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Objectives. To assess the use and timing of scheduled cesareans and other categories of cesarean delivery and the prevalence of neonatal morbidity among cesareans in Oregon before and after the implementation of Oregon's statewide policy limiting elective early deliveries. Data Sources. Oregon vital statistics records, 2008-2013. Study Design. Retrospective cohort study, with multivariable logistic regression, regression controlling for time trends, and interrupted time series analyses, to compare the odds of different categories of cesarean delivery and the odds of neonatal morbidity pre- and postpolicy. Data Collection/Extraction Methods. We analyzed vital statistics data on all term births in Oregon (2008-2013), excluding births in 2011. Principal Findings. The odds of early-term scheduled cesareans decreased postpolicy (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.70; 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.66-0.74). In the postpolicy period, there were mixed findings regarding assisted neonatal ventilation and neonatal intensive care unit admission, with regression models indicating higher postpolicy odds in some categories, but lower postpolicy odds after controlling for time trends. Conclusions. Oregon's hard stop policy limiting elective early-term cesarean delivery was associated with lower odds of cesarean delivery in the category of women who were targeted by the policy; more research is needed on impact of such policies on neonatal outcomes. Key Words. Health policy/politics/law/regulation, obstetrics/gynecology, maternal and perinatal care and outcomes, Over the past few decades, obstetric practice has been influenced by several factors, including the increasing frequency of advanced maternal age and increasing rates of maternal comorbidities (Kenny et al. [...]

Gestational diabetes is diabetes that occurs during pregnancy. Diabetes can be diagnosed by measuring the amount of glucose (sugar) present in the blood after a meal and by measuring the amount of sugar in the blood after drinking a solution containing large amounts of glucose, the glucose tolerance test (GTT). Those with diabetes will have high levels of sugar in their blood following a meal and following GTT. To determine if the results of glucose testing for diabetes are related to the outcome of the pregnancy, 608 pregnant women were studied. Eighty-eight of the women had abnormally high glucose levels detected by glucose screening. When GTTs were performed, 35 of the women had higher than normal levels of blood glucose (an abnormal GTT), and 48 had normal GTT. The mean infant birth weight and the incidence of infant morbidity and maternal morbidity were the same for those with normal GTTs and those who had abnormal GTTs. There was no relationship between the results of the GTTs and the incidence of birth trauma, cesarean delivery, or fetal macrosomia (oversized body). These findings indicate that the results of glucose testing had little relationship to the outcome of these pregnancies. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)