Search

BackgroundThe benefits and safety of the treatment of mild chronic hypertension (blood pressure,

ObjectiveTo examine maternal, psychosocial, and pregnancy factors associated with breastfeeding for at least 6 months in those giving birth for the first time.MethodsWe performed a planned secondary analysis of an observational cohort study of 5249 women giving birth for the first time. Women were contacted at least 6 months after delivery and provided information regarding breastfeeding initiation, duration, and exclusivity. Maternal demographics, psychosocial measures, and delivery methods were compared by breastfeeding groups.Results4712 (89.8%) of the women breastfed at some point, with 2739 (58.2%) breastfeeding for at least 6 months. Of those who breastfed, 1161 (24.7% of the entire cohort), breastfed exclusively for at least 6 months. In the multivariable model among those who ever breastfed, not smoking in the month prior to delivery (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.04, 95%CI 1.19-3.45), having a Master's degree of higher (aOR 1.89, 95%CI 1.51-2.36), having a planned pregnancy (aOR 1.48, 95%CI 1.27-1.73), older age (aOR 1.02, 95% CI, 1.01-1.04), lower BMI (aOR 0.96 95% CI 0.95-0.97), and having less anxiety measured during pregnancy (aOR 0.990, 95%CI 0.983-0.998) were associated with breastfeeding for at least 6 months. Compared to non-Hispanic White women, Hispanic women, while being more likely to breastfeed initially (aOR 1.40, 95%CI 1.02-1.92), were less likely to breastfeed for 6 months (aOR 0.72, 95%CI 0.59-0.88). While non-Hispanic Black women were less likely than non-Hispanic White women to initiate breastfeeding (aOR 0.68, 95%CI 0.51-0.90), the odds of non-Hispanic Black women of continuing to breastfeed for at least 6 months was similar to non-Hispanic White women (aOR 0.92, 95%CI 0.71-1.19).ConclusionsIn this cohort of women giving birth for the first time, duration of breastfeeding was associated with several characteristics which highlight groups at greater risk of not breastfeeding as long as currently recommended.Trial registrationNCT01322529 (nuMoM2b) and NCT02231398 (nuMoM2b-Heart Health).

ObjectiveThe aim of study is to compare the performance of ultrasonographic customized and population fetal growth standards for prediction adverse perinatal outcomes.Study designThis was a secondary analysis of the Nulliparous Pregnancy Outcomes Study: Monitoring Mothers-to-Be, in which l data were collected at visits throughout pregnancy and after delivery. Percentiles were assigned to estimated fetal weights (EFWs) measured at 22 to 29 weeks using the Hadlock population standard and a customized standard (www.gestation.net). Areas under the curve were compared for the prediction of composite and severe composite perinatal morbidity using EFW percentile.ResultsAmong 8,701 eligible study participants, the population standard diagnosed more fetuses with fetal growth restriction (FGR) than the customized standard (5.5 vs. 3.5%, p

Background Cardiovascular risk in young adulthood is an important determinant of lifetime cardiovascular disease risk. Women with adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) have increased cardiovascular risk, but the relationship of other factors is unknown. Methods and Results Among 4471 primiparous women, we related first-trimester atherogenic markers to risk of APO (hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, preterm birth, small for gestational age), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and hypertension (130/80 mm Hg or antihypertensive use) 2 to 7 years after delivery. Women with an APO/GDM (n=1102) had more atherogenic characteristics (obesity [34.2 versus 19.5%], higher blood pressure [systolic blood pressure 112.2 versus 108.4, diastolic blood pressure 69.2 versus 66.6 mm Hg], glucose [5.0 versus 4.8 mmol/L], insulin [77.6 versus 60.1 pmol/L], triglycerides [1.4 versus 1.3 mmol/L], and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [5.6 versus 4.0 nmol/L], and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [1.8 versus 1.9 mmol/L]; P

Maternal stress is a risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs). This study evaluates the associations of prenatal stress and APOs with maternal stress years after pregnancy. The 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) (0-40 range) was completed in the first and third trimesters, and 2-7 years after delivery among a subsample (n = 4161) of nulliparous women enrolled at eight US medical centers between 2010 and 2013 in a prospective, observational cohort study. Demographics, medical history, and presence of APOs (gestational diabetes (GDM), hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), preeclampsia (PE), and medically indicated or spontaneous preterm birth (miPTB, sPTB)) were obtained. The associations of prenatal PSS and the presence of APOs with PSS scores years after delivery were estimated using multivariable linear regression. Mean PSS scores were 12.5 (95% CI 12.3, 12.7) and 11.3 (95% CI 11.1, 11.5) in the first and third trimesters respectively and 14.9 (95% CI 14.7, 15.1) 2-7 years later, an average increase of 2.4 points (95% CI 2.2, 2.6) from the start of pregnancy. Regressing PSS scores after delivery on first-trimester PSS and PSS increase through pregnancy showed positive associations, with coefficients (95% CI) of 2.8 (2.7, 3.0) and 1.5 (1.3, 1.7) per 5-point change, respectively. Adding APO indicator variables separately showed higher PSS scores for women with HDP (0.7 [0.1, 1.3]), PE (1.3 [0.6, 2.1]), and miPTB (1.3 [0.2, 2.4]), but not those with GDM or sPTB. In this geographically and demographically diverse sample, prenatal stress and some APOs were positively associated with stress levels 2-7 years after pregnancy.ClinicalTrials.gov Registration number NCT02231398.

BackgroundAlthough uterine contractions have a diurnal periodicity and increase in frequency during hours of darkness, data on the relationship between sleep duration and sleep timing patterns and preterm birth are limited.ObjectiveWe sought to examine the relationship of self-reported sleep duration and timing in pregnancy with preterm birth.Study designIn the prospective Nulliparous Pregnancy Outcome Study: Monitoring Mothers-to-be cohort, women completed a survey of sleep patterns at 6-13 weeks gestation (visit 1) and again at 22-29 weeks gestation (visit 3). Additionally, at 16-21 weeks gestation (visit 2), a subgroup completed a weeklong actigraphy recording of their sleep. Weekly averages of self-reported sleep duration and sleep midpoint were calculated. A priori, sleep duration of 5 am) was associated with preterm birth . Women with a late sleep midpoint (>5 am) in early pregnancy had a preterm birth rate of 9.5%, compared with 6.9% for women with sleep midpoint ≤5 am (P=.005). Similarly, women with a late sleep midpoint had a higher rate of spontaneous preterm birth (6.2% vs 4.4%; P=.019). Comparable results were observed for women with a late sleep midpoint at visit 3 (all preterm birth 8.9% vs 6.6%; P=.009; spontaneous preterm birth 5.9% vs 4.3%; P=.023). All adjusted analyses on self-reported sleep midpoint (models 1 and 2) maintained statistical significance (P

ObjectiveTo examine the relationship between prospectively assessed maternal sleep position and subsequent adverse pregnancy outcomes.MethodsThis was a secondary analysis of a prospective observational multicenter cohort study of nulliparous women with singleton gestations who were enrolled between October 2010 and May 2014. Participants had three study visits that were not part of clinical care. They prospectively completed in-depth sleep questionnaires between 6 0/7 and 13 6/7 weeks of gestation and 22 0/7 and 29 6/7 weeks of gestation, the first and third study visits. A subset of women also underwent level 3 home sleep tests using the Embletta Gold device. The primary outcome was a composite of adverse pregnancy outcomes such as stillbirth, a small-for-gestational-age newborn, and gestational hypertensive disorders.ResultsA total of 8,706 (of 10,038) women had data from at least one sleep questionnaire and for pregnancy outcomes, and they comprised the population for this analysis. The primary outcome occurred in 1,903 pregnancies (22%). There was no association between reported non-left lateral or supine sleep during the last week of the first visit (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.00 [95% CI 0.89-1.14]) or third visit (aOR 0.99 [95% CI 0.89-1.11] and the composite or any individual outcome, except for an apparent protective effect for stillbirth at the third visit (aOR 0.27 (95% CI 0.09-0.75). Women with objectively measured supine sleep position for at least 50% of the time were no more likely than those in the supine position 50% or less of the time to have the composite adverse outcome.ConclusionsGoing to sleep in the supine or right lateral position, as self-reported before the development of pregnancy outcome and objectively assessed through 30 weeks of gestation, was not associated with an increased risk of stillbirth, a small-for-gestational-age newborn, or gestational hypertensive disorders.

Background Identifying pregnancy-associated risk factors before the development of major cardiovascular disease events could provide opportunities for prevention. The objective of this study was to determine the association between outcomes in first pregnancies and subsequent cardiovascular health. Methods and Results The Nulliparous Pregnancy Outcomes Study Monitoring Mothers-to-be Heart Health Study is a prospective observational cohort that followed 4484 women 2 to 7 years (mean 3.2 years) after their first pregnancy. Adverse pregnancy outcomes (defined as hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, small-for-gestational-age birth, preterm birth, and stillbirth) were identified prospectively in 1017 of the women (22.7%) during this pregnancy. The primary outcome was incident hypertension (HTN). Women without adverse pregnancy outcomes served as controls. Risk ratios (RR) and 95% CIs were adjusted for age, smoking, body mass index, insurance type, and race/ethnicity at enrollment during pregnancy. The overall incidence of HTN was 5.4% (95% CI 4.7% to 6.1%). Women with adverse pregnancy outcomes had higher adjusted risk of HTN at follow-up compared with controls (RR 2.4, 95% CI 1.8-3.1). The association held for individual adverse pregnancy outcomes: any hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (RR 2.7, 95% CI 2.0-3.6), preeclampsia (RR 2.8, 95% CI 2.0-4.0), and preterm birth (RR 2.7, 95% CI 1.9-3.8). Women who had an indicated preterm birth and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy had the highest risk of HTN (RR 4.3, 95% CI 2.7-6.7). Conclusions Several pregnancy complications in the first pregnancy are associated with development of HTN 2 to 7 years later. Preventive care for women should include a detailed pregnancy history to aid in counseling about HTN risk. Clinical Trial Registration URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov Unique identifier: NCT02231398.

Study objectivesTo examine the relationship of self-reported sleep during pregnancy with adverse pregnancy outcomes. A secondary objective was to describe the concordance between self-reported and objectively assessed sleep during pregnancy.MethodsIn this prospective cohort, women completed a survey of sleep patterns at 6 to 13 weeks' gestation (visit 1) and again at 22 to 29 weeks' gestation (visit 3). Additionally, at 16 to 21 weeks (visit 2), a subgroup completed a week-long sleep diary coincident with an actigraphy recording. Weekly averages of self-reported sleep duration and sleep midpoint were calculated. A priori, sleep duration < 7 hours was defined as "short," and sleep midpoint after 5:00 AM was defined as "late." The relationship of these sleep abnormalities with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) was determined.ResultsOf the 10,038 women enrolled, sleep survey data were available for 7,524 women at visit 1 and 7,668 women at visit 3. A total of 752 women also provided ≥ 5 days of sleep diary data coincident with actigraphy at visit 2. We did not observe any consistent relationship between self-reported short sleep and HDP or GDM. There was an association between self-reported late sleep midpoint and GDM (visit 1 adjusted odds ratio 1.67, 95% confidence interval 1.17, 2.38; visit 2 adjusted odds ratio 1.73, 95% confidence interval 1.23, 2.43). At visit 2, 77.1% of participants had concordance between their diary and actigraphy for short sleep duration, whereas 94.3% were concordant for sleep midpoint.ConclusionsSelf-reported sleep midpoint, which is more accurate than self-reported sleep duration, is associated with the risk of GDM.Clinical trial registrationRegistry: ClinicalTrials.gov, Title: Pregnancy as a Window to Future Cardiovascular Health: Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes as Predictors of Increased Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease, Identifier: NCT02231398, URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02231398.

BackgroundAlthough leisure-time physical activity (PA) contributes to overall health, including pregnancy health, patterns across pregnancy have not been related to birth outcomes. We hypothesized that women with sustained low leisure-time PA would have excess risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, and that changing patterns across pregnancy (high to low and low to high) may also be related to risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.MethodsNulliparous women (n = 10,038) were enrolled at 8 centers early in pregnancy (mean gestational age in weeks [SD] = 12.05 [1.51]. Frequency, duration, and intensity (metabolic equivalents) of up to three leisure activities reported in the first, second and third trimesters were analyzed. Growth mixture modeling was used to identify leisure-time PA patterns across pregnancy. Adverse pregnancy outcomes (preterm birth, [PTB, overall and spontaneous], hypertensive disorders of pregnancy [HDP], gestational diabetes [GDM] and small-for-gestational-age births [SGA]) were assessed via chart abstraction.ResultsFive patterns of leisure-time PA across pregnancy were identified: High (35%), low (18%), late decreasing (24%), early decreasing (10%), and early increasing (13%). Women with sustained low leisure-time PA were younger and more likely to be black or Hispanic, obese, or to have smoked prior to pregnancy. Women with low vs. high leisure-time PA patterns had higher rates of PTB (10.4 vs. 7.5), HDP (13.9 vs. 11.4), and GDM (5.7 vs. 3.1, all p

Objective We sought to (1) use the Robson 10-Group Classification System (TGCS), which classifies deliveries into 10 mutually exclusive groups, to characterize the groups that are primary contributors to cesarean delivery frequencies, (2) describe inter-hospital variations in cesarean delivery frequencies, and (3) evaluate the contribution of patient characteristics by TGCS group to hospital variation in cesarean delivery frequencies. Study Design This was a secondary analysis of an observational cohort of 115,502 deliveries from 25 hospitals between 2008 and 2011. The TGCS was applied to the cohort and each hospital. We identified and compared the TGCS groups with the greatest relative contributions to cohort and hospital cesarean delivery frequencies. We assessed variation in hospital cesarean deliveries attributable to patient characteristics within TGCS groups using hierarchical logistic regression. Results A total of 115,211 patients were classifiable in the TGCS (99.7%). The cohort cesarean delivery frequency was 31.4% (hospital range: 19.1–39.3%). Term singletons in vertex presentation with a prior cesarean delivery (group 5) were the greatest relative contributor to cohort (34.8%) and hospital cesarean delivery frequencies (median: 33.6%; range: 23.8–45.5%). Nulliparous term singletons in vertex (NTSV) presentation (groups 1 [spontaneous labor] and 2 [induced or absent labor]: 28.9%), term singletons in vertex presentation with a prior cesarean delivery (group 5: 34.8%), and preterm singletons in vertex presentation (group 10: 9.8%) contributed to 73.2% of the relative cesarean delivery frequency for the cohort and were correlated with hospital cesarean delivery frequencies (Spearman's rho = 0.96). Differences in patient characteristics accounted for 34.1% of hospital-level cesarean delivery variation in group 2. Conclusion The TGCS highlights the contribution of NTSV presentation to cesarean delivery frequencies and the impact of patient characteristics on hospital-level variation in cesarean deliveries among nulliparous patients with induced or absent labor. Key Points We report on the cesarean delivery frequencies in a multicenter U.S. cohort. NTSV gestations (groups 1 and 2) are a primary driver of cesarean deliveries. Patient characteristics contributed most to hospital variation in cesarean deliveries in group 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveTo characterize prescription and other medication use in a geographically and ethnically diverse cohort of women in their first pregnancy.MethodsIn a prospective, longitudinal cohort study of nulliparous women followed through pregnancy from the first trimester, medication use was chronicled longitudinally throughout pregnancy. Structured questions and aids were used to capture all medications taken as well as reasons they were taken. Total counts of all medications taken including number in each category and class were captured. Additionally, reasons the medications were taken were recorded. Trends in medications taken across pregnancy and in the first trimester were determined.ResultsOf the 9,546 study participants, 9,272 (97.1%) women took at least one medication during pregnancy with 9,139 (95.7%) taking a medication in the first trimester. Polypharmacy, defined as taking at least five medications, occurred in 2,915 (30.5%) women. Excluding vitamins, supplements, and vaccines, 73.4% of women took a medication during pregnancy with 55.1% taking one in the first trimester. The categories of drugs taken in pregnancy and in the first trimester include the following: gastrointestinal or antiemetic agents (34.3%, 19.5%), antibiotics (25.5%, 12.6%), and analgesics (23.7%, 15.6%, which includes 3.6%; 1.4% taking an opioid pain medication).ConclusionIn this geographically and ethnically diverse cohort of nulliparous pregnant women, medication use was nearly universal and polypharmacy was common.Clinical trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01322529.

BACKGROUND:Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is common in pregnancy, but there are limited data on predictors. OBJECTIVES:The objective of this study was to develop predictive models of sleep-disordered breathing during pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN:Nulliparous women completed validated questionnaires to assess for symptoms related to snoring, fatigue, excessive daytime sleepiness, insomnia, and restless leg syndrome. The questionnaires included questions regarding the timing of sleep and sleep duration, work schedules (eg, shift work, night work), sleep positions, and previously diagnosed sleep disorders. Frequent snoring was defined as self-reported snoring ≥3 days per week. Participants underwent in-home portable sleep studies for sleep-disordered breathing assessment in early (6-15 weeks gestation) and mid pregnancy (22-31 weeks gestation). Sleep-disordered breathing was characterized by an apnea hypopnea index that included all apneas, plus hypopneas with ≥3% oxygen desaturation. For primary analyses, an apnea hypopnea index ≥5 events per hour was used to define sleep-disordered breathing. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for predictor variables. Predictive ability of the logistic models was estimated with area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curves, along with sensitivities, specificities, and positive and negative predictive values and likelihood ratios. RESULTS:Among 3705 women who were enrolled, data were available for 3264 and 2512 women in early and mid pregnancy, respectively. The corresponding prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing was 3.6% and 8.3%, respectively. At each time point in gestation, frequent snoring, chronic hypertension, greater maternal age, body mass index, neck circumference, and systolic blood pressure were associated most strongly with an increased risk of sleep-disordered breathing. Logistic regression models that included current age, body mass index, and frequent snoring predicted sleep-disordered breathing in early pregnancy, sleep-disordered breathing in mid pregnancy, and new onset sleep-disordered breathing in mid pregnancy with 10-fold cross-validated area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curves of 0.870, 0.838, and 0.809. We provide a supplement with expanded tables, integrated predictiveness, classification curves, and an predicted probability calculator. CONCLUSION:Among nulliparous pregnant women, logistic regression models with just 3 variables (ie, age, body mass index, and frequent snoring) achieved good prediction of prevalent and incident sleep-disordered breathing. These results can help with screening for sleep-disordered breathing in the clinical setting and for future clinical treatment trials.

ObjectiveTo assess the relationships between self-reported psychosocial stress and preterm birth, hypertensive disease of pregnancy, and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) birth and to assess the extent to which these relationships account for racial and ethnic disparities in these adverse outcomes.MethodsSelf-reported measures of psychosocial stress (perceived stress, depression, racism, anxiety, resilience, and social support) were collected during pregnancy among a racially and ethnically diverse cohort of women enrolled in a prospective observational study of nulliparous women with singleton pregnancies, from eight clinical sites across the United States, between October 2010 and May 2014. The associations of preterm birth, hypertensive disease of pregnancy, and SGA birth with the self-reported measures of psychosocial stress as well as with race and ethnicity were evaluated.ResultsThe study included 9,470 women (60.4% non-Hispanic white, 13.8% non-Hispanic black, 16.7% Hispanic, 4.0% Asian, and 5.0% other). Non-Hispanic black women were significantly more likely to experience any preterm birth, hypertensive disease of pregnancy, and SGA birth than were non-Hispanic white women (12.2% vs 8.0%, 16.7% vs 13.4%, and 17.2% vs 8.6%, respectively; P