The early determinants of career choices for medical students following an obstetrics and gynaecology placement: Mixed methods study.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the impact of attending a clinical placement in considering a career in obstetrics and gynaecology. DESIGN: Mixed methods study. SETTING: London Medical School. POPULATION: Fifth year medical students attending a clinical placement in obstetrics and gynaecology. METHODS: Between January 2021 and January 2022, questionnaires were used and semi-structured focus groups conducted, which were audio-recorded. Descriptive statistics were conducted and a framework analysis on transcribed focus groups. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The impact of the clinical placement on career choice. RESULTS: Six main themes were identified from the analysis; three contributing to considering a career in obstetrics and gynaecology; pregnancy is not an illness, extraordinary experience of observing childbirth and variable specialty and three themes emerged contributing to not considering a career; lack of work-life balance, high stakes specialty and the emotional toll. Even at an undergraduate level, medical students exhibited concerns about the long-term feasibility of achieving work-life balance and avoiding professional burnout, which was partly attributed to the responsibility of looking after both the woman and their baby. CONCLUSIONS: Obstetrics and gynaecology is perceived as an exciting and variable speciality by medical students. Students' experiences on the labour ward during a clinical placement appear to contribute to the consideration of a career in obstetrics and gynaecology. Students should be given opportunities to discuss their concerns about obstetrics, particularly over the potential psychological impact of adverse/traumatic birth events. It is crucial to provide a realistic introduction to obstetrics, to recruit enthusiastic junior doctors who will be resilient to the pressures of the speciality, to avoid burnout and minimise attrition rates.

Pregnancy in women with congenital heart disease: a focus on management and preventing the risk of complications.

INTRODUCTION: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common cardiac disorder in pregnancy in the western world (around 80%). Due to improvements in surgical interventions more women with CHD are surviving to adulthood and choosing to become pregnant. AREAS COVERED: Preconception counseling, antenatal management of CHDs and strategies to prevent maternal and fetal complications.Preconception counseling should start early, before the transition to adult care and be offered to both men and women. It should include the choice of contraception, lifestyle modifications, pre-pregnancy optimization of cardiac state, the chance of the child inheriting a similar cardiac lesion, the risks to the mother, and long-term prognosis. Pregnancy induces marked physiological changes in the cardiovascular system that may precipitate cardiac complications. Risk stratification is based on the underlying cardiac disease and data from studies including CARPREG, ZAHARA, and ROPAC. EXPERT OPINION: Women with left to right shunts, regurgitant lesions, and most corrected CHDs are at lower risk and can be managed in secondary care. Complex CHD, including systemic right ventricle need expert counseling in a tertiary center. Those with severe stenotic lesions, pulmonary artery hypertension, and Eisenmenger's syndrome should avoid pregnancy, be given effective contraception and managed in a tertiary center if pregnancy does happen.

Multifaceted Fontan Patients and Their Response to Pregnancy.

We present 4 patients with Fontan circulation who underwent successful pregnancies, albeit with complications that required close monitoring and timely intervention. Each Fontan patient presents with a unique clinical picture, making risk stratification challenging but all the more important.

Preparing for the Unexpected: A Review of Incidental Extraspinal Findings on Computed Tomography/Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Spine.

Potentially clinically important incidental/unexpected extraspinal findings occur with sufficient frequency in cross-sectional imaging of the spine to warrant the radiologist's careful consideration, regardless of whether the interpreter is a neuroradiologist, a musculoskeletal radiologist, an emergency radiologist, or a generalist. Awareness of the commonly encountered incidentalomas and the anatomy contained within the field of view of cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine cross-sectional imaging examinations, respectively, assists radiologists in their efficient and accurate analysis. This article familiarizes radiologists with some of the potential relevant extraspinal findings that may be encountered, and recommends an extraspinal search pattern for each spinal segment.

Effect of Pregnancy on Ventricular and Aortic Dimensions in Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot.

BACKGROUND: The aim was to assess whether cardiovascular adaptation to pregnancy in women with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) adversely affects hemodynamic stability, in particular with respect to right ventricular (RV) dilatation, pulmonary regurgitation, or aortic root dilatation. METHODS AND RESULTS: This was a retrospective cohort study of women with repaired TOF with paired cardiovascular magnetic resonance scans before and after their first pregnancy (baseline RV end systolic volume index 49 mL/m2 and RV end diastolic volume index 118 mL/m2) matched with a comparison group of nulliparous women with TOF. Cases were matched for age at baseline cardiovascular magnetic resonance scan, time between follow-up of cardiovascular magnetic resonance scans, QRS duration, RV ejection fraction, and indexed RV end systolic and diastolic volume at baseline. Effect of pregnancy and time on parameters was assessed using mixed-effects modelling. Nineteen women with repaired TOF who had completed their first pregnancy were identified and matched with 38 nulliparous women. We observed no deleterious effects of pregnancy on RV volumes, aortic dimensions, or exercise data. There was an effect of pregnancy observed in both left ventricular end diastolic volume and left ventricular stroke volume, consistent with a sustained small increase in left ventricular stroke volume attributed to pregnancy (53-55 mL/m2). CONCLUSIONS: Women with repaired TOF and with mild-to-moderate RV dilatation considering pregnancy can be reassured that pregnancy is unlikely to cause deterioration in their cardiovascular status. We recommend that women are routinely assessed and followed up before and after pregnancy and that prepregnancy counseling is tailored to their individual clinical status.

Management of Marfan Syndrome during pregnancy: A real world experience from a Joint Cardiac Obstetric Service.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy in Marfan Syndrome (MFS) is associated with increased maternal risk of cardiovascular events. Given the maternal and genetic risks, pre-conception counselling is essential to facilitate informed choices. Multidisciplinary antenatal care with regular imaging is mandatory and best delivered through a Joint Cardiac Obstetric Service (JCOS). The aim of this study was to compare the care delivered in a JCOS against recognised international standards (European Society of Cardiology (ESC)). METHODS: Pregnancies in women with MFS from 2005 to 2015 were identified from our institutional database. Patient records were reviewed and practice assessed against pre-determined standards based on ESC guidelines. RESULTS: There were 23 pregnancies in 15 women with MFS. 13/23 (57%) occurred in women with aortic dilatation at baseline. There were 3 important maternal cardiac events (type A dissection; deterioration in left ventricular function; significant left ventricular and progressive aortic dilatation). Four women did not have access to expert pre-conception counselling. These women were all referred to the JCOS late in established pregnancy. Imaging was often delayed and only 7/23 cases (30%) met the standard for minimum frequency of echocardiographic surveillance. Only 12/23 (52%) had pre-conception imaging of the whole aorta with CT/MRI. Distal aortic dilatation was identified in 7/23 cases but none of these underwent further MRI evaluation during pregnancy. CONCLUSION: Despite having a dedicated JCOS, our data show that facilitating complete obstetric and cardiac care for this group remains challenging. Education of local care providers and timely referral for expert pre-conception counselling in a JCOS are key.

Managing subfertility in patients with heart disease: What are the choices?

More women with heart disease are reaching reproductive age and will want to embark upon pregnancy. Furthermore, many of these women are delaying pregnancy until later in life when they may be exposed to a greater number of complications from their heart disease. A relatively high proportion of these women will pursue fertility treatment to achieve a pregnancy; consequently, the management of subfertile couples where the woman (or man) has heart disease is of growing importance. In this review, we discuss how fertility investigations and treatment can impact a women with heart disease and how some of the potential complications can be minimized or avoided. We also consider surrogacy, which is an important option when pregnancy is contraindicated.

Clinical report: the joint obstetric and psychiatric management of phobic anxiety disorders in pregnancy.

Women who struggle with distressing pregnancy-related phobic anxiety disorders are regularly encountered in maternity services, and their management poses particular challenges. Early identification is crucial in order to offer an opportunity to treat and manage their fears and enable a positive birth experience. In this article, women with different phobias (tokophobia, emetophobia and ante-cubital fossa phobia) describe their first pregnancy experience, and the ways in which the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital offered them joint maternity and psychiatric care. A multidisciplinary hospital-based approach can be effective in managing mental health problems in pregnancy. Despite maternal preconceptions and professional misgivings, this approach can work for women with phobias and enable a good birth experience and successful mother and infant bonding. The lead obstetrician for mental health and perinatal psychiatrist describe their roles in enabling successful outcomes for both the current and subsequent pregnancies. The case is made for training of maternity staff in both the identification of severe pregnancy phobias and the prompt referral for shared psychiatric and maternity care. Even if previous treatments have failed, adequate coping strategies for childbirth may be achieved in a short time frame. Long-term improvements in the phobia itself may also be found.

A case-control study of maternal periconceptual and pregnancy recreational drug use and fetal malformation using hair analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Maternal recreational drug use may be associated with the development of fetal malformations such as gastroschisis, brain and limb defects, the aetiology due to vascular disruption during organogenesis. Using forensic hair analysis we reported evidence of recreational drug use in 18% of women with a fetal gastroschisis. Here we investigate this association in a variety of fetal malformations using the same method. METHODS: In a multi-centre study, women with normal pregnancies (controls) and those with fetal abnormalities (cases) gave informed consent for hair analysis for recreational drug metabolites using mass spectrometry. Hair samples cut at the root were tested in sections corresponding to 3 month time periods (pre and periconceptual period). RESULTS: Women whose fetus had gastroschisis, compared to women with a normal control fetus, were younger (mean age 23.78 ± SD4.79 years, 18-37 vs 29.79 ± SD6 years, 18-42, p = 0.00001), were more likely to have evidence of recreational drug use (15, 25.4% vs 21, 13%, OR2.27, 95thCI 1.08-4.78, p = 0.028), and were less likely to report periconceptual folic acid use (31, 53.4% vs 124, 77.5%, OR0.33, 95thCI 0.18-0.63, p = 0.001). Age-matched normal control women were no less likely to test positive for recreational drugs than women whose fetus had gastroschisis. After accounting for all significant factors, only young maternal age remained significantly associated with gastroschisis. Women with a fetus affected by a non-neural tube central nervous system (CNS) anomaly were more likely to test positive for recreational drugs when compared to women whose fetus was normal (7, 35% vs 21, 13%, OR3.59, 95th CI1.20-10.02, p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate a significant association between non neural tube CNS anomalies and recreational drug use in the periconceptual period, first or second trimesters, but we cannot confirm this association with gastroschisis. We confirm the association of gastroschisis with young maternal age.

Is operative delivery associated with postnatal back pain at eight weeks and eight months? A cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Back pain is very common during pregnancy and postnatally, and is a serious cause of morbidity. This research investigates the prevalence of antenatal back pain and the associations between mode of delivery and postnatal back pain at 8 weeks and 8 months. METHODS: A prospective population-based cohort based in Avon, UK. Some 14,663 women were recruited antenatally, due between 1 April 1991 and 31 December 1992. Of these, 12,944 women with singleton, liveborn, term fetuses were included. Self-reported postal questionnaires were used to assess back pain antenatally and postnatally. The main outcome measures were postnatal back pain at 8 weeks and 8 months. RESULTS: Back pain was very common with a prevalence of 80% at 32 weeks antenatally. Postnatally, back pain affected 68% of women at 8 weeks, and 60% at 8 months. Postnatal back pain was not associated with elective or emergency caesarean section (e.g. adjusted 8 weeks OR: 1.23, 95% CI: 0.89, 1.70, and OR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.65, 1.22, respectively) nor with assisted versus spontaneous vaginal delivery (OR: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.82, 1.20). Very similar patterns were observed at 8 months. CONCLUSIONS: Antenatal and postnatal back pain are common. Elective caesarean section does not protect against postnatal back pain. Neither emergency caesarean section nor assisted vaginal delivery increases the risk of postnatal back pain compared with spontaneous delivery.

Neurodevelopmental outcome at 5 years after operative delivery in the second stage of labor: a cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare the neurodevelopmental outcome of children at 5 years of age after instrument vaginal delivery and cesarean delivery in the second stage of labor. STUDY DESIGN: This prospective cohort study was comprised of women with term, singleton, cephalic pregnancies who needed operative delivery in the operating room during the second stage of labor from February 1999 to February 2000. Data were collected with postal questionnaires and review of medical records. The primary outcome measure was the neurodevelopment of children at 5 years of age. RESULTS: A total of 393 women required operative delivery, of whom 264 women (67%) completed questionnaires at 5 years. A total of 66 children (17%) had been born in poor condition (Apgar score <7 at 5 minutes, umbilical artery pH <7.10, significant trauma, sepsis, or special care baby unit admission). Medical records were available for all 66 children. Rates of neurodevelopmental morbidity were low, with no significant differences between delivery groups. Two children had significant neurodevelopmental morbidity, but this was unlikely to relate to the mode of delivery. CONCLUSION: In this cohort, the rates of neurodevelopmental morbidity were low overall and comparable, irrespective of the mode of delivery.

Depressive symptoms during pregnancy and low birth weight at term: longitudinal study.

There is conflicting evidence regarding the effect of depression during pregnancy on birth weight. We used data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children to investigate whether depressive symptoms during pregnancy in 10,967 women led to low birth weight at term in their offspring. Those with a high depressive symptom score during pregnancy were more likely to have babies of low birth weight (95% CI 1.16-2.40, P<0.01), but this attenuated after adjustment for confounders (OR=1.29,95% CI 0.87-1.91, P=0.210). Hence there is little evidence of an independent association between depressive symptoms during pregnancy and birth weight.

Two decision aids for mode of delivery among women with previous caesarean section: randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the effects of two computer based decision aids on decisional conflict and mode of delivery among pregnant women with a previous caesarean section. DESIGN: Randomised trial, conducted from May 2004 to August 2006. SETTING: Four maternity units in south west England, and Scotland. PARTICIPANTS: 742 pregnant women with one previous lower segment caesarean section and delivery expected at >or=37 weeks. Non-English speakers were excluded. INTERVENTIONS: Usual care: standard care given by obstetric and midwifery staff. Information programme: women navigated through descriptions and probabilities of clinical outcomes for mother and baby associated with planned vaginal birth, elective caesarean section, and emergency caesarean section. Decision analysis: mode of delivery was recommended based on utility assessments performed by the woman combined with probabilities of clinical outcomes within a concealed decision tree. Both interventions were delivered via a laptop computer after brief instructions from a researcher. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Total score on decisional conflict scale, and mode of delivery. RESULTS: Women in the information programme (adjusted difference -6.2, 95% confidence interval -8.7 to -3.7) and the decision analysis (-4.0, -6.5 to -1.5) groups had reduced decisional conflict compared with women in the usual care group. The rate of vaginal birth was higher for women in the decision analysis group compared with the usual care group (37% v 30%, adjusted odds ratio 1.42, 0.94 to 2.14), but the rates were similar in the information programme and usual care groups. CONCLUSIONS: Decision aids can help women who have had a previous caesarean section to decide on mode of delivery in a subsequent pregnancy. The decision analysis approach might substantially affect national rates of caesarean section. Trial Registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN84367722.

Decision-making about mode of delivery after previous caesarean section: development and piloting of two computer-based decision aids.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and pilot two computer-based decision aids to assist women with decision-making about mode of delivery after a previous caesarean section (CS), which could then be evaluated in a randomized-controlled trial. BACKGROUND: Women with a previous CS are faced with a decision between repeat elective CS and vaginal birth after caesarean. Research has shown that women may benefit from access to comprehensive information about the risks and benefits of the delivery options. DESIGN: A qualitative pilot study of two novel decision aids, an information program and a decision analysis program, which were developed by a multidisciplinary research team. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: 15 women who had recently given birth and had previously had a CS and 11 pregnant women with a previous CS, recruited from two UK hospitals. Women were interviewed and observed using the decision aids. RESULTS: Participants found both decision aids useful and informative. Most liked the computer-based format. Participants found the utility assessment of the decision analysis program acceptable although some had difficulty completing the tasks required. Following the pilot study improvements were made to expand the program content, the decision analysis program was accompanied by a training session and a website version of the information program was developed to allow repeat access. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study was an essential step in the design of the decision aids and in establishing their acceptability and feasibility. In general, participating women viewed the decision aids as a welcome addition to routine antenatal care. A randomized trial has been conducted to establish the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the decision aids.

Racial variation in the association between gestational age and perinatal mortality: prospective study.

OBJECTIVES: To determine if the risks of perinatal mortality and antepartum stillbirth associated with post term birth increase earlier during pregnancy in South Asian and black women than in white women, and to investigate differences in the factors associated with antepartum stillbirth between the racial groups. DESIGN: Prospective study using logistic regression analysis. SETTING: 15 maternity units in northwest London from 1988 to 2000. PARTICIPANTS: 197 061 nulliparous women self reported as white, South Asian, or black, who delivered a single baby weighing at least 500 g at 24-43 completed weeks' gestation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Gestation specific perinatal mortality, antepartum stillbirth rates, and independent factors for antepartum stillbirth by racial groups. Results The crude gestation specific perinatal mortality patterns for the three racial groups differed (P<0.001). The perinatal mortality rate among black women was lower than among white women before 32 weeks but was higher thereafter. Perinatal mortality was highest among South Asian women at all gestational ages and increased the fastest at term. After adjusting for the confounders of antepartum stillbirth (placental abruption, congenital abnormality, low birth weight, birth weight <10th centile, meconium passage, fever, maternal body mass index > or =30, and maternal age > or =30), the excess mortality among black women after 32 weeks was not significant. After adjusting for confounding, South Asian women still had a significantly higher risk of antepartum stillbirth (odds ratio 1.8, 95% confidence interval 1.2 to 2.7). Conclusions The risk of perinatal mortality increased earlier in gestation among South Asian women than among white women. The most important factor associated with antepartum stillbirth among white women was placental abruption, but among South Asian and black women it was birth weight below 2000 g.

Operative delivery and postnatal depression: a cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the association between elective caesarean section and postnatal depression compared with planned vaginal delivery and whether emergency caesarean section or assisted vaginal delivery is associated with postnatal depression compared with spontaneous vaginal delivery. DESIGN: Prospective population based cohort study. SETTING: ALSPAC (the Avon longitudinal study of parents and children). PARTICIPANTS: 14,663 women recruited antenatally with a due date between 1 April 1991 and 31 December 1992. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Edinburgh postnatal depression scale score > or = 13 at eight weeks postnatal on self completed questionnaire. RESULTS: Albeit with wide confidence intervals, there was no evidence that elective caesarean section altered the odds of postnatal depression compared with planned vaginal delivery (adjusted odds ratio 1.06, 95% confidence interval 0.66 to 1.70, P = 0.80). Among planned vaginal deliveries there was similarly little evidence of a difference between women who have emergency caesarean section or assisted vaginal delivery and those who have spontaneous vaginal delivery (1.17, 0.77 to 1.79, P = 0.46, and 0.89, 0.68 to 1.18, P = 0.42, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: There is no reason for women at risk of postnatal depression to be managed differently with regard to mode of delivery. Elective caesarean section does not protect against postnatal depression. Women who plan vaginal delivery and require emergency caesarean section or assisted vaginal delivery can be reassured that there is no reason to believe that they are at increased risk of postnatal depression.

Prenatal risk factors for Caesarean section. Analyses of the ALSPAC cohort of 12,944 women in England.

BACKGROUND: There has been an escalation in Caesarean section rates globally. Numerous prenatal factors have been associated with elective and emergency Caesarean section, some of which may be amenable to change. METHODS: A population-based cohort of 12,944 singleton, liveborn, term pregnancies were used to investigate risk factors for Caesarean section using multivariable logistic regression modelling. Numerous prenatal factors were investigated for their associations with the following outcomes: first, with Caesarean section (both elective and emergency) compared with vaginal delivery (spontaneous and assisted); second, for their associations with elective Caesarean section compared with attempted vaginal delivery; and finally emergency Caesarean section compared with spontaneous vaginal delivery. RESULTS: 11,791 women had vaginal delivery and 1153 had Caesarean section (685 emergency, 468 elective). Non-cephalic (breech) presentation (all Caesareans odds ratio (OR) 36.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) 26.8-50.0; elective Caesarean OR 86.4, 95% CI 58.5-127.8; emergency Caesarean OR 9.58, 95% CI 6.06-15.1) and previous Caesarean section (all Caesareans OR 27.8, 95% CI 20.9-37.0, elective Caesarean OR 54.4, 95% CI 38.4-77.5; emergency Caesarean OR 13.0, 95% CI 7.76-21.7) were associated in all analyses with an increased risk of Caesarean section. Extremes of neonatal birthweight were associated with an increased risk of Caesarean section (all Caesareans and emergency section) compared with vaginal delivery as was increasing neonatal head circumferences. In all analyses increasing maternal age (OR 1.07 per year, 95 % CI 1.04-1.09; OR 1.04 per year, 95 % CI 1.01-1.08; OR 1.11 per year, 95% CI 1.08-1.15) was independently associated with increased odds of Caesarean section. Increasing parity was associated with a decrease in risk for all Caesareans and emergency section (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.53-0.75 and OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.33-0.63, respectively), as was the outcome of the last pregnancy being a live child. Increasing gestation was independently associated with a decreased risk of both all Caesareans and elective Caesarean (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.80-0.93 and OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.46-0.58 respectively), whereas diabetes mellitus was associated with increased risk. These variables were not associated with emergency section. However, epidural use was associated with an increased risk of emergency Caesarean (OR 6.49, 95% CI 4.78-8.82) while being in a preferred labour position decreased the risk (OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.49-0.73). CONCLUSIONS: A careful exploration of risk factors may allow us to identify reasons for the increasing rates of Caesarean section and the marked variation between institutions.