What Role Does Hispanic/Latina Ethnicity Play in the Relationship Between Maternal Mental Health and Preterm Birth?

Objective: To investigate the association of prepregnancy and prenatal depression and/or anxiety on preterm birth (PTB), while also exploring Hispanic/Latina ethnicity as a potential effect modifier. Methods: Study population included respondents of UT-PRAMS (2016-2019). Associations between prepregnancy and prenatal depression and/or anxiety and PTB were evaluated using Poisson regression models accounting for stratified survey sampling. Results: Women with prepregnancy and prenatal depression and anxiety, compared to those without, had a 67 percent (95% CI: 19%, 134%) higher probability of experiencing PTB, after controlling for relevant sociodemographic, lifestyle, and reproductive history factors. Impact of depression on PTB was slightly higher than impact of anxiety. Hispanic/Latina ethnicity was found to protect against PTB for those with prepregnancy and prenatal depression alone (aPR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.24, 1.21) or both depression and anxiety (aPR: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.18, 1.40) compared to being non-Hispanic/Latina (aPR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.25, 2.55 for depression alone; aPR: 1.62, 95% CI: 1.18, 2.21 for depression and anxiety). Conclusions: Overall, Utah women reporting prepregnancy and prenatal depression and anxiety were more likely to have a PTB. Being of Hispanic/Latina ethnicity was found to mitigate the risk of PTB among women with depression and anxiety. Implications: Prepregnancy and prenatal mental health screenings and treatment are key to lessening the impacts of depression and anxiety on both mother and infant. Hispanic/Latina ethnicity may be protective against PTB among women experiencing mental distress. Whether this is through increased social support or through a different mechanism should be explored in future research.

Characteristics of Long-Term Survivors of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To identify characteristics associated with long-term survival for patients with epithelial ovarian cancer using the California Cancer Registry. METHODS: A descriptive analysis of survival of all California residents diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer between 1994 and 2001 was conducted using patients identified through the cancer registry with follow-up through 2011. Characteristics of the patients who survived more than 10 years (long-term survivors) were compared with three other cohorts: patients who survived less than 2 years, those who survived at least 2 but no more than 5 years, and those who survived at least 5 but no more than 10 years. RESULTS: A total of 3,582 out of 11,541 (31%, confidence interval 30.2-31.8%) of the patients survived more than 10 years. Younger age, early stage, low-grade, and nonserous histology were significant predictors of long-term survival, but long-term survivors also included women with high-risk cancer. CONCLUSION: Long-term survival is not unusual in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer, even in those with high-risk disease. Many of the prognostic factors are well known, but it remains to be determined why some patients with advanced-stage high-grade cancers survive longer than others with the same histology. These findings are important for patient counseling. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Relative toxicity of bifenthrin to Hyalella azteca in 10 day versus 28 day exposures.

Many watersheds in the Central Valley region of California are listed as impaired due to pyrethroid-associated sediment toxicity. The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board is developing numeric sediment quality criteria for pyrethroids, beginning with bifenthrin. Criteria are being developed using existing data, along with data from 10 d and 28 d toxicity tests with Hyalella azteca conducted as part of the current study. A single range-finder and 2 definitive tests were conducted for each test duration. Median lethal concentrations (LC50s), as well as LC20s and inhibition concentrations (IC20s) were calculated based on measured whole sediment bifenthrin concentrations and interstitial water concentrations. Sediment LC50s were also corrected for organic C content. Average LC50s were not significantly different in 10 d versus 28 d tests with H. azteca: 9.1 and 9.6 ng/g bifenthrin for 10 d and 28 d tests, respectively. Average LC20 values were also similar with concentrations at 7.1 and 7.0 for 10 d and 28 d tests, respectively. Bifenthrin inhibition concentrations (IC20s) based on amphipod growth were variable, particularly in the 28 d tests, where a clear dose-response relationship was observed in only 1 of the definitive experiments. Average amphipod growth IC20s were 3.9 and 9.0 ng/g for 10 d and 28 d tests, respectively. Amphipod growth calculated as biomass resulted in IC20s of 4.1 and 6.3 ng/g for the 10 d and 28 d tests, respectively. Lack of a clear growth effect in the longer term test may be related to the lack of food adjustment to account for amphipod mortality in whole sediment exposures. The average C-corrected LC50s were 1.03 and 1.09 µg/g OC for the 10 d and 28 d tests, respectively. Interstitial water LC50s were determined as the measured dissolved concentration of bifenthrin relative to interstitial water dissolved organic carbon. The average LC50s for dissolved interstitial water bifenthrin were 4.23 and 4.28 ng/L for the 10 d and 28 d tests, respectively. In addition, a set of 10 d and 28 d tests were conducted at 15 °C to assess the relative toxicity of bifenthrin at a lower temperature than the standard 23 °C test temperature. These results showed that bifenthrin was more toxic at the lower temperature, with LC50s of 5.1 and 3.4 ng/g bifenthrin in 10 d and 28 d tests, respectively. Amphipod growth at 15 °C after a 28 d exposure resulted in the lowest effect concentration of all experiments conducted (IC20 = 0.61 ng/g). This article discusses how bifenthrin dose-response data from 10 d and 28 d exposures inform development of sediment quality criteria for this pesticide for California Central Valley watersheds.

Foley catheter compared with the controlled-release dinoprostone insert: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To assess efficacy of the Foley catheter compared with the dinoprostone vaginal insert for beginning labor inductions at or near term. METHODS: We performed a multicenter randomized controlled trial. We enrolled women at 36 weeks of gestation or greater with a singleton live fetus in cephalic presentation, intact membranes, an unfavorable cervix (dilation less than 3 cm; if 2 cm, less than 80% effaced), and no contraindication to labor or either study agent. Women were allocated to either a cervical Foley catheter inflated to 30 mL or dinoprostone for up to 12 hours. Oxytocin was allowed only after study agent removal. The primary outcome was time from agent placement to delivery. Secondary outcomes included delivery by 24 hours, vaginal delivery by 24 hours, time to vaginal delivery, cesarean delivery rate, and rate of tachysystole. Analysis was by intent-to-treat. RESULTS: We enrolled 376 patients, 185 allocated to Foley catheter and 191 to dinoprostone. In the Foley catheter group, time to delivery was shorter (median 21.6 compared with 26.6 hours; P=.003), more patients delivered within 24 hours (56% compared with 40%; P=.003), more delivered vaginally within 24 hours (44% compared with 30%; P=.004), and time to vaginal delivery was shorter (median 20.1 compared with 24.3 hours; P=.005). The cesarean delivery rates were 29% compared with 39% (P=.07). Uterine tachysystole occurred in 0% compared with 3% (P=.06). CONCLUSION: Starting labor inductions with a Foley catheter, compared with the dinoprostone vaginal insert, results in a shorter time to delivery and a higher proportion of women delivered and delivered vaginally within 24 hours. Cesarean delivery rates were not statistically significantly different. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01402050. LEVEL OF EVIEDENCE: I.