Jouni Meriläinen

Pregnancy‐associated deaths in Finland 1987‐1994 ‐ definition problems and benefits of record linkage

Background. Our aim was to study the impact of record linkage and different classification principles on maternal mortality rate.

Short Communication: Data Quality after Restructuring a National Medical Registry

The validity of the 1991 Finnish Medical Birth Registry data was assessed, with special emphasis on the effects of changes made to the data collection form in 1990. Data abstracted from medical records for all births occurring in 49 hospitals during a five-day sample period (n = 865) were compared to the register information. Good or satisfactory validity was found for 32 of 33 variables, when minor error was tolerated in variables with continuous scales. For diagnoses and procedures, recorded in check-box format, satisfactory validity was found for 10 of 45 variables. Validity could not be assessed for 18 variables because of insufficient number of cases (13 items) or definition problems (5 items). When the results were compared to a 1987 data quality study, many of the variables that had been changed to the check-box format showed improvement in validity. In addition, in some cases a small change in question alternatives or instructions caused a noticeable change in validity.

Reproductive effects of in utero exposure to estrogen and progestin drugs

OBJECTIVE To determine whether in utero exposure to estrogens and progestins other than diethylstilbestrol reduces fertility in offspring. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING Helsinki, Finland. PATIENT(S) One thousand eight hundred eighty-eight women and men exposed to female hormone drugs in utero from 1954-1963 and 2,044 age-matched controls. INTERVENTION(S) None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) The numbers and timing of live births and marriages for men and women and of unsuccessful pregnancies for women. RESULT(S) There were no differences between the exposed and control men in most outcome indicators. However, fewer exposed men than control men had their first liveborn child within a short time after getting married, and the mean time from the first to the second live birth was shorter. The former also was found for the women. The overall cumulative proportions of liveborn children and pregnancies were similar in the exposed and control groups, but younger exposed men and women had liveborn children and pregnancies somewhat later. CONCLUSION(S) Estrogen- and progestin-containing drugs as used in the study population did not have much impact on the fertility of offspring.

Experience of Finnish women with Norplant insertions and removals

Objective Norplant® and Norplant‐2® have been available for use by Finnish women since 1984 and 1986, respectively. The objective of this study was to explore Norplant users’ experiences of insertions, removals and medical treatments.