 51.0% and 14.1% of cases, respectively. 158/192 infants (82.3%) were breastfed [34/158 (21.5%)] during IFN therapy. Postpartum relapse activity was low (mothers of 87.3% of breastfed infants remained relapse-free during lactation).

Conclusion

Overall, the prevalence of spontaneous abortions and congenital anomalies of females exposed to IFN exposure before or during pregnancy was within the range reported for the general population. Most mothers paused IFN during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Relapse activity during pregnancy and lactation was observed to be low. These real-world data from a PSP corroborate European and Scandinavian registry data.

Trial registration

NCT04655222, EUPAS38347.

Birth spacing and risk of adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

The association between extreme birth spacing and adverse outcomes is controversial, and available evidence is fragmented into different classifications of birth spacing.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We conducted a systematic review of observational studies to evaluate the association between birth spacing (i.e., interpregnancy interval and interoutcome interval) and adverse outcomes (i.e., pregnancy complications, adverse birth outcomes). Pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using a random-effects model, and the dose-response relationships were evaluated using generalized least squares trend estimation.

RESULTS

A total of 129 studies involving 46 874 843 pregnancies were included. In the general population, compared with an interpregnancy interval of 18-23 months, extreme intervals (<6 months and ≥ 60 months) were associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes, including preterm birth, small for gestational age, low birthweight, fetal death, birth defects, early neonatal death, and premature rupture of fetal membranes (pooled OR range: 1.08-1.56; p < 0.05). The dose-response analyses further confirmed these J-shaped relationships (pnon-linear  < 0.001-0.009). Long interpregnancy interval was only associated with an increased risk of preeclampsia and gestational diabetes (pnon-linear  < 0.005 and pnon-linear  < 0.001, respectively). Similar associations were observed between interoutcome interval and risk of low birthweight and preterm birth (pnon-linear  < 0.001). Moreover, interoutcome interval of ≥60 months was associated with an increased risk of cesarean delivery (pooled OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.04-2.83). For pregnancies following preterm births, an interpregnancy interval of 9 months was not associated with an increased risk of preterm birth, according to dose-response analyses (pnon-linear  = 0.008). Based on limited evidence, we did not observe significant associations between interpregnancy interval or interoutcome interval after pregnancy losses and risk of small for gestational age, fetal death, miscarriage, or preeclampsia (pooled OR range: 0.76-1.21; p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Extreme birth spacing has extensive adverse effects on maternal and infant health. In the general population, interpregnancy interval of 18-23 months may be associated with potential benefits for both mothers and infants. For women with previous preterm birth, the optimal birth spacing may be 9 months.

Impact of interferon beta exposure on birth outcome and child development - Results from the post-authorisation safety study PRIMA

BACKGROUND

Interferon beta therapies are well-established disease-modifying treatments for patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS). Based on clinical evidence from two large cohort studies, both, the EMA and FDA updated the labels of the interferon beta class in terms of pregnancy and breastfeeding in 2019 and 2020, respectively. To complement pregnancy label updates with patient-reported real-world data, this study examined German pregnancy and outcome reports including available data on child development from women with MS treated with peginterferon beta-1a or intramuscular (IM) interferon beta-1a.

METHODS

The post-authorisation safety study PRIMA included adult women diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS or clinically isolated syndrome, who were treated with peginterferon beta-1a or IM interferon beta-1a before or during pregnancy and registered in the marketing authorisation holder's MS Service center patient support program. In the prospective part of the study, conducted from April to October 2021, data on developmental milestones of the newborns were collected via telephone interview from mothers reporting live births.

RESULTS

In total, 426 women were enrolled, reporting 542 pregnancies that resulted in 466 live births. A total of 162 women completed the questionnaire for 192 live births (53.1% male). Newborns had Apgar scores indicative of healthy infants. Weight, length and head circumference at birth and physical growth curves up to 48 months lay within the expected range of the German general population. Most newborn screenings and examinations during check-ups were inconspicuous over the study period of 48 months. Out of 158 breastfed infants, 112 (70.9%) were breastfed exclusively until month 5.

CONCLUSION

Study results confirmed former reports indicating that exposure to interferon beta therapies during pregnancy or lactation had no adverse effects on intrauterine growth and child development over the study period, which covered the first 4 years of life. These real-world data obtained within the scope of a patient support program for peginterferon beta-1a or IM interferon beta-1a corroborate German and Scandinavian registry data and support the label update of all interferon beta therapies.

REGISTRATION

NCT04655222, EUPAS38347.

A novel indicator of selection in utero

Background and objectives

Selection in utero predicts that population stressors raise the standard for how quickly fetuses must grow to avoid spontaneous abortion. Tests of this prediction must use indirect indicators of fetal loss in birth cohorts because vital statistics systems typically register fetal deaths at the 20th week of gestation or later, well after most have occurred. We argue that tests of selection in utero would make greater progress if researchers adopted an indicator of selection against slow-growing fetuses that followed from theory, allowed sex-specific tests and used readily available data. We propose such an indicator and assess its validity as a dependent variable by comparing its values among monthly birth cohorts before, and during, the first 10 months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden.

Methodology

We apply Box-Jenkins methods to 50 pre-pandemic birth cohorts (i.e., December 2016 through January 2020) and use the resulting transfer functions to predict counterfactual values in our suggested indicator for selection for ten subsequent birth cohorts beginning in February 2020. We then plot all 60 residual values as well as their 95% detection interval. If birth cohorts in gestation at the onset of the pandemic lost more slow-growing fetuses than expected from history, more than one of the last 10 (i.e. pandemic-exposed) residuals would fall below the detection interval.

Results

Four of the last 10 residuals of our indicator for males and for females fell below the 95% detection interval.

Conclusions and implications

Consistent with selection in utero, Swedish birth cohorts in gestation at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic included fewer than expected infants who grew slowly in utero.

Psoriasis and adverse pregnancy outcomes: A nationwide case-control study in 491,274 women in Denmark

Background

The chronic systemic inflammation associated with psoriasis supposedly creates an undesirable milieu for a pregnancy, resulting in an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs).

Objective

To investigate the association between psoriasis and APOs as well as how the association differs according to psoriasis severity (mild and moderate-to-severe).

Methods

This nationwide register-based case-control study collected data from 1973 to 2017. Cases were APOs (spontaneous abortion, ectopic pregnancy [EP], intrauterine fetal death, and stillbirth). Singleton live births were controls. Adjusted logistic regression models were used for statistical analyses.

Results

In total, 42,041 (8.56%) APOs and 449,233 (91.44%) controls were included. EP was the only APO that was found to be statistically associated with psoriasis (odds ratio, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.06-1.68). Odds ratio for EP was the highest for women with moderate-to-severe psoriasis (odds ratio, 2.77; 95% CI, 1.13-6.76). The absolute risk of EP was 2.48% higher for women with moderate-to-severe psoriasis compared with women without psoriasis (3.98% vs 1.50%).

Limitations

No access to clinical data confirming psoriasis severity.

Conclusion

The present study found a significant association between EP and psoriasis (absolute risk of 3.98%). As EP is the leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality in the first trimester of pregnancy, our findings call for particular care for women of reproductive age with psoriasis.

Perinatal outcomes of first pregnancy after chemotherapy for gestational trophoblastic neoplasia: a systematic review of observational studies and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To assess perinatal outcomes of first pregnancy after remission from gestational trophoblastic neoplasia and the impact of the time between the end of chemotherapy and the subsequent pregnancy.

DATA SOURCES

The Medical Subject Headings related to perinatal outcomes, chemotherapy, and gestational trophoblastic neoplasia were used alone or in combination to retrieve relevant articles. We searched all references registered until April, 2019 in Embase, LILACS, MEDLINE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Web of Science.

STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

We included any observational or interventional studies that evaluated perinatal outcomes of first pregnancy after chemotherapy for gestational trophoblastic neoplasia. Animal studies, narrative reviews, expert opinions, and previous treatments with potential risks for future perinatal outcomes which may introduce confounding bias were excluded.

STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS METHODS

Two reviewers independently screened all identified references for eligibility and data extraction. Methodological quality and bias of included studies were assessed using the Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies from the National Institutes of Health. For the meta-analysis, the measures of association were calculated using bivariate random-effects models. Statistical heterogeneity was evaluated with I² statistics and explored through sensitivity analysis. Publication bias was assessed by visual inspection of the funnel plot or Egger's test, according to the number of articles included. For all analyses, a P value of <.05 indicated statistical significance. This study was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42018116513).

RESULTS

A total of 763 studies were identified after literature search and 23 original studies were included in the systematic review and in the meta-analysis. The combined data from the subgroup meta-analysis (outcome vs time after chemotherapy) showed an incidence of spontaneous abortion of 15.28% (95% confidence interval, 12.37-18.74; I²=73%), 3.30% of malformation (95% confidence interval, 2.27-4.79; I²=31%), 6.19% of prematurity (95% confidence interval, 5.03-7.59; I²=0), and 1.73% of stillbirth (95% confidence interval, 1.17-2.55; I²=0%). These results were not influenced by the time between the end of chemotherapy and the subsequent pregnancy in most of the studied outcomes, including malformation (P=.14, I²=31%), prematurity (P=.46, I²=0), and stillbirth (P=.66, I²=0). However, there was a higher occurrence of spontaneous abortion (P<.01, I²=73%) in pregnancies that occurred ≤6 months after chemotherapy.

CONCLUSION

Chemotherapy for gestational trophoblastic neoplasia does not appear to increase the chance of unfavorable perinatal outcomes, except for the higher occurrence of spontaneous abortion in pregnancies occurring ≤6 months after chemotherapy.

A prospective study of preconception asthma and spontaneous abortion

PURPOSE

To evaluate the relationships among history of asthma, asthma severity, and spontaneous abortion (SAB).

METHODS

Pregnancy Study Online is a preconception cohort study of North American couples. During the preconception period, female participants reported their history of physician-diagnosed asthma, age at first diagnosis, and use of asthma medications in the previous 4 weeks. Asthma severity was classified by medication use proximal to conception, from level 0 to 3 in increasing severity. Pregnancy and SAB were identified using data from follow-up questionnaires. We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULTS

Among 6325 participants who conceived, 19% experienced SAB and 17% reported a history of asthma. There was no appreciable association between asthma history and SAB incidence (HR = 0.98; 95% CI: 0.84, 1.14). HRs comparing severity levels 0, 1, and 2-3 with no asthma were 0.82 (95% CI: 0.67, 1.01), 1.20 (95% CI: 0.91, 1.60), and 1.31 (95% CI: 0.97, 1.78), respectively. Among women who conceived without the use of fertility treatment, level 2-3 severity was associated with SAB (HR = 1.39; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.89).

CONCLUSIONS

While history of asthma diagnosis was not materially associated with SAB, having severe asthma (based on medication use) was associated with greater SAB risk.

Association of Maternal History of Spontaneous Abortion and Stillbirth With Risk of Congenital Heart Disease in Offspring of Women With vs Without Type 2 Diabetes

IMPORTANCE

The associations of maternal history of spontaneous abortion (SA) and stillbirth with congenital heart disease (CHD) remain elusive.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the associations of maternal history of pregnancy loss with CHD in offspring and the role of maternal type 2 diabetes.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This population-based cohort study included singleton live offspring born between January 1, 1977, and December 31, 2016, identified through Danish national health registries. Statistical analysis was performed from October 1, 2019, through September 1, 2021.

EXPOSURES

Maternal history of SA, with frequency varying from 1 or 2 to 3 or more episodes, and maternal history of single and multiple stillbirths.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Overall CHD identified by hospital diagnosis. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) of CHD. Diabetes was evaluated as a potential confounder and a potential effect modifier.

RESULTS

Among 1 642 534 included offspring (mean [SD] age, 14.11 [8.39] years; 843 265 male [51.35%]), 246 669 (15.02%) were born to mothers with a history of SA and 9750 (0.59%) were born to mothers with a history of stillbirth. The HRs of CHD were 1.16 (95% CI, 1.13-1.20) for offspring with a maternal history of SA and 1.49 (95% CI, 1.32-1.68) for offspring with a maternal history of stillbirth. Significant dose-response associations were observed among offspring with a maternal history of 3 or more episodes of SA (HR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.39-1.84) and those with maternal history of multiple stillbirths (HR, 2.75; 95% CI, 1.63-4.65). If only inpatient CHD cases were included, the risk of CHD was higher than that found in the main analysis, with HRs of 1.24 (95% CI, 1.19-1.30) for maternal history of SA and 1.78 (95% CI, 1.51-2.11) for maternal history of stillbirth. The observed associations were strengthened by maternal prepregnancy type 2 diabetes (HR for maternal history of SA, 1.65 [95% CI, 1.37-1.97]; HR for maternal history of stillbirth, 1.74 [95% CI, 1.06-2.85]).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

These findings suggest that offspring born to mothers with a previous SA or stillbirth, especially multiple episodes, or with prepregnancy type 2 diabetes were at a higher risk of being diagnosed with CHD. These findings may help identify women at increased risk in whom detailed fetal heart assessment may be cost-effective and highlight the importance of screening for type 2 diabetes in women of reproductive age.

Early pregnancy loss incidence in high-income settings: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Early pregnancy loss (unintended pregnancy loss before 20 completed weeks of gestation) is a common adverse pregnancy outcome, with previous evidence reporting incidence ranging from 10 to 30% of detected pregnancies. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to determine the incidence and range of early pregnancy loss in contemporary pregnant populations based on studies with good internal and external validity. Findings may be useful for clinical counseling in pre-conception and family planning settings and for people who experience early pregnancy loss.

METHODS

We will search MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL databases using combinations of medical subject headings and keywords. Peer-reviewed, full-text original research articles that meet the following criteria will be included: (1) human study; (2) study designs: controlled clinical trials or observational studies with at least 100 pregnancies in the denominator, or systematic reviews of studies using these designs; (3) conducted in high-income countries; (4) reporting early pregnancy loss incidence, defined as unintended early pregnancy loss occurring prior to 20 weeks' gestation expressed as the number of losses among all pregnancies in the study period; (5) among a contemporary (1990 or later) general population of pregnancies; and (6) published between January 1, 1990, and August 31, 2021. We will assess the quality of included studies according to the United States Preventive Services Task Force Criteria for Assessing Internal and External Validity of Individual Studies. If appropriate, based on methodological comparability across included studies, we will conduct meta-analyses using random effects models to estimate the pooled incidence of early pregnancy loss among all studies with both good internal and external validity, with meta-analyses stratified by study design type (survey-based or self-reported and medical record-based), by induced abortion restrictions (restricted vs. unrestricted), and by gestational age (first trimester only vs. all gestational ages before 20 weeks).

DISCUSSION

This systematic review will synthesize existing evidence to calculate a current estimate of early pregnancy loss incidence and variability in reported incidence estimates in high-income settings. The findings of this review may inform updates to clinical counseling in pre-conception and family planning settings, as well as for patients experiencing early pregnancy loss.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

We have registered this review with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO #226267 ).

Risk of intellectual disability and maternal history of spontaneous abortion: a nationwide cohort study

AIM

To investigate the association between a maternal history of spontaneous abortion and intellectual disability in children.

METHOD

This cohort study included 1 778 786 children (913 340 males, 865 085 females, 361 missing data; mean age 15y 2mo, SD 8y 11mo, range birth to 40y) born in Denmark between 1977 and 2016. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) of intellectual disability.

RESULTS

The overall HR of intellectual disability for children with a maternal history of spontaneous abortion was 1.17 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12-1.22) and the risk for multiple spontaneous abortions (HR=1.30, 95% CI 1.20-1.40) was higher than for a single spontaneous abortion (HR=1.13, 95% CI 1.07-1.18). When only cases of inpatient intellectual disability were included, the estimates increased slightly: the overall HR was 1.22 (95% CI 1.12-1.32), the HR for multiple spontaneous abortions was 1.37 (95% CI 1.20-1.58), and the HR for a single spontaneous abortion was 1.17 (95% CI 1.07-1.28). The risks were similar regardless of whether spontaneous abortion occurred before or after the index delivery. Estimates were nearly unchanged after adjusting for preterm birth, low birthweight, or Apgar score.

INTERPRETATION

Children born to mothers with spontaneous abortion, especially multiple spontaneous abortions, may be at a higher risk of intellectual disability in later life, regardless of whether spontaneous abortion occurred before or after the index delivery. The findings have clinical implications for targeted early intervention of children with intellectual disability. What this paper adds A maternal history of spontaneous abortion was associated with a risk of intellectual disability in offspring. The risk was higher in children whose mothers previously had multiple spontaneous abortions. Similar risks were observed regardless of whether spontaneous abortion occurred before or after childbirth.

Duloxetine Exposure During Pregnancy and the Risk of Spontaneous and Elective Abortion: A Danish Nationwide Observational Study

BACKGROUND

Depression and antidepressant treatment are widespread among women of childbearing age.

OBJECTIVE

This study evaluates the association between duloxetine exposure during pregnancy and spontaneous and elective abortions.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The nationwide, observational study based on register data from Denmark included women with a recorded pregnancy in the birth register or an abortion in the patient register between 2004 and 2016. Duloxetine-exposed women were compared with (1) duloxetine non-exposed, (2) selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)-exposed, (3) venlafaxine-exposed, and (4) women discontinuing duloxetine before pregnancy. Exposure status was based on records of redeemed prescriptions. Cox regression with adjustments and propensity score matching was applied.

RESULTS

The data from 1,019,957 pregnancies were used, including 1,212 pregnancies exposed to duloxetine. Duloxetine-exposed women had an increased hazard ratio (HR) for spontaneous abortions compared with SSRI-exposed women: propensity score matched HR 1.25 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.00-1.57]. No increased hazard was observed for duloxetine-exposed women compared with duloxetine non-exposed: 1.08 (95% CI 0.89-1.31); venlafaxine-exposed: 1.08 (95% CI 0.82-1.41); and duloxetine discontinuers: 0.99 (95% CI 0.76-1.30). An increased HR of elective abortions was observed in duloxetine-exposed women compared to duloxetine non-exposed: 1.41 (95% CI 1.25-1.59); SSRI-exposed: 1.32 (95% CI 1.15-1.51); and duloxetine discontinuers: 1.46 (95% CI 1.23-1.75), but not to venlafaxine-exposed women: 1.09 (95% CI 0.93-1.27).

CONCLUSION

There was no increased risk of spontaneous or elective abortion associated with exposure to duloxetine. The increase risk observed for women exposed to duloxetine in comparison with SSRI-exposed for spontaneous and in comparison with all groups (except venlafaxine-exposed) for elective abortion suggested confounding.

Reproductive issues in women on direct oral anticoagulants

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are replacing warfarin and other vitamin K antagonists for a wide range of indications. Advantages of DOAC therapy are fewer food and drug interactions and fixed dosing without routine laboratory monitoring, making DOACs the perfect choice especially for younger patients, in whom the main indication for anticoagulation is prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Although DOACs are safer and much more convenient than other anticoagulant alternatives, their profile may have drawbacks, especially for younger female patients in whom reproductive issues need special considerations. These may include the issue of heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) during anticoagulant therapy, the embryotoxicity risk from inadvertent DOAC exposure during pregnancy, and the prevention or planning of pregnancies during DOAC therapy. This review summarizes the most relevant evidence in this increasingly important field of women's health.

Assessing the concordance and accuracy between hospital discharge data, electronic health records, and register books for diagnosis of inpatient admissions of miscarriage: A retrospective linked data study

BACKGROUND

Despite the high prevalence of miscarriage, there are few studies which assess the concordance of a diagnosis of miscarriage in routinely collected health databases.

OBJECTIVES

To determine agreement and accuracy for the diagnosis of miscarriage between electronic health records (EHR), the Hospital Inpatient-Enquiry (HIPE) system, and hospital register books in Ireland.

METHODS

This is a retrospective study comparing agreement of diagnosis of miscarriage between three hospital data sources from January to June 2017. All inpatient admissions for miscarriage were reviewed from a single, tertiary maternity hospital in Ireland. Kappa, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value were calculated.

RESULTS

In this retrospective concordance study, EHR records confirmed 96.2% diagnosis of miscarriage of HIPE records, and 95.1% of register books records. A total of 95 records were not recorded in the register books but were recorded in HIPE and EHR. This study found a considerable variability when comparing definitions of type of miscarriage (i.e., missed miscarriage, incomplete, and complete) between the three data sources.

CONCLUSION

Although this study found a high concordance in inpatient admissions for miscarriage between EHR, HIPE, and register books, a considerable discrepancy was found when classifying miscarriage between the three data sources.

Reassessing the Effect of Older Sisters on Sexual Orientation in Men

This research reanalyzed questionnaire data from 8279 homosexual and 79,519 heterosexual men who participated in 2005 in an internet-based research project sponsored by the British Broadcasting Corporation. It focused on parameters of sibship composition (older brothers, older sisters, younger siblings) previously shown or hypothesized to influence sexual orientation in males. The results included the usual finding that older brothers increase the odds of homosexuality in later-born males. As predicted, older sisters also increase those odds, although by a lesser amount than older brothers. Other results confirmed that the odds of homosexuality are increased in only-children, the amount of increase being equal to that produced by one older brother and greater than that produced by one older sister. Finally, the results indicated that younger siblings have no effect on the odds of homosexuality in males. These results might be explained by the hypothesis that two different types of immune responses in pregnant women can affect the future sexual orientation of their male fetuses. One type of response affects fetuses in first pregnancies and reduces subsequent fertility. The other type affects fetuses in later pregnancies and has little or no effect on fertility. Finally, we conducted an estimate of combined sibship effects. Men who were exposed to any of the influences that we identified (being an only-child or having an older sibling) had 27% greater odds of homosexuality than did subjects who were exposed to none of these influences (i.e., the first-born of two or more children).

Prevalence and clinical, social, and health care predictors of miscarriage

BACKGROUND

Pregnancy loss is common and several factors (e.g. chromosomal anomalies, parental age) are known to increase the risk of occurrence. However, much existing research focuses on recurrent loss; comparatively little is known about the predictors of a first miscarriage. Our objective was to estimate the population-level prevalence of miscarriages and to assess the contributions of clinical, social, and health care use factors as predictors of the first detected occurrence of these losses.

METHODS

In this population-based cohort study, we used linked administrative health data to estimate annual rates of miscarriage in the Manitoba population from 2003 to 2014, as a share of identified pregnancies. We compared the unadjusted associations between clinical, social, and health care use factors and first detected miscarriage compared with a live birth. We estimated multivariable generalized linear models to assess whether risk factors were associated with first detected miscarriage controlling for other predictors.

RESULTS

We estimated an average annual miscarriage rate of 11.3%. In our final sample (n = 79,978 women), the fully-adjusted model indicated that use of infertility drugs was associated with a 4 percentage point higher risk of miscarriage (95% CI 0.02, 0.06) and a past suicide attempt with a 3 percentage point higher risk (95% CI -0.002, 0.07). Women with high morbidity were twice as likely to experience a miscarriage compared to women with low morbidity (RD = 0.12, 95% CI 0.09, 0.15). Women on income assistance had a 3 percentage point lower risk (95% CI -0.04, -0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

We estimate that 1 in 9 pregnant women in Manitoba experience and seek care for a miscarriage. After adjusting for clinical factors, past health care use and morbidity contribute important additional information about the risk of first detected miscarriage. Social factors may also be informative.

Predictive value of presence of amniotic sac without visible embryonic heartbeat in diagnosis of early embryonic demise

OBJECTIVES

To assess the diagnostic value and impact on management of visualizing on ultrasound an amniotic sac without a live embryo (amniotic sac sign). We also examined the potential effect on the number of follow-up visits in early pregnancy units of incorporating this sign into current diagnostic algorithms.

METHODS

This was a prospective cohort study of all pregnant women who attended a single specialist early pregnancy unit from July 2017 to November 2018 with symptoms of pain and/or bleeding, or with a history of ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage, at < 14 weeks' gestation. Detailed initial ultrasound findings were documented, including whether an amniotic sac was present in a normally sited intrauterine pregnancy with absence of a live embryo. Women were followed up until a conclusive diagnosis was made.

RESULTS

The study included 6012 women who attended our unit with early pregnancy complications during the study period. A conclusive diagnosis was reached on the initial scan in 4221 (70.2%), whilst 1135 (18.9%) women had a pregnancy of uncertain viability and 656 (10.9%) had a pregnancy of unknown location (PUL). All women with a pregnancy of uncertain viability required follow-up ultrasound scans to differentiate between a live pregnancy and early embryonic demise. An amniotic sac in the absence of a live embryo was found in 174/1135 (15.3%) women with a pregnancy of uncertain viability at the initial ultrasound scan. The diagnosis of early embryonic demise was confirmed in all 134 of these women who attended their follow-up scans. The presence of an amniotic sac without a live embryo at the initial visit had a specificity of 100% (95% CI, 98.53-100.00%) and positive predictive value of 100% (95% CI, 97.2-100.0%) for the diagnosis of early pregnancy failure. A total of 1403/6012 (23.3%) women were asked to attend for a follow-up ultrasound scan to resolve diagnostic uncertainties, including 268/656 (40.9%) women with a PUL. The majority of follow-up scans needed to reach a conclusive diagnosis were in women with a pregnancy of uncertain viability (1135/1403 (80.9%)). By using the presence of the amniotic sac sign to diagnose early pregnancy failure at the first visit, the number of follow-up scans for pregnancies of uncertain viability would be reduced by 14.4%, which accounted for 11% of all follow-up scans during the study period.

CONCLUSIONS

The finding on ultrasound of an amniotic sac without a live embryo (amniotic sac sign) is a reliable marker of early pregnancy failure and could reduce the number of follow-up scans by 11% in cases of diagnostic uncertainty. © 2020 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Pregnancy and Delivery Outcomes Following Benzodiazepine Exposure: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Understanding the effects of benzodiazepines (BZDs) on maternal/fetal health remains incomplete despite their frequent use. This article quantifies the effects of antenatal BZD exposure on delivery outcomes.

DATA SOURCES

Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched till June 30, 2018.

STUDY SELECTION

English-language cohort studies comparing antenatal BZD exposure to an unexposed group on any delivery outcome were eligible. In all, 23,909 records were screened, 56 studies were assessed, and 14 studies were included.

DATA EXTRACTION

Two reviewers independently assessed quality and extracted data. Estimates were pooled using random effects meta-analysis. Sub-analyses examined several potential moderators including timing of exposure.

RESULTS

There were 9 outcomes with sufficient data for meta-analysis. Antenatal BZD exposure was significantly associated with increased risk of 6 outcomes initially: spontaneous abortion (pooled odds ratio = 1.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.43 to 2.42), preterm birth (1.96; 95% CI, 1.25 to 3.08), low birth weight (2.24; 95% CI, 1.41 to 3.88), low Apgar score (2.19; 95% CI, 1.94 to 2.47), Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) admission (2.61; 95% CI, 1.64 to 4.14), and induced abortion (2.04; 95% CI, 1.23 to 3.40). There was significant heterogeneity between studies for most outcomes without consistent moderators. Birth weight (mean difference [MD]: -151.35 g; 95% CI, -329.73 to 27.03), gestational age (-0.49 weeks; 95% CI, -1.18 to 0.19), and small for gestational age (SGA; 1.42; 95% CI, 1.00 to 2.01) did not show significant associations although after adjusting for publication bias, gestational age, and SGA became significant, totaling 8 significant outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Antenatal BZD exposure appears to be statistically associated with increased risk of several adverse perinatal outcomes. Although confounds cannot be ruled out, NICU admission does appear clinically relevant and consistent with the antidepressant literature.

Safety of direct oral anticoagulant exposure during pregnancy: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have largely replaced vitamin K antagonists in many indications for anticoagulation. Prescribed to millions of patients, including women of reproductive age, exposure to DOACs in early pregnancy is not uncommon, but data on the embryotoxic risks are scarce. We aimed to assess the risk of DOAC embryotoxicity in a large sample of reported cases.

METHODS

In this retrospective cohort study, we collected individual case reports of DOAC exposure in pregnancy from gynaecologists, haematologists, and vascular specialists starting from May, 2015. We obtained exports in April and October, 2017, August, 2018, and December, 2019, from the pharmacovigilance databases of the DOAC manufacturers, the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the German drug authority, and searched the homepage of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for pregnancy exposure reports. Data from the International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) registry were obtained in August, 2018, and on July 21, 2020; data from the Teratology Information Service in Ulm, Germany, were received July 22, 2020. We also ran a systematic literature search on July 22, 2020, for cases of DOAC exposure. These data were compiled with those from our 2016 risk assessment and duplicate reports were excluded. Fetal or neonatal abnormalities were classified as a major birth defect according to the European Concerted Action on Congenital Anomalies and Twins (EUROCAT) classification and adjudicated into four categories: relation to DOAC exposure likely, possible, unlikely, or unrelated.

FINDINGS

We identified 1193 reports of DOAC exposure during pregnancy: 49 from physicians, 48 from the ISTH registry, 29 from the Teratology Information Service, 62 from the German drug authority, 536 from Bayer (extracted from the Bayer pharmacovigilance system, the WHO VigiBase, and from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System), 87 from Boehringer Ingelheim, 16 from Daiichi Sankyo, 98 from the literature search, two from the FDA homepage search, ten from the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy Review, and 256 from the EMA reports. After excluding potential duplicates, we identified 614 unique cases of DOAC exposure in pregnancy occurring between Feb 1, 2007, and July 9, 2020, that consisted of rivaroxaban in 505 (82%) pregnancies, dabigatran in 36 (6%), apixaban in 50 (8%), and edoxaban in 23 (4%). The median duration of DOAC exposure was 5·3 weeks (IQR 4·0-7·0) into pregnancy. Information on pregnancy outcome was available in 336 (55%) of 614 pregnancies: 188 (56%) livebirths, 74 (22%) miscarriages, and 74 (22%) elective pregnancy terminations. 21 (6%; 95% CI 4-9) of 336 showed fetal abnormalities, of which 12 (4%; 2-6) were adjudicated as major birth defects potentially related to DOAC exposure.

INTERPRETATION

Although reports of pregnancy outcomes after DOAC exposure are missing important details and predominantly describe rivaroxaban exposures, the available data do not suggest that DOAC exposure in pregnancy carries a high risk of embryopathy. The 2016 ISTH guidance against elective pregnancy termination for fear of DOAC embryotoxicity and the recommendation in favour of close pregnancy surveillance is still valid. Pregnancy outcome data are inconsistently captured in pharmacovigilance databases, indicating a strong need for a more robust system of reporting.

FUNDING

None.

Cerebral venous thrombosis in women of childbearing age: diagnosis, treatment, and prophylaxis during a future pregnancy

Sex-specific risk factors for cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) in women include oral contraceptives, pregnancy, puerperium, and hormone replacement therapy. The acute treatment of CVT is anticoagulation using therapeutic doses of low molecular weight heparin, which is also the preferred treatment in the post-acute phase in pregnancy and during breastfeeding. In patients with imminent brain herniation decompressive surgery is probably life-saving. A medical history of CVT alone is not a contraindication for future pregnancies. The optimal dosage of low molecular weight heparin as thrombosis prophylaxis during future pregnancies after a history of venous thrombosis including CVT is the topic of an ongoing trial.

Pregnancy outcomes in interferon-beta-exposed patients with multiple sclerosis: results from the European Interferon-beta Pregnancy Registry

Background

Family planning is an important consideration for women with multiple sclerosis (MS), who are often diagnosed during their reproductive years. Currently, limited data are available on pregnancy outcomes in patients exposed to interferon-beta (IFN-beta) before or during pregnancy. Here, we present the cumulative pregnancy exposure data and prevalence of pregnancy and infant outcomes in IFN-beta-exposed pregnant women with MS from the European IFN-beta Pregnancy Registry.

Methods

Using spontaneous and solicited reports, the registry collected data from 26 countries of the European Economic Area, consisting of information on women with MS identifying themselves to one of the Marketing Authorisation Holders (Bayer, Biogen, Merck KGaA, and Novartis) or healthcare professionals as pregnant and exposed to IFN-beta during pregnancy or within 1 month before conception. The outcomes collected by the registry included ectopic pregnancies, spontaneous abortions, elective terminations, live, and stillbirths with or without congenital anomalies. The prevalence of pregnancy outcomes was put in context with those reported in the general population.

Results

Between 2009 and 2017, the registry collected 948 pregnancy reports with a known pregnancy outcome. Overall, 82.0% (777/948) of pregnancies resulted in live birth without congenital anomaly. When comparing IFN-beta-exposed pregnancies with the general population, the prevalence of spontaneous abortions (10.7% vs. 10–21%) and congenital anomalies in live births (2.1% vs. 2.1–4.1%) were found to be within reported ranges.

Conclusions

The data gathered from these pregnancy cases suggest no evidence that IFN-beta exposure before conception and/or during pregnancy adversely increases the rate of congenital anomalies or spontaneous abortions.

Supplementary Information

The online version of this article (10.1007/s00415-020-09762-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Obstetrical and postpartum complications in women with hereditary fibrinogen disorders: A systematic literature review

INTRODUCTION

Hereditary fibrinogen disorders (HFD) are rare quantitative or qualitative fibrinogen anomalies, including afibrinogenaemia (A), hypofibrinogenaemia (H), dysfibrinogenaemia (D) and hypodysfibrinogenaemia (HD). As fibrinogen plays an essential role in pregnancy, we addressed the issue of obstetrical and postpartum complications in women with HFD.

METHODS

A systematic literature review, restricted to English manuscripts, was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. We searched through the MEDLINE database for English articles, published from January 1985 until November 2018, focusing on pregnancy in A, H, D and HD. A total of 198 articles were identified, 15 articles were added from other sources. Overall, 213 articles were screened and 54 were included in the final analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 188 pregnancies from 70 women were analysed. About half of pregnancies resulted in miscarriage; more specifically in 15 (42.9%), 36 (46.8%), 27 (42.9%) and 4 (30.8%) of A, H, D and HD patients, respectively. Preterm complications were also frequent (33.5%). Metrorrhagia, mainly in the first trimester, was observed in 21.7% of the pregnancies. Placenta abruption was reported in 5 (14.3%), 4 (5.2%), 5 (7.9%) and 1 (7.7%) of A, H, D and HD, respectively. A total of 24 (12.7%) deliveries were complicated by postpartum thrombotic events (3.2%) or postpartum haemorrhage (9.6%). A fibrinogen replacement therapy was introduced in 30% of pregnancies, as prophylaxis (81.1%) or on demand (18.9%).

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that women with HFD are at high risk of obstetrical and postpartum complications. Prospective international registries may allow to identify more precisely the incidence of obstetrical and postpartum adverse outcomes and their management.

Association between interpregnancy interval and adverse birth outcomes in women with a previous stillbirth: an international cohort study

BACKGROUND

WHO recommends that women wait at least 2 years after a livebirth and at least 6 months after a miscarriage or induced abortion before conceiving again, to reduce the risk of adverse birth outcomes in the subsequent pregnancy. No recommendation exists for the optimal interval after a stillbirth. We investigated the association between interpregnancy interval after stillbirth and birth outcomes in the subsequent pregnancy.

METHODS

In this international cohort study, we used data from birth records from Finland (1987-2016), Norway (1980-2015), and Western Australia (1980-2015). Consecutive singleton pregnancies in women whose most recent pregnancy had ended in stillbirth of at least 22 weeks' gestation were included in the analysis. Interpregnancy interval was defined as the time between the end of pregnancy (delivery date) and the start of the next pregnancy (delivery date of next pregnancy minus gestational age at birth). We calculated odds ratios (ORs) for stillbirth, preterm birth, and small-for-gestational-age birth by interpregnancy interval by country, adjusted for maternal age, parity, decade of delivery, and gestational length of the previous pregnancy. A fixed-effects meta-analysis was used to estimate pooled ORs.

FINDINGS

We identified 14 452 births in women who had a stillbirth in the previous pregnancy; median interpregnancy interval after stillbirth was 9 months (IQR 4-19). 9109 (63%) women conceived within 12 months of the stillbirth. Of the 14 452 births, 228 (2%) were stillbirths, 2532 (18%) were preterm births, and 1284 (9%) were small-for-gestational-age births. Compared with an interpregnancy interval of 24-59 months, intervals shorter than 12 months were not associated with increased odds of subsequent stillbirth (pooled adjusted OR 1·09 [95% CI 0·63-1·91] for <6 months; 0·90 [0·47-1·71] for 6-11 months), preterm birth (0·91 [0·75-1·11] for <6 months; 0·91 [0·74-1·11] for 6-11 months), or small-for-gestational-age birth (0·66 [0·51-0·85] for <6 months; 0·64 [0·48-0·84] for 6-11 months). Further, we noted no difference in the association between interpregnancy interval and birth outcomes by gestational length of the previous stillbirth.

INTERPRETATION

Conception within 12 months of a stillbirth was common and was not associated with increased risk of adverse outcomes in the subsequent pregnancy. These findings could be used when counselling women who are planning future pregnancies after a stillbirth and for informing future recommendations for pregnancy spacing in a high-income setting.

FUNDING

National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia), and Research Council of Norway.

Fecundability among Danish women with a history of miscarriage: a prospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association between history of miscarriage and fecundability (the cycle-specific probability of conception).

DESIGN

Nationwide prospective cohort study using web-based questionnaires.

SETTING

Denmark, 2007-2012.

PARTICIPANTS

977 women attempting to conceive, not using fertility treatment, and with a reproductive history of only miscarriage or only live birth.

EXPOSURE AND OUTCOME MEASURES

Information on previous pregnancy outcomes, including miscarriage, came from self-report or from relevant registries. Participants were followed for up to 12 months or until they reported a pregnancy, stopped trying to conceive or started fertility treatment, whichever came first. We used Kaplan-Meier methods to estimate cumulative probabilities of conception for women whose reproductive history included only miscarriage or only live birth. Using proportional probabilities regression modelling, we computed fecundability ratios (FR) with 95% CI comparing women with a history of only miscarriage with women with a history of only live birth.

RESULTS

After adjustment for potential confounders, the cumulative probabilities of conception within 12 cycles of follow-up were 85% (95% CI 81% to 89%) for women with a history of 1 miscarriage, 85% (95% CI 73% to 92%) for women with a history of ≥2 miscarriages and 88% (95% CI 87% to 89%) for women whose reproductive history included only live birth. Adjusted FRs were 0.87 (95% CI 0.71 to 1.07) and 0.65 (95% CI 0.36 to 1.17) for women with a history of 1 and ≥2 miscarriages, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that women with a history of miscarriage may have slightly reduced fecundability compared with women with a history of only live birth. The reduction in fecundability was greater for women with repeated miscarriages, although the estimates were imprecise. Despite a potential delay in conception, women with previous miscarriage may have similar probability of pregnancy by 12 cycles of attempts to women with proven fertility.

Incidence of pregnancy and disease-modifying therapy exposure trends in women with multiple sclerosis: A contemporary cohort study

BACKGROUND

Exposure to disease-modifying therapy (DMT) during early pregnancy in women with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) may be increasing.

OBJECTIVE

To retrospectively determine incidence of pregnancy, DMT exposure and pregnancy outcomes in women with RRMS.

METHODS

We identified all women with RRMS aged 15-45 years in the MSBase Registry between 2005-2016. Annualised pregnancy incidence rates were calculated using Poisson regression models. DMT exposures and pregnancy outcomes were assessed.

RESULTS

Of 9,098 women meeting inclusion criteria, 1,178 (13%) women recorded 1,521 pregnancies. The annualised incidence rate of pregnancy was 0.042 (95% CI 0.040, 0.045). A total of 635 (42%) reported pregnancies were conceived on DMT, increasing from 27% in 2006 to 62% in 2016. The median duration of DMT exposure during pregnancy was 30 days (IQR: 9, 50). There were a higher number of induced abortions on FDA pregnancy class C/D drugs compared with pregnancy class B and no DMT (p = 0.010); but no differences in spontaneous abortions, term or preterm births.

CONCLUSIONS

We report low pregnancy incidence rates, with increasing number of pregnancies conceived on DMT over the past 12-years. The median duration of DMT exposure in pregnancy was relatively short at one month.

Evaluation of pregnancy outcomes in patients with multiple sclerosis after fingolimod exposure

Background and Methods:

Limited data are available on the safety of fingolimod in pregnant women. We estimated the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes in women with multiple sclerosis (MS) exposed to fingolimod either shortly before or during pregnancy in prospectively collected cases from clinical trials, observational studies, surveillance programs, and spontaneous reports.

Results:

The prevalence of major malformations among live births does not appear to be significantly higher than those in the general population and the unexposed MS population. Similarly, the prevalence of cardiac malformations observed in this analysis was not significantly different from that of the general population. Proportions of miscarriage were in line with those of the general and unexposed MS population and no specific pattern of birth defects was identified.

Conclusions:

These data can help inform healthcare professionals and women with MS exposed to fingolimod during conception.

Selection in utero and population health: Theory and typology of research

Public health researchers may assume, based on the fetal origins literature, that "scarring" of birth cohorts describes the population response to modern-day stressors. We contend, based on extensive literature concerned with selection in utero, that this assumption remains questionable. At least a third and likely many more of human conceptions fail to yield a live birth. Those that survive to birth, moreover, do not represent their conception cohort. Increasing data availability has led to an improved understanding of selection in utero and its implications for population health. The literature describing selection in utero, however, receives relatively little attention from social scientists. We aim to draw attention to the rich theoretical and empirical literature on selection in utero by offering a typology that organizes this diverse work along dimensions we think important, if not familiar, to those studying population health. We further use the typology to identify important gaps in the literature. This work should interest social scientists for two reasons. First, phenomena of broad scholarly interest (i.e., social connectivity, bereavement) affect the extent and timing of selection in utero. Second, the life-course health of a cohort depends in part on the strength of such selection. We conclude by identifying new research directions and with a reconciliation of the apparent contradiction between the "fetal origins" literature and that describing selection in utero.

Trends in Risk of Pregnancy Loss Among US Women, 1990-2011

BACKGROUND

Pregnancy loss can have physical and psychological consequences for women and their families. Though a previous study described an increase in the risk of self-reported pregnancy loss from 1970 to 2000, more recent examinations from population-based data of US women are lacking.

METHODS

We used data from the 1995, 2002, 2006-2010, 2011-2015 National Survey of Family Growth on self-reported pregnancy loss (miscarriage, stillbirth, ectopic pregnancy) among US women (15-44 years) who reported at least one pregnancy conceived during 1990-2011 that did not result in induced termination (n = 20 012 women; n = 42 526 pregnancies). Trends in the risk of self-reported pregnancy loss and early pregnancy loss (<12 weeks) were estimated, separately, by year of pregnancy conception (limited to 1990-2011 to ensure a sufficient sample of pregnancies for each year and maternal age group) using log-Binomial and Poisson models, adjusted for maternal- and pregnancy-related factors.

RESULTS

Among all self-reported pregnancies, excluding induced terminations, the risk of pregnancy loss was 19.7% and early pregnancy loss was 13.5% during 1990-2011. Risk of pregnancy loss increased by a relative 2% (rate ratio [RR] 1.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01, 1.02) per year in unadjusted models and 1% per year (RR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00, 1.02) during 1990-2011, after adjustment for maternal characteristics and pregnancy-related factors. In general, trends were similar for early pregnancy loss.

CONCLUSION

From 1990 to 2011, risk of self-reported pregnancy loss increased among US women. Further work is needed to better understand the drivers of this increase in reported pregnancy loss in the US.

European Stroke Organization guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of cerebral venous thrombosis - endorsed by the European Academy of Neurology

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Current guidelines on cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) diagnosis and management were issued by the European Federation of Neurological Societies in 2010. We aimed to update the previous European Federation of Neurological Societies guidelines using a clearer and evidence-based methodology.

METHOD

We followed the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation system, formulating relevant diagnostic and treatment questions, performing systematic reviews and writing recommendations based on the quality of available scientific evidence.

RESULTS

We suggest using magnetic resonance or computed tomographic angiography for confirming the diagnosis of CVT and not routinely screening patients with CVT for thrombophilia or cancer. We recommend parenteral anticoagulation in acute CVT and decompressive surgery to prevent death due to brain herniation. We suggest preferentially using low-molecular-weight heparin in the acute phase and not direct oral anticoagulants. We suggest not using steroids and acetazolamide to reduce death or dependency. We suggest using antiepileptics in patients with an early seizure and supratentorial lesions to prevent further early seizures. We could not make recommendations concerning duration of anticoagulation after the acute phase, thrombolysis and/or thrombectomy, therapeutic lumbar puncture, and prevention of remote seizures with antiepileptic drugs. We suggest that, in women who have suffered a previous CVT, contraceptives containing oestrogens should be avoided. We suggest that subsequent pregnancies are safe, but use of prophylactic low-molecular-weight heparin should be considered throughout pregnancy and puerperium.

CONCLUSIONS

Multicentre observational and experimental studies are needed to increase the level of evidence supporting recommendations on the diagnosis and management of CVT.

European Stroke Organization guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of cerebral venous thrombosis - Endorsed by the European Academy of Neurology

The current proposal for cerebral venous thrombosis guideline followed the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system, formulating relevant diagnostic and treatment questions, performing systematic reviews of all available evidence and writing recommendations and deciding on their strength on an explicit and transparent manner, based on the quality of available scientific evidence. The guideline addresses both diagnostic and therapeutic topics. We suggest using magnetic resonance or computed tomography angiography for confirming the diagnosis of cerebral venous thrombosis and not screening patients with cerebral venous thrombosis routinely for thrombophilia or cancer. We recommend parenteral anticoagulation in acute cerebral venous thrombosis and decompressive surgery to prevent death due to brain herniation. We suggest to use preferentially low-molecular weight heparin in the acute phase and not using direct oral anticoagulants. We suggest not using steroids and acetazolamide to reduce death or dependency. We suggest using antiepileptics in patients with an early seizure and supratentorial lesions to prevent further early seizures. We could not make recommendations due to very poor quality of evidence concerning duration of anticoagulation after the acute phase, thrombolysis and/or thrombectomy, therapeutic lumbar puncture, and prevention of remote seizures with antiepileptic drugs. We suggest that in women who suffered a previous cerebral venous thrombosis, contraceptives containing oestrogens should be avoided. We suggest that subsequent pregnancies are safe, but use of prophylactic low-molecular weight heparin should be considered throughout pregnancy and puerperium. Multicentre observational and experimental studies are needed to increase the level of evidence supporting recommendations on the diagnosis and management of cerebral venous thrombosis.

Factors associated with spontaneous abortion: a cross-sectional study of Chinese populations

Background

Spontaneous abortion (SA) is one of the prevalent negative reproductive outcomes among women around the world, which is a great challenge faced by maternal health promotion. The present study is aimed to explore the association between SA and socioeconomic status (SES) and provides reference for policy makers to improve strategies on maternal health promotion.

Methods

A cross-sectional analysis was conducted with baseline data from a large-scale population-based cohort study of 0.5 million people from 10 geographically diverse areas of China recruited from 2004 to 2008. The study collected data from 84,531 women aged 35–45 years old in the baseline survey of China Kadoorie Biobank. Participants were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire, and information on demographic-socioeconomic as well as reproductive health status was collected. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% CI, estimated by a multistep logistic regression, were used to approximate the associations between SA occurrence and characteristics of SES. A stratification analysis was also applied to find out how SES influenced women’s reproductive health outcomes differently between rural and urban areas. The model was adjusted for age at study date, tea consumption, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, and number of induced abortion.

Results

The risk of SA in rural was 1.68 times greater than in urban (AOR = 1.68, 95%CI: 1.54–1.84). Women with high income had a decreased risk of SA when compared with that of women with low income (AOR = 0.90, 95%CI: 0.84–0.97). Compared with women in low educational attainment, women in higher educational attainment had a lower prevalence of SA (AOR = 0.90, 95%CI: 0.82–0.98). The risk of SA only reduced in factory worker (AOR = 0.59, 95%CI: 0.53–0.66) and professional worker (AOR = 0.75, 95%CI: 0.66–0.84) compared with agriculture and related workers. After stratifying by rural/urban, the association between income and SA in urban (AOR = 0.88, 95%CI: 0.78–0.99) was stronger than that in rural (AOR = 0.92, 95%CI: 0.84–1.00). Association between education and SA was found in urban (AOR = 0.66, 95%CI: 0.55–0.78) but not in rural (AOR = 1.05, 95%CI: 0.34–1.17), and there was no difference on how occupation impacted SA among women between the two subgroups.

Conclusions

Generally women with lower SES status had a higher risk of SA. Lower income and educational attainment were inversely associated with the risk of SA. Women with agricultural and related work had a significantly higher prevalence of SA. Interventions could be targeted more on women with low SES to increase both health profits as well as economic gains for health programs.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12978-017-0297-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Female reproductive factors are associated with objectively measured physical activity in middle-aged women

Physical activity improves health and may delay the onset of several chronic diseases. For women in particular, the rate of these diseases accelerates at middle age; therefore it is important to identify the determinants of health-enhancing physical activity during midlife in this population. In this study, we focused on determinants that are unique to the female sex, such as childbearing and menopause. The main objective was to characterize the level of physical activity and differences between active and inactive middle-aged Finnish women. In addition, we examined the association of physical activity with female reproductive factors at midlife. The study population consisted of 647 women aged 48 to 55 years who participated in our Estrogenic Regulation of Muscle Apoptosis (ERMA) study during the period from 2015 to 2016. Physical activity was measured objectively using hip-worn accelerometers for seven consecutive days. The outcome measures included the amounts of light intensity physical activity and moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity accumulated in bouts of at least 10 minutes (MVPA₁₀). MVPA₁₀ was used to determine whether women were placed in the active (≥150 min/week) or inactive (<150 min/week) group. Multiple linear regression models were performed with physical activity measures as dependent variables and cumulative reproductive history index, menopausal symptoms, and pelvic floor dysfunction as independent variables. We found that a large portion (61%) of Finnish middle-aged women did not meet the physical activity recommendations of 150 minutes of MVPA₁₀ per week. In the studied cohort, 78% of women experienced menopausal symptoms, and 54% exhibited pelvic floor dysfunction. Perceived menopausal symptoms were associated with greater light physical activity. Perceived pelvic floor dysfunction was associated with lower MVPA₁₀. According to the fully adjusted multiple linear regression models, reproductive factors explained 6.0% of the variation of MVPA₁₀ and 7.5% of the variation of light physical activity. The results increase our knowledge of the factors related to physical activity participation among middle-aged women and indicate that menopausal symptoms and pelvic floor dysfunction should be identified and considered when promoting physical activity for women during midlife. The results emphasize that awareness of female reproductive factors, especially menopausal symptoms and pelvic floor dysfunction, is important for physical activity counseling to effectively help women in performing and sustaining health-enhancing amounts of physical activity. Specifically, the condition of the pelvic floor should be taken into account when identifying the proper activity type and intensity level so that health benefits of physical activity can still be attained without worsening symptoms.

Pregnancy outcome in patients exposed to direct oral anticoagulants - and the challenge of event reporting

Today, direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) are widely used alternatives to Vitamin-K antagonists (VKA). Women of reproductive age may become pregnant during anticoagulation and, while VKA carry an embryotoxic potential, the risk of DOAC embryopathy is unknown. As a result, some patients elect to terminate pregnancy for fear of DOAC embryotoxicity. To assess the risk of DOAC embryopathy, we reviewed cases of DOAC exposure in pregnancy collected from physicians, literature and pharmacovigilance systems of drug authorities and manufacturers. A total of 357 reports including duplicates were available from which 233 unique cases could be identified. Information on pregnancy outcome was available in only 137/233 cases (58.8 %): 67 live births (48.9 %); 31 miscarriages (22.6 %); 39 elective pregnancy terminations (28.5 %). In 93 cases (39.9 %) no outcome data were available (including 3 cases of ongoing pregnancy). Of the 137 pregnancies with reported outcomes, seven showed abnormalities (5.1 %) of which three (2.2 %) could potentially be interpreted as embryopathy: live birth with facial dysmorphism; miscarriage in week 10 with limb abnormality; elective pregnancy termination due to a foetal cardiac defect in a woman who had to terminate a previous pregnancy due to Fallot tetralogy. Within its limitations (small numbers, incomplete outcome data) our results do not indicate that DOAC exposure in pregnancy carries a high risk of embryopathy or that DOAC exposure per se should be used to direct patient counselling towards pregnancy termination. Pregnancy outcome data are inconsistently captured in pharmacovigilance databases indicating the strong need for a more robust system of reporting.

Safety of Pregnancy After Cerebral Venous Thrombosis

Background and Purpose—

Pregnancy and puerperium are associated with an increased risk of venous thrombotic events (VTEs), including cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT). We aimed to systematically review, in pregnant woman with previous CVT, (1) the risk of recurrence of CVT or other VTE; (2) the result of pregnancy; and (3) the association of antithrombotic prophylaxis with these outcomes.

Methods—

We searched MEDLINE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, clinicaltrials.gov (from inception to July 2015), and reference lists of included studies and review articles. We considered observational studies reporting original data on the frequency of CVT or other VTE associated with pregnancy or puerperium in women with history of CVT.

Results—

Thirteen studies were included. A simple pooled analysis of individual patient data and meta-analysis of proportions using a random effect model were performed. (1) 1 CVT recurrences/217 pregnancies (9 per 1000; 95% confidence interval, 3–33) and 5 noncerebral VTE/186 pregnancies (27 per 1000; 95% confidence interval, 12–61). (2) Pregnancy outcome: 33 spontaneous abortions/186 pregnancies (17.7%; 95% confidence interval, 13–24). (3) Data on the risk of CVT/extracerebral VTE according to antithrombotic prophylaxis was limited. Miscarriage did not differ significantly in women undergoing antithrombotic therapy or not (11.3% versus 18.8%; P =0.34).

Conclusions—

In women with previous CVT, the absolute risk of pregnancy-related venous thrombosis is low but the relative risk of noncerebral VTE is 16-fold higher and the recurrence of CVT is 80-fold higher than the baseline risk described in general population studies. The rate of miscarriage is not significantly different from that estimated for the general population.

BRCA Mutations Increase Fertility in Families at Hereditary Breast/Ovarian Cancer Risk

BACKGROUND

Deleterious mutations in the BRCA genes are responsible for a small, but significant, proportion of breast and ovarian cancers (5 - 10 %). Proof of de novo mutations in hereditary breast/ovarian cancer (HBOC) families is rare, in contrast to founder mutations, thousands of years old, that may be carried by as much as 1 % of a population. Thus, if mutations favoring cancer survive selection pressure through time, they must provide advantages that compensate for the loss of life expectancy.

METHOD

This hypothesis was tested within 2,150 HBOC families encompassing 96,325 individuals. Parameters included counts of breast/ovarian cancer, age at diagnosis, male breast cancer and other cancer locations. As expected, well-known clinical parameters discriminated between BRCA-mutated families and others: young age at breast cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer and male breast cancer. The major fertility differences concerned men in BRCA-mutated families: they had lower first and mean age at paternity, and fewer remained childless. For women in BRCA families, the miscarriage rate was lower. In a logistic regression including clinical factors, the different miscarriage rate and men's mean age at paternity remained significant.

RESULTS

Fertility advantages were confirmed in a subgroup of 746 BRCA mutation carriers and 483 non-carriers from BRCA mutated families. In particular, female carriers were less often nulliparous (9.1 % of carriers versus 16.0 %, p = 0.003) and had more children (1.8 ± 1.4 SD versus 1.5 ± 1.3, p = 0.002) as well as male carriers (1.7 ± 1.3 versus 1.4 ± 1.3, p = 0.024).

CONCLUSION

Although BRCA mutations shorten the reproductive period due to cancer mortality, they compensate by improving fertility both in male and female carriers.

Estimating the proportion of all observed birth defects occurring in pregnancies terminated by a second-trimester abortion

BACKGROUND

Prenatal termination of pregnancy may underestimate risks or cause bias in epidemiological studies of birth defects if such studies measure only defects diagnosed postnatally. We aimed to estimate the proportion of all fetuses with birth defects terminated in the second trimester of pregnancy-overall and for specific defects.

METHODS

The study comprised all pregnancies ending in a singleton birth, miscarriage, or termination of pregnancy for which health care services were sought, as recorded in Danish medical registries between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2011.

RESULTS

Of the 420,090 pregnancies, 307,637 fetuses survived until gestational week 12 or beyond; of these, 296,373 (96%) ended in a live birth or stillbirth and 11,264 (4%) ended in a second-trimester termination. The prevalence of birth defects among live births and stillbirths was 3% (9,790/296,373); the corresponding prevalence among second-trimester-terminated pregnancies was 14% (1,563/11,264). Although only 4% of all pregnancies ended in a second-trimester termination, 14% (1,563/11,353) of pregnancies with birth defects were ended by a second-trimester termination. The groups of birth defects with the highest proportion of second-trimester terminations were defects of the nervous system (347/740; 48%) and abdominal wall (58/149; 39%). For many types of birth defects, however, that proportion was less than 10%.

CONCLUSION

The proportion of terminated pregnancies carrying birth defects is considerably greater than the corresponding proportion for pregnancies that end as live births or stillbirths. The proportion of birth defects unobserved at birth due to second-trimester terminations depends on type of defect and lethality.

Caffeine and caffeinated beverage consumption and risk of spontaneous abortion

STUDY QUESTION

Is caffeine and caffeinated beverage consumption associated with the risk of spontaneous abortion (SAB)?

SUMMARY ANSWER

While preconceptional caffeine consumption was not materially associated with an increased risk of SAB, consumption during early pregnancy was associated with a small increased risk of SAB, although the relation was not linear.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY

Caffeine has been hypothesized as a risk factor for SAB since the 1980s; however, results from previous studies have been conflicting.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION

This prospective cohort study included 5132 Danish women planning pregnancy and enrolled from 2007 to 2010.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS

Participants were women who conceived after entry into the Snart-Gravid cohort and who were aged 18-40, in a stable relationship with a male partner, and did not use fertility treatments to conceive. Women reported their daily caffeine and caffeinated beverage consumption on questionnaires before conception and during early pregnancy. All exposure measurements were prospective with respect to outcome ascertainment. We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) of SAB for categories of caffeine consumption in milligrams (mg) per day and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using Cox proportional hazards regression models with gestational weeks as the time scale.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE

There were 732 women (14.3%) who were identified as having a SAB. In the preconceptional period, caffeine consumption was not materially associated with SAB risk (HR comparing ≥300 with <100 mg/day: 1.09; 95% CI: 0.89, 1.33). In early pregnancy, the HRs for 100-199, 200-299 and ≥300 mg/day of caffeine consumption were 1.62 (95% CI: 1.19, 2.22), 1.48 (95% CI: 1.03, 2.13) and 1.23 (95% CI: 0.61, 2.46), respectively, compared with that for <100 mg/day.

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION

The observed results may be affected by non-differential exposure misclassification, reverse causation and residual confounding.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

This is the largest study to date of prospectively measured, preconception caffeine consumption and risk of SAB. We were able to reduce the likelihood of differential left truncation bias and recall bias present in other analyses.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS

Snart-Gravid was funded by the NICHD (R21-050264). Dr. Hahn's work was funded in part by the BU Reproductive, Perinatal, and Pediatric Epidemiology Training Grant NIH #T32HD052458. There are no competing interests.

Fecundity in women with multiple sclerosis: an observational mono-centric study

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disease mostly affecting women of childbearing age. When counseling MS patients, many questions arise on the reciprocal influence of MS and pregnancy. However, little is known on the impact of MS and its treatments on the time to pregnancy. The objective was to evaluate fecundity (pregnancy and time to pregnancy) in a French cohort of MS women. One hundred and fifteen women with MS were included consecutively in this observational retrospective study. Pregnancy and time to pregnancy were collected using self-questionnaires. Among the 115 patients, 216 pregnancies (from 84 women) were reported. Mean time to pregnancy, which was available for 124 of these pregnancies, was 8.57 months when pregnancy occurred before MS onset, and 7.53 months after MS onset. Among the 95 patients who had a parental project, 2.27 spontaneous pregnancies per woman were recorded. The mean number of children per woman with MS was 1.37. Spontaneous pregnancies per woman and time to pregnancy were not different from the general French population. However, despite a normal fecundity, the mean number of children per woman with MS (1.37) was lower than in the general French population (1.99).

Use of inhaled and oral corticosteroids in pregnancy and the risk of malformations or miscarriage

Corticosteroids are potent anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs, which sometimes must be given to pregnant women. Corticosteroids have been suspected to be teratogenic for many years; however, there is conflicting evidence regarding the association. Based on a literature review of three databases, this MiniReview provides an overview of inhaled and oral corticosteroid use in pregnancy with specific emphasis on the association between use of corticosteroids during pregnancy and risk of miscarriage and congenital malformations in offspring. The use of corticosteroids among pregnant women ranged from 0.2% to 10% and increased nearly two times in recent years. Taken together, the evidence suggests that the use of corticosteroids in early pregnancy is not associated with an increased risk of congenital malformations overall or oral clefts in offspring; at the same time, published estimates are inconsistent. The use of inhaled corticosteroids was associated with a slightly increased risk of miscarriage, whereas the use of oral corticosteroids was not; however, confounding by indication could not be ruled out.

Body size and risk of spontaneous abortion among danish pregnancy planners

BACKGROUND

Several studies indicate that female obesity increases the risk of spontaneous abortion (SAB). Central adiposity, height, and location of typical weight gain have not been examined as risk factors for SAB.

METHODS

We examined the associations between selected anthropometric factors and risk of SAB among 5132 women enrolled in a Danish Internet-based prospective cohort study of pregnancy planners. We used Cox proportional hazards regression models, with gestational weeks as the time scale, to compute hazard ratios (HRs) of SAB and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULTS

After adjustment for potential confounders, the HRs for SAB among underweight (body mass index (BMI, kg/m(2) ) <20), overweight (BMI: 25-29) and obese (BMI ≥30) women were 1.00 [95% CI: 0.81, 1.24], 0.90 [95% CI: 0.73, 1.09] and 1.23 [95% CI: 0.98, 1.54], respectively, compared with normal weight women (BMI 20-24). The association between obesity and SAB was stronger for early SAB (<8 weeks gestation); HR: 1.34 95% CI: 1.01, 1.77. The HR for height ≥174 cm vs. <166 cm was 0.81 [95% CI: 0.66, 1.00]. Increased waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) was inversely associated with risk of SAB (HR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.63, 1.05). Waist circumference and location of typical weight gain were not appreciably associated with SAB risk.

CONCLUSIONS

This study confirms previous studies that have shown a small positive association between obesity and SAB risk. Our results suggest that obesity is a stronger risk factor for early pregnancy losses, and that small stature and low WHR are associated with an increased risk of SAB.

Cesarean section and rate of subsequent stillbirth, miscarriage, and ectopic pregnancy: a Danish register-based cohort study

BACKGROUND

With cesarean section rates increasing worldwide, clarity regarding negative effects is essential. This study aimed to investigate the rate of subsequent stillbirth, miscarriage, and ectopic pregnancy following primary cesarean section, controlling for confounding by indication.

METHODS AND FINDINGS

We performed a population-based cohort study using Danish national registry data linking various registers. The cohort included primiparous women with a live birth between January 1, 1982, and December 31, 2010 (n = 832,996), with follow-up until the next event (stillbirth, miscarriage, or ectopic pregnancy) or censoring by live birth, death, emigration, or study end. Cox regression models for all types of cesarean sections, sub-group analyses by type of cesarean, and competing risks analyses for the causes of stillbirth were performed. An increased rate of stillbirth (hazard ratio [HR] 1.14, 95% CI 1.01, 1.28) was found in women with primary cesarean section compared to spontaneous vaginal delivery, giving a theoretical absolute risk increase (ARI) of 0.03% for stillbirth, and a number needed to harm (NNH) of 3,333 women. Analyses by type of cesarean section showed similarly increased rates for emergency (HR 1.15, 95% CI 1.01, 1.31) and elective cesarean (HR 1.11, 95% CI 0.91, 1.35), although not statistically significant in the latter case. An increased rate of ectopic pregnancy was found among women with primary cesarean overall (HR 1.09, 95% CI 1.04, 1.15) and by type (emergency cesarean, HR 1.09, 95% CI 1.03, 1.15, and elective cesarean, HR 1.12, 95% CI 1.03, 1.21), yielding an ARI of 0.1% and a NNH of 1,000 women for ectopic pregnancy. No increased rate of miscarriage was found among women with primary cesarean, with maternally requested cesarean section associated with a decreased rate of miscarriage (HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.60, 0.85). Limitations include incomplete data on maternal body mass index, maternal smoking, fertility treatment, causes of stillbirth, and maternally requested cesarean section, as well as lack of data on antepartum/intrapartum stillbirth and gestational age for stillbirth and miscarriage.

CONCLUSIONS

This study found that cesarean section is associated with a small increased rate of subsequent stillbirth and ectopic pregnancy. Underlying medical conditions, however, and confounding by indication for the primary cesarean delivery account for at least part of this increased rate. These findings will assist women and health-care providers to reach more informed decisions regarding mode of delivery. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary.

Psychiatric disorders following fetal death: a population-based cohort study

OBJECTIVES

Women have increased risks of severe mental disorders after childbirth and death of a child, but it remains unclear whether this association also applies to fetal loss and, if so, to which extent. We studied the risk of any inpatient or outpatient psychiatric treatment during the time period from 12 months before to 12 months after fetal death.

DESIGN

Cohort study using Danish population-based registers.

SETTING

Denmark.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 1 112 831 women born in Denmark from 1960 to 1995 were included. In total, 87 687cases of fetal death (International Classification of Disease-10 codes for spontaneous abortion or stillbirth) were recorded between 1996 and 2010.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

The main outcome measures were incidence rate ratios (risk of first psychiatric inpatient or outpatient treatment).

RESULTS

A total of 1379 women had at least one psychiatric episode during follow-up from the year before fetal death to the year after. Within the first few months after the loss, women had an increased risk of psychiatric contact, IRR: 1.51 (95% CI 1.15 to 1.99). In comparison, no increased risk of psychiatric contact was found for the period before fetal death. The risk of experiencing a psychiatric episode was highest for women with a loss occurring after 20 weeks of gestation (12 month probability: 1.95%, 95% CI 1.50 to 2.39).

CONCLUSIONS

Fetal death was associated with a transient increased risk of experiencing a first-time episode of a psychiatric disorder, primarily adjustment disorders. The risk of psychiatric episodes tended to increase with increasing gestational age at the time of the loss.

Nordic databases to evaluate medications in pregnancy

The objective of this review is to describe the possibilities to assess drugs used in pregnancy by means of the Nordic health registers. The Nordic countries comprise five countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and have a total population of 25 million. All five countries have in their national health registers for many years recorded information concerning all births, cancer diagnoses, hospital contacts, causes of death and dispensed drugs. The registers can be used for studying drugs dispensed during pregnancy and though most previous studies focused on risks of congenital abnormalities, other health consequences of maternal medication can also be assessed.

Risk factors for early miscarriage among Chinese: a hospital-based case-control study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the risk factors for early miscarriage among Chinese women.

DESIGN

Hospital-based matched case-control study.

SETTING

Academic medical center and maternal health hospital.

PATIENT(S)

620 women with early miscarriage (less than 13 weeks of gestation) and 1,240 normal pregnant women.

INTERVENTION(S)

Face-to-face questionnaire.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Multivariable conditional odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) to measure risk factors.

RESULT(S)

After adjustment for confounding factors, the following were independently associated with increased risk: history of miscarriage, repeated induced abortion, working night shifts, and frequent staying up late. Vitamin supplementation and regular physical activity reduced the risk of miscarriage. We did not find paternal age, alcohol consumption, or smoking status to be linked with early miscarriage.

CONCLUSION(S)

Our findings suggest that a healthy diet, regular physical activity, and planned pregnancy may be advantageous for women in pre-pregnancy or early pregnancy. Induced abortion, working night shifts, and frequent staying up late were associated with an increased risk of miscarriage. Further work in larger populations is warranted.

Very low birthweight: dysregulated gestation versus evolutionary adaptation

Much medical literature attributes persistently high rates of very low birthweight (VLBW) to "dysregulated" gestation. We offer the alternative view that natural selection conserved well-regulated, though nonconscious, decisional biology that protects the reproductive fitness of women by spontaneously aborting gestations that would otherwise yield frail infants, particularly small males. Modern obstetric practice, however, converts some fraction of these erstwhile spontaneous abortions into live births of very small infants. We further propose that the nonconscious decisional biology of gestation exhibits preferences also seen in consciously made decisions. We hypothesize that the incidence of VLBW among male infants should vary with the population's self-reported intentions to assume financial risk. We apply time-series modeling to monthly birth counts by sex and weight from the Swedish Medical Birth Registry between January 1993 and December 2010. We gauge risk aversion with monthly data from the Micro Index of the Swedish Consumer Tendency Survey (MISCT). Consistent with our argument that nonconscious decisional biology shares risk aversion with conscious decisions, we find that the incidence of VLBW among male infants in Sweden varies with the population's self-reported intentions to assume financial risk. We find increases above expected odds of a very low weight infant among males born 1 month after increases above expected levels of self-reported risk aversion in the Swedish population. We offer this finding as support for the argument that persistently high rates of VLBW arise, at least in part, from a combination of medical interventions and mechanisms conserved by natural selection to protect reproductive fitness.

Risk of miscarriage among users of corticosteroid hormones: a population-based nested case-control study

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this nested case-control study in Denmark was to study the association between use of corticosteroids and risk of miscarriage.

METHODS

We identified prescriptions for corticosteroids before the miscarriage/index date. We estimated odds ratios (ORs) for miscarriage and for early (<13 weeks) and late (13-21 weeks) miscarriage adjusting for age, history of diabetes and epilepsy, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use.

RESULTS

We identified 10,974 women with miscarriage and 109,740 controls. Prevalence of inhaled corticosteroid use within 60 days before the index date was 1.3% among the cases and 1.0% among the controls (OR = 1.20; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.44). Prevalence of oral corticosteroid use within 60 days before the index date was 0.3% for both cases and controls (OR = 0.78; 95% CI 0.53-1.15). For inhaled and oral corticosteroids, the ORs of early miscarriage were 1.22 (95% CI 1.01-1.49) and 0.81 (95% CI 0.55-1.20), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Use of inhaled corticosteroids was associated with a slightly increased risk of early miscarriage, but explanations alternative to causal ones were possible.