Jason Burrows

A retrospective cohort study of hospital versus home care for pregnant women with preterm prelabor rupture of membranes.

To compare maternal and neonatal outcomes between in‐hospital management and prepartum care at home (PCAH) among women with preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM) before 34 weeks of pregnancy.

No. 364-Antenatal Corticosteroid Therapy for Improving Neonatal Outcomes

OBJECTIVE To assess the benefits and risks of antenatal corticosteroid therapy for women at risk of preterm birth or undergoing pre-labour Caesarean section at term and to make recommendations for improving neonatal and long-term outcomes. OPTIONS To administer or withhold antenatal corticosteroid therapy for women at high risk of preterm birth or women undergoing pre-labour Caesarean section at term. OUTCOMES Perinatal morbidity, including respiratory distress syndrome, intraventricular hemorrhage, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, infection, hypoglycemia, somatic and brain growth, and neurodevelopment; perinatal mortality; and maternal morbidity, including infection and adrenal suppression. INTENDED USERS Maternity care providers including midwives, family physicians, and obstetricians. TARGET POPULATION Pregnant women. EVIDENCE Medline, PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched from inception to September 2017. Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms and key words related to pregnancy, prematurity, corticosteroids, and perinatal and neonatal mortality and morbidity were used. Statements from professional organizations including that of the National Institutes of Health, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and the Canadian Pediatric Society were reviewed for additional references. Randomized controlled trials conducted in pregnant women evaluating antenatal corticosteroid therapy and previous systematic reviews on the topic were eligible. Evidence from systematic reviews of non-experimental (cohort) studies was also eligible. VALIDATION METHODS This Committee Opinion has been reviewed and approved by the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Committee of the SOGC and approved by SOGC Council. BENEFITS, HARMS, AND/OR COSTS A course of antenatal corticosteroid therapy administered within 7 days of delivery significantly reduces perinatal morbidity/mortality associated with preterm birth between 24 + 0 and 34 + 6 weeks gestation. When antenatal corticosteroid therapy is given more than 7 days prior to delivery or after 34 + 6 weeks gestation, the adverse effects may outweigh the benefits. Evidence on long-term effects is scarce, and potential neurodevelopment harms are unquantified in cases of late preterm, term, and repeated exposure to antenatal corticosteroid therapy. GUIDELINE UPDATE Evidence will be reviewed 5 years after publication to evaluate the need for a complete or partial update of the guideline. If important evidence is published prior to the 5-year time point, an update will be issued to reflect new knowledge and recommendations. SPONSORS The guideline was developed with resources provided by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada with support from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (APR-126338). SUMMARY STATEMENTS RECOMMENDATIONS: Gestational Age Considerations Agents, Dosage, Regimen, and Target Timing Subpopulations and Special Consideration.

Trends in Obstetric Intervention and Pregnancy Outcomes of Canadian Women With Diabetes in Pregnancy From 2004 to 2015

Context: Multiple consensus statements decree that women with diabetes mellitus should have comparable birth outcomes to women without diabetes mellitus; however, there is a scarcity of contemporary population-based studies on this issue. Objective: To examine temporal trends in obstetric interventions and perinatal outcomes in a population-based cohort of women with type 1, type 2, or gestational diabetes mellitus compared with a control population. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: National hospitalization data (Canada except Quebec) from 2004 to 2015. Patients: Pregnant women with type 1 (n = 7362), type 2 (n = 11,028), and gestational diabetes mellitus (n = 149,780) and women without diabetes mellitus (n = 2,688,231). Main Outcome Measures: Rates of obstetric intervention, maternal morbidity, and neonatal morbidity/mortality. Results: A consistent relationship was generally observed between diabetes mellitus subtype and obstetric outcomes, with women with type 1 diabetes mellitus having the highest rate of intervention and the highest rates of adverse perinatal outcomes followed by women with type 2 diabetes mellitus and women with gestational diabetes mellitus. Rates of severe preeclampsia were 1.2% among women without diabetes mellitus, 2.1% among women with gestational diabetes mellitus, 4.2% among women with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and 7.5% among women with type 1 diabetes mellitus (P < 0.001). The rate of neonatal morbidity ranged from 8.7% in women without diabetes mellitus to 11.0%, 17.4%, and 24.1% in women with gestational, type 2, and type 1 diabetes mellitus, respectively (P < 0.001). Conclusions: In a contemporary obstetric population, women with diabetes mellitus remain at increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes compared with women without diabetes mellitus.

Type of Labour in the First Pregnancy and Cumulative Perinatal Morbidity

OBJECTIVE To estimate cumulative perinatal morbidity among infants delivered at term, according to the type of labour in the first pregnancy, when the first pregnancy was low risk. METHODS In a 26-year population-based cohort study (1988-2013) using the Nova Scotia Atlee Perinatal Database, we identified the type of labour in successive pregnancies in low-risk, nulliparous women at term in their first pregnancy (who had at least one subsequent pregnancy), and also identified perinatal outcomes in subsequent deliveries according to the type of labour in the first pregnancy. RESULTS A total of 37 756 pregnancies satisfied inclusion and exclusion criteria; of these, 1382 (3.7%) had a Caesarean section without labour in the first pregnancy. Rates of most adverse perinatal outcomes were low (≤ 1%). The risks for stillbirth were low in subsequent deliveries, including those that followed CS without labour in the first pregnancy, and the risks for the overall severe perinatal morbidity outcome were less than 10% for all subsequent deliveries. CONCLUSION The absolute risks for severe perinatal morbidity outcomes in a population of low-risk women (with up to four additional pregnancies) were small, regardless of type of labour in the first pregnancy. This finding provides important information on perinatal outcomes in subsequent pregnancies when considering type of labour in the first pregnancy.

Future Career Plans and Practice Patterns of Canadian Obstetrics and Gynaecology Residents in 2011

OBJECTIVE The practice patterns of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists continue to evolve with each new generation of physicians. Diversifying subspecialties, changes in resident duty hours, job market saturation, and desire for work-life balance are playing stronger roles. Professional practice direction and needs assessment may be aided by awareness of future Obstetrics and Gynaecology physician career plans and expectations. The objective of this study was to determine the expected career plans and practice patterns of Canadian Obstetrics and Gynaecology residents following residency. METHODS The SOGC Junior Member Committee administered its third career planning survey to Canadian Obstetrics and Gynaecology residents electronically in December 2011. The data collected was statistically analyzed and compared to previous surveys. RESULTS There were 183 responses giving a response rate of 43%. More than one half of all residents were considering postgraduate training (58%). Projected practice patterns included: 84% maintaining obstetrical practice, 60% locuming, and 50% job-sharing. The majority of residents expected to work in a 6 to 10 person call group (48%), work 3 to 5 call shifts per month (72%), work 41 to 60 hours weekly (69%), and practise in a city with a population greater than 500 000 (45%). Only 18% of residents surveyed were in favour of streaming residency programs in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. CONCLUSION Canadian resident career plan and expected practice pattern assessment remains an important tool for aiding in resource allocation and strategic development of care and training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Canada.