obstetrics

Scientific Reports, Published online: 18 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41598-026-66251-4 Patient satisfaction, access barriers, and maternal outcomes following epidural analgesia during labor in two west bank hospitals: a prospective comparative observational cohort study

Women carrying breech babies have a better chance of avoiding a cesarean delivery (C-section) when spinal or epidural anesthesia is used during external cephalic version (ECV), a procedure used to turn the baby head-down before labor, according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA).

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), including chronic hypertension, gestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, and HELLP syndrome, are major contributors to adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. However, epidemiological data from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) remain limited. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of HDP in a large tertiary c…

Preterm birth remains a major perinatal challenge, and management of women presenting with symptoms suggestive of early labor can shape admission, monitoring, medication use, and transfer pathways. In contemporary international practice, threatened preterm labor is generally managed within a risk-stratified framework, and tocolysis is used mainly for short-term obstetric purposes such as antenata…

Unusual behavior in the cells of mothers and babies with preeclampsia may provide new therapeutic targets for the condition, finds a new UCL-led study.

Study provides strong evidence that epidural analgesia in labour is safe for newborns, say researchers Having an epidural during labour is not associated with clinically significant increased risks of harm to newborn babies, including brain injury, severe breathing problems, sepsis and death, or cerebral palsy later in childhood. The researchers say these findings “support widening ...

Having an epidural during labor is not associated with clinically significant increased risks of harm to newborn babies, including brain injury, severe breathing problems, sepsis and death, or cerebral palsy later in childhood.

Study ObjectiveTo investigate the hemodynamic effects of rescue bolus administration of norepinephrine (NE) and phenylephrine (PE) in the treatment of hypotensive events in preeclamptic women with severe features following spinal anesthesia during cesarean section.MethodsA total of 40 preeclamptic women with severe features (n = 20 per group) experienced hypotensive events (defined as SBP below 8…

BackgroundOvarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is typically an iatrogenic complication of assisted reproductive techniques. Spontaneous OHSS is rare, particularly in singleton pregnancies and in the absence of known risk factors, and may present with atypical systemic manifestations such as hepatic involvement.Case reportWe report two cases of spontaneous OHSS in early singleton pregnancies w…

ObjectivesTo describe obstetric and perinatal outcomes of pregnant women with advanced maternal age (AMA) conceiving through in vitro fertilization (IVF) technology.MethodsA single-center prospective observational study was conducted between January and December 2024. All women aged 40 and older who conceived via IVF were included. Participants underwent regular prenatal follow-up in a maternal-f…

Gestational psittacosis is a rare but high-risk infection caused by Chlamydia psittaci, often leading to severe maternal complications and adverse fetal outcomes. We report a unique case of a 30-year-old woman at 22 + 5 weeks of gestation who presented with acute high fever and respiratory failure following bird exposure. The diagnosis of C. psittaci infection was rapidly confirmed via blood meta…

Pregnant women with a severe form of nausea face increased risks for several pregnancy and birth complications, according to a new Stanford Medicine study of 2.5 million California births.

BackgroundThe co-administration of neuraxial drugs can enhance analgesic effects and reduce adverse events associated with epidural labor analgesia. This study aimed to explore the effects of epidural analgesia supplemented with lidocaine on maternal intrapartum fever.MethodsThe control group received epidural analgesia with 0.1% ropivacaine and fentanyl 2 μg/mL, while Group L received epidural a…

Scientific Reports, Published online: 08 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41598-026-57100-5 Transperineal ultrasonography assisted examination improves maternal and neonatal outcomes of forceps delivery: a propensity-score-matched analysis

ObjectiveThis study aimed to describe the pregnancy outcomes in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SjD) and identify risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes (APO) in a prospective single center study.MethodsWe described the outcomes of 114 pregnant women who fulfilled the established criteria for SjD and analyzed the risk factors for adverse outcomes using multiple factors logistic reg…

BackgroundPreeclampsia seriously threatens maternal and infant health. Antihypertensive therapy is key to improving perinatal outcomes, yet comparative maternal-fetal evidence for oral agents remains limited.ObjectiveTo compare maternal–fetal outcomes of oral labetalol versus oral nifedipine in preeclampsia, informing individualized clinical treatment.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study includ…

Nature Medicine, Published online: 11 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41591-026-04400-y A first-in-human trial involving selective removal of the placental protein sFlt-1 in preterm pre-eclampsia provides critical safety data, and could mark the beginning of a new era of targeted therapy for this potentially lethal pregnancy complication.