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There appears to be an incompressible high rate of preterm births among populations of African origin irrespective of their geographic location. The objective of this study was to assess the risk factors for preterm birth in a French Caribbean population of African descent, offered medical care comparable to that on the French mainland, but presenting a higher rate of preterm birth. The study was based on a birth cohort at maternity hospitals in Guadeloupe (French West Indies) including 911 singleton pregnancies enrolled during their third trimester check-up visits. Associations between risk factors and the risk of preterm delivery (spontaneous and induced) were assessed using a multivariate Cox model. In addition, prevalences of sociodemographic and medical factors in Guadeloupe were compared with those on the French mainland. 144 women (15.8 %) delivered preterm, medically induced in 52 %. Women delivering preterm were more often over 35 years old (37 %), single (54 %), and had higher prevalence of prior preterm birth (20 %), prior miscarriage (37 %), lupus (3 %), asthma (14 %), gestational hypertension (26 %), gestational diabetes (13 %) and urinary tract infection (24 %) than women with term births. In the whole cohort, these risk factors were also more frequent than in mainland France. Our results suggest highly prevalent medical risk factors for preterm births in Guadeloupe. This observation combined with specific social risk factors (older maternal age, single living) less frequent on the French mainland probably explains a large part of a higher prevalence of preterm births in this population despite similar medical provision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The aim of the study was to assess whether HIV infection is associated with a higher risk of invasive cervical cancer (ICC). Methods We conducted a region-wide, population-based observational cohort study of 1232 HIV-infected women over the age of 15 years in Guadeloupe, a French Caribbean archipelago, during the period 1999-2006. The observed numbers of incident cases of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and ICC were compared with the expected numbers of cases based on the incidence rates for the general population, and the standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Results The incidence rate of CIN was higher in the HIV-infected women than in the general population for all grades (SIR 10.1, 95% CI 6.8-14.6 for CIN grade 1; SIR 9.9, 95% CI 6.1-15.3 for CIN grade 2; and SIR 5.2, 95% CI 3.4-7.7 for CIN grade 3). However, no increase in the risk of ICC was observed (SIR 1.7, 95% CI 0.3-4.9). Conclusions Despite an increase in the occurrence of cervical cancer precursors, no increase in the risk of cervical cancer was found in a population of HIV-infected women who receive treatment for their infection and have access to ICC prevention services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present in this study the results of a retrospective analysis comparing a group of ongoing triplet pregnancies and a group of triplet pregnancies reduced to twins. These two groups were managed in the same way between January 1993 and April 1996 in hospital. Mean gestational age at birth was comparable in both groups of patients. Prematurity rate was lower in the reduced pregnancies group (62.5 versus 95.6%, P < 0.05). Severe prematurity (<32 weeks) was not different in the two groups. The percentage of Caesarean section was lower in the reduced group (23.5 versus 70.8%, P < 0.01). No significant difference was observed for perinatal mortality. Newborns of ongoing triplet pregnancies had a higher percentage (67.7 versus 86.8%) of hospitalization in the intensive neonatal care unit and a tendency towards lower birthweight. The differences observed in this study do not seem to represent a decisive benefit for reducing triplet pregnancies. Due to the progress in the management of multiple pregnancies and neonatal intensive care, we think that embryo reduction should no longer be justified by obstetric benefits but rather as a possibility offered to couples who could be confronted with the potential severe psychological, social and economic problems of triple births. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is increasing evidence that reproductive abnormalities are increasing in frequency in both human population and among wild fauna. This increase is probably related to exposure to toxic contaminants in the environment. The use of sentinel species to raise alarms relating to human reproductive health has been strongly recommended. However, no simultaneous studies at the same site have been carried out in recent decades to evaluate the utility of wild animals for monitoring human reproductive disorders. We carried out a joint study in Guadeloupe assessing the reproductive function of workers exposed to pesticides in banana plantations and of male wild rats living in these plantations.Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed to assess semen quality and reproductive hormones in banana workers and in men working in non-agricultural sectors. These reproductive parameters were also assessed in wild rats captured in the plantations and were compared with those in rats from areas not directly polluted by humans.Results: No significant difference in sperm characteristics and/or hormones was found between workers exposed and not exposed to pesticide. By contrast, rats captured in the banana plantations had lower testosterone levels and gonadosomatic indices than control rats.Conclusion: Wild rats seem to be more sensitive than humans to the effects of pesticide exposure on reproductive health. We conclude that the concept of sentinel species must be carefully validated as the actual nature of exposure may varies between human and wild species as well as the vulnerable time period of exposure and various ecological factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]