Gia R. Gumbs

Complementary and alternative medicine use among US Navy and Marine Corps personnel

BackgroundRecently, numerous studies have revealed an increase in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in US civilian populations. In contrast, few studies have examined CAM use within military populations, which have ready access to conventional medicine. Currently, the prevalence and impact of CAM use in US military populations remains unknown.MethodsTo investigate CAM use in US Navy and Marine Corps personnel, the authors surveyed a stratified random sample of 5,000 active duty and Reserve/National Guard members between December 2000 and July 2002. Chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regression were used to assess univariate associations and adjusted odds of CAM use in this population.Results and discussionOf 3,683 service members contacted, 1,446 (39.3%) returned a questionnaire and 1,305 gave complete demographic and survey data suitable for study. Among respondents, more than 37% reported using at least one CAM therapy during the past year. Herbal therapies were among the most commonly reported (15.9%). Most respondents (69.8%) reported their health as being very good or excellent. Modeling revealed that CAM use was most common among personnel who were women, white, and officers. Higher levels of recent physical pain and lower levels of satisfaction with conventional medical care were significantly associated with increased odds of reporting CAM use.ConclusionThese data suggest that CAM use is prevalent in the US military and consistent with patterns in other US civilian populations. Because there is much to be learned about CAM use along with allopathic therapy, US military medical professionals should record CAM therapies when collecting medical history data.

Evaluation of preterm births and birth defects in liveborn infants of US military women who received smallpox vaccine.

BACKGROUND Women serving in the US military have some unique occupational exposures, including exposure to vaccinations that are rarely required in civilian professions. When vaccinations are inadvertently given during pregnancy, such exposures raise special concerns. These analyses address health outcomes, particularly preterm births and birth defects, among infants who appear to have been exposed to maternal smallpox vaccination in pregnancy. METHODS This retrospective cohort study included 31,420 infants born to active-duty military women during 2003-2004. We used Department of Defense databases to define maternal vaccination and infant health outcomes. Multivariable regression models were developed to describe associations between maternal smallpox vaccination and preterm births and birth defects in liveborn infants. RESULTS There were 7,735 infants identified as born to women ever vaccinated against smallpox, and 672 infants born to women vaccinated in the first trimester of pregnancy. In multivariable modeling, maternal smallpox vaccination in pregnancy was not associated with preterm or extreme preterm delivery. Maternal smallpox vaccination in the first trimester of pregnancy was not significantly associated with overall birth defects (OR 1.40; 95% CI: 0.94, 2.07), or any of seven specific defects individually modeled. CONCLUSIONS Results may be reassuring that smallpox vaccine, when inadvertently administered to pregnant women, is not associated with preterm delivery or birth defects in liveborn infants.

Infant Abusive Head Trauma in a Military Cohort

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the rate of, and risk factors for, abusive head trauma (AHT) among infants born to military families and compare with civilian population rates. METHODS: Electronic International Classification of Diseases data from the US Department of Defense (DoD) Birth and Infant Health Registry were used to identify infants born to military families from 1998 through 2005 (N = 676 827) who met the study definition for AHT. DoD Family Advocacy Program data were used to identify infants with substantiated reports of abuse. Rates within the military were compared with civilian population rates by applying an alternate AHT case definition used in a civilian study. RESULTS: Applying the study definition, the estimated rate of substantiated military AHT was 34.0 cases in the first year of life per 100 000 live births. Using the alternate case definition, the estimated AHT rate was 25.6 cases per 100 000 live births. Infant risk factors for AHT included male sex, premature birth, and a diagnosed major birth defect. Parental risk factors included young maternal age (<21 years), lower sponsor rank or pay grade, and current maternal military service. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first large database study of AHT with the ability to link investigative results to cases. Overall rates of AHT were consistent with civilian populations when using the same case definition codes. Infants most at risk, warranting special attention from military family support programs, include infants with parents in lower military pay grades, infants with military mothers, and infants born premature or with birth defects.

Analysis of pregnancy and infant health outcomes among women in the National Smallpox Vaccine in Pregnancy Registry who received Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed.

The National Smallpox Vaccine in Pregnancy Registry (NSVIPR) actively follows women inadvertently vaccinated with smallpox vaccine during or shortly before pregnancy to evaluate their reproductive health outcomes. Approximately 65% of NSVIPR participants also inadvertently received Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed (AVA) while pregnant, providing a ready opportunity to evaluate pregnancy and infant health outcomes among these women. AVA-exposed pregnancies were ascertained using NSVIPR and electronic healthcare data. Rates of pregnancy loss and infant health outcomes, including major birth defects, were compared between AVA-exposed and AVA-unexposed pregnancies. Analyses included AVA-exposed and AVA-unexposed pregnant women who also received smallpox vaccine 28 days prior to or during pregnancy. Rates of adverse outcomes among the AVA-exposed group were similar to or lower than expected when compared with published reference rates and the AVA-unexposed population. The findings provide reassurance of the safety of AVA when inadvertently received by a relatively young and healthy population during pregnancy.

Health outcomes among infants born to women deployed to United States military operations during pregnancy

BACKGROUND Military professionals who deploy to combat operations may encounter hazards that could adversely affect reproductive health. Pregnant women are generally exempt from deployment to military operations; however, exposures to such environments may inadvertently occur. We investigated whether maternal deployment during pregnancy was associated with adverse health outcomes in infants. METHODS The United States Department of Defense Birth and Infant Health Registry identified infants born to military service women between 2002 and 2005, and defined their health outcomes at birth and in the first year of life. Multivariable modeling was applied to investigate preterm birth and birth defects among infants, based on maternal deployment experience during pregnancy. RESULTS Among 63,056 infants born to military women from 2002 to 2005, 22,596 were born to women with deployment experience in support of the current military operations before, during, or after their pregnancy. These included 2941 infants born to women who appeared to have been deployed some time during their first trimester of pregnancy. Compared to infants born to women who deployed at other times, or never deployed, exposed infants were not more likely to be born preterm, diagnosed with a major birth defect, or diagnosed with a malignancy. CONCLUSIONS In this exploratory analysis, infants born to women who inadvertently deployed to military operations during their pregnancy were not at increased risk of adverse birth or infant health outcomes. Future analyses should examine outcomes related to specific maternal exposures during deployment, and outcomes among the growing number of infants conceived after deployment.

Smallpox Vaccination is Not Associated with Infertility in a Healthy Young Adult Population

Concerns exist regarding reproductive health, including potential infertility, among young adults with military-related occupational exposures. This study evaluated infertility diagnoses in a large population of healthy young adults in relation to prior smallpox vaccination. Using a retrospective cohort design, the population consisted of United States military members eligible for smallpox vaccination in 2003-2004 who had electronic health care utilization records available through at least December 2005. Multivariable logistic regression models were applied to evaluate infertility among male and female populations separately. Among 253,973 men and 44,332 women included in these analyses, the adjusted odds of infertility diagnoses in those with prior smallpox vaccination were 0.94 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.83-1.06) and 1.10 (95% CI, 0.94-1.28), respectively. Therefore, no association was found between smallpox vaccination and subsequent infertility diagnoses in either men or women. This study represents the first large epidemiologic investigation of infertility after the smallpox vaccine.