Pregnant women & medical research: a moral imperative

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Drapkin Lyerly ◽  
Ruth R. Faden ◽  
Margaret Olivia Little
Keyword(s):  
Medical Research ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Moral Imperative

scholarly journals Trends in Attitudes Towards Orofacial Cleft by Pregnant Women and Future Need for Cleft Care

2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 134-136
Author(s):  
P Kadagad ◽  
P Pinto
Keyword(s):  
Medical Research ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Prenatal Ultrasound ◽  
Ultrasound Diagnosis ◽  
Research Centre ◽  
Obstetrics And Gynecology ◽  
Orofacial Cleft ◽  
Medical Termination Of Pregnancy ◽  
Medical Termination

ABSTRACT AIM To investigate the attitude of pregnant women towards prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of orofacial cleft and its impact on the future needs of cleft treatment. METHODS 100 subjects consulting the department of obstetrics and gynecology of KLE PK Hospital and Medical research centre were interviewed using a questionnaire. RESULTS Only 3 patients out of 100 patients chose the option of medical termination of pregnancy over continuation of pregnancy on prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of cleft. CONCLUSION Majority of pregnant women chose to continue pregnancy on prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of cleft; hence the implication to scale up the provision of future cleft therapy.

scholarly journals Anxiety or Nervousness Disturbs the Progress of Birth Based on Human Behavioral Evolutionary Biology

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 218-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenji Hishikawa ◽  
Takeshi Kusaka ◽  
Takanori Fukuda ◽  
Yutaka Kohata ◽  
Hiromi Inoue
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Medical Research ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
General Anxiety

In general, anxiety or nervousness in pregnant women increases the risk of dystocia. Pregnant women are easily susceptible to anxiousness or nervousness. To support a safe and healthy birthing process, childbirth educators, other health-care professionals, and pregnant women require an in-depth understanding about the disruptive effects of anxiety or nervousness on birth progress. Anxiety and nervousness are difficult to quantify and may be influenced by culture. Therefore, reports comparing anxiety or nervousness with dystocia must include various biases. It is difficult to find this issue by medical research. Here, we discuss links between anxiety or nervousness and disturbance in the progress of birth based on the adaptive standpoint of human behavioral evolutionary biology.

scholarly journals Regional anaesthesia in pregnant women with cardiovascular diseases

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 29-39
Author(s):  
A. E. Bautin ◽  
Yu. N. Bel'skih ◽  
V. V. Moskalenko ◽  
E. V. Frederiks ◽  
A. V. Yakybov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Disease ◽  
Cardiovascular Diseases ◽  
Medical Research ◽  
General Anesthesia ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Regional Anesthesia ◽  
Maternity Hospital ◽  
Research Centre ◽  
National Medical ◽  
Abdominal Delivery

Background. Currently in developed countries, up to 4 % of pregnant women have cardiovascular diseases, which are one of the leading causes of maternal mortality. Anesthesia method have an important role in the abdominal delivery in this category of patients. Objective. To summarize the experience of different anesthesia approaches to abdominal delivery in pregnant women with cardiovascular diseases.Materials and methods. A retrospective analysis of the use of various methods of anesthesia during abdominal delivery of pregnant women with cardiovascular diseases was performed.Results. In “Maternity Hospital № 13” and the Almazov National Medical Research Centre for the period from 2014 to 2018 2140 abdominal deliveries were carried out in pregnant women with heart diseases (1450 and 690, respectively). In the Maternity Hospital №13 1374 (94.8 %) of abdominal deliveries were performed under regional anesthesia, 76 (5.2 %) under general anesthesia. In Almazov National Medical Research Centre 513 (74.3 %) of abdominal deliveries were performed under regional anesthesia, 177 (25.7 %) under general anesthesia. The features of the hemodynamic profile of general and regional anesthesia in pregnant women with various heart disease are presented.Conclusion. In pregnant women with heart disease, up to 88 % of cesarean section are performed under regional anesthesia. General anesthesia is used for contraindications to regional anesthesia, as well as for obstetric indications. The use of advanced monitoring, methods of slow titration of local anesthetic dose and the use of vasopressors allow to avoid hemodynamic disorders in patients with concomitant heart disease.

scholarly journals The Moral Imperative to Include Pregnant Women in Clinical Trials of Interventions for COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 173 (10) ◽  
pp. 836-837 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabelle Malhamé ◽  
Rohan D'Souza ◽  
Matthew P. Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Moral Imperative

scholarly journals Foetal Outcome of among Women Presented with Fetal Head Engagement: Experience of 1440 Cases in Bangladesh

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-32
Author(s):  
Dewan Shahida Banu ◽  
Rifat Sultana ◽  
Mahmuda Khatun ◽  
Rowshan Hosne Jahan ◽  
Faiza Chowdhury ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Medical Research ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Apgar Score ◽  
Fetal Outcome ◽  
Fetal Head ◽  
Medical College ◽  
Gynecology And Obstetrics ◽  
Study Population ◽  
Foetal Outcome

Background: Foetal outcome is a great concern among the primigravida women presented with fetal head engagement.Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to see foetal outcome among the women presented with fetal head engagement.Methodology: This descriptive cohort study was carried out in the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at Sir Salimullah Medical College and Mitford Hospital, Dhaka from June 2006 to December 2006 for a period of sic (6) months. Primaigravida women with 38 or more weeks of pregnancy having single foetus with cephalic presentation were selected as study population. Foetal outcome was measured in terms of APGAR score.Result: A total number of 1440 pregnant women were recruited for this study. In this study the APGAR score of all the babies were good. APGAR score were low in l2 cases and returned to normal alter resuscitation. Out of 262 engaged cases 7 to 10 APGAR score was found in 261(99.6%) cases. In 1178 unengaged cases 7 to 10 APGAR score was found in 1167(99.1%) cases. APGAR score 4 to 6 was found in 1 case and 11 cases in engaged and unengaged group. However, 0 to 3 APGAR score was not reported in engaged and unengaged group. There was no statistical significant between the engaged and unengaged group considering the APGAR score of 7 to 10 and 4 to 6 (p=0.374).Conclusion: In conclusion fetal outcome is not significantly different between the engaged and unengaged pregnant women during considering the APGAR score.Journal of Current and Advance Medical Research 2018;5(1):29-32

scholarly journals Maternal serum concentrations of bisphenol A and propyl paraben in early pregnancy are associated with male infant genital development

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 913-928 ◽  
Author(s):  
B G Fisher ◽  
A Thankamony ◽  
J Mendiola ◽  
C J Petry ◽  
H Frederiksen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bisphenol A ◽  
Medical Research ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Research Council ◽  
Medical Research Council ◽  
Male Infant ◽  
Maternal Serum ◽  
Testicular Descent ◽  
Penile Length ◽  
Propyl Paraben

Abstract STUDY QUESTION Are maternal serum phthalate metabolite, phenol and paraben concentrations measured at 10–17 weeks of gestation associated with male infant genital developmental outcomes, specifically cryptorchidism, anogenital distance (AGD), penile length and testicular descent distance, at birth and postnatally? SUMMARY ANSWER Maternal serum bisphenol A (BPA) concentration at 10–17 weeks of gestation was positively associated with congenital or postnatally acquired cryptorchidism, and n-propyl paraben (n-PrP) concentration was associated with shorter AGD from birth to 24 months of age. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Male reproductive disorders are increasing in prevalence, which may reflect environmental influences on foetal testicular development. Animal studies have implicated phthalates, BPA and parabens, to which humans are ubiquitously exposed. However, epidemiological studies have generated conflicting results and have often been limited by small sample size and/or measurement of chemical exposures outside the most relevant developmental window. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION Case–control study of cryptorchidism nested within a prospective cohort study (Cambridge Baby Growth Study), with recruitment of pregnant women at 10–17 postmenstrual weeks of gestation from a single UK maternity unit between 2001 and 2009 and 24 months of infant follow-up. Of 2229 recruited women, 1640 continued with the infancy study after delivery, of whom 330 mothers of 334 male infants (30 with congenital cryptorchidism, 25 with postnatally acquired cryptorchidism and 279 unmatched controls) were included in the present analysis. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Maternal blood was collected at enrolment, and serum levels of 16 phthalate metabolites, 9 phenols (including BPA) and 6 parabens were measured using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. Logistic regression was used to model the association of cryptorchidism with serum chemical concentrations, adjusting for putative confounders. Additionally, offspring AGD, penile length and testicular descent distance were assessed at 0, 3, 12, 18 and 24 months of age, and age-specific Z scores were calculated. Associations between serum chemical levels and these outcomes were tested using linear mixed models. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Maternal serum BPA concentration was associated with offspring all-type cryptorchidism both when considered as a continuous exposure (adjusted odds ratio per log10 μg/l: 2.90, 95% CI 1.31–6.43, P =  0.009) and as quartiles (phet =  0.002). Detection of n-PrP in maternal serum was associated with shorter AGD (by 0.242 standard deviations, 95% CI 0.051–0.433, P =  0.01) from birth to 24 months of age; this reduction was independent of body size and other putative confounders. We did not find any consistent associations with offspring outcomes for the other phenols, parabens, and phthalate metabolites measured. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION We cannot discount confounding by other demographic factors or endocrine-disrupting chemicals. There may have been misclassification of chemical exposure due to use of single serum measurements. The cohort was not fully representative of pregnant women in the UK, particularly in terms of smoking prevalence and maternal ethnicity. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Our observational findings support experimental evidence that intrauterine exposure to BPA and n-PrP during early gestation may adversely affect male reproductive development. More evidence is required before specific public health recommendations can be made. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This work was supported by a European Union Framework V programme, the World Cancer Research Fund International, the Medical Research Council (UK), Newlife the Charity for Disabled Children, the Mothercare Group Foundation, Mead Johnson Nutrition and the National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre. Visiting Fellowship (J.M.): Regional Programme ‘Jiménez de la Espada’ for Research Mobility, Cooperation and Internationalization, Seneca Foundation—Science and Technology Agency for the Region of Murcia (No. 20136/EE/17). K.O. is supported by the Medical Research Council (UK) (Unit Programme number: MC_UU_12015/2). The authors declare no conflict of interest.

The Ethics of Prenatal Injury

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-23
Author(s):  
Jessica Flanigan
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Woman ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Medical Research ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Unborn Child

I argue that it is permissible for pregnant women to expose their unborn children to risks and injury. I begin with the premise that abortion is permissible. If so, then just as a pregnant woman may permissibly prevent an unborn child from experiencing any future wellbeing, she also may permissibly provide her child relatively poorer prospects for wellbeing. Therefore, it is permissible for pregnant women to take risks and cause prenatal injury. This argument has revisionary implications for policies that prevent medical research and drug use during pregnancy. It also explains why moralistic criticism of pregnant women is unwarranted.

Application of Scanning Electron Microscopy to Medical Research

1969 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
pp. 12-13
Author(s):  
J. D. Hutchison
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Electron Microscope ◽  
Medical Research ◽  
Prosthetic Heart Valve ◽  
School Of Medicine ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Mechanism Of Failure ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Scanning Electron

When the transmission electron microscope was commercially introduced a few years ago, it was heralded as one of the most significant aids to medical research of the century. It continues to occupy that niche; however, the scanning electron microscope is gaining rapidly in relative importance as it fills the gap between conventional optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.IBM Boulder is conducting three major programs in cooperation with the Colorado School of Medicine. These are the study of the mechanism of failure of the prosthetic heart valve, the study of the ultrastructure of lung tissue, and the definition of the function of the cilia of the ventricular ependyma of the brain.

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