Article Abstract:
Since the modern, healthy pregnant woman usually remains physically active during her pregnancy, the frequency of traumatic injuries late in gestation has increased in recent years; one out of every fourteen pregnant women will suffer some form of trauma, according to one estimate. To better understand the effects of one type of injury (those that affect the mother relatively little, but may affect the fetus considerably), a retrospective study of hospital records covering a two and one-half year period at one institution was carried out. The study included women more than 25 weeks pregnant who suffered potentially major trauma to the uterus from motor vehicle accidents, falls, assaults, or similar causes. They underwent a variety of tests, including electronic monitoring of the fetal heart rate, ultrasonography, and blood tests. Results showed that 84 patients (out of a total of 13,416 deliveries during the study period) met the criteria for major abdominal trauma and were admitted for observation, an admission rate of one pregnant trauma patient every 10 days. Falls accounted for 39 percent of the cases; motor vehicle accidents, for 35 percent; and assaults, for 26 percent. Of the 16 women who were delivered during their admission, 15 had good neonatal outcomes. Placental abruption (detachment) was the most serious complication, while the most common complication (28 percent) was preterm labor (before the thirty-seventh week of pregnancy). When blunt abdominal trauma occurred prior to the 37th week of gestation, preterm labor began in slightly more than one fourth of the cases. Treatment with tocolytic agents (which stop uterine contractions) was successful in 15 of the 17 preterm labors. None of the fetuses was injured in the traumatic event. Women who suffer major trauma to the abdomen during the last third of pregnancy should be evaluated for signs of preterm labor and placental abruption. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
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Article Abstract:
Since the late 1980s, many outbreaks of measles have occurred in Los Angeles County and elsewhere. Usually, there is a 10-day incubation period from the time of exposure to the time that fever develops. The first symptoms of illness (fever, cough, sneezing, runny nose) last for one or two days and are followed by a skin rash. The virus can be spread in the air, and infected individuals remain contagious until two to four days after the rash appears. Pneumonia is common in patients with measles. Pneumonia occurring during pregnancy has been reported to increase the risk of premature labor and birth, while measles has been reported to cause spontaneous abortion and premature birth. In a study conducted between 1951 and 1962, the outcomes of 327 pregnancies complicated by measles were reported. Fifty percent of the women who developed measles during the first two months of pregnancy had spontaneous abortions. When measles occurred during the second trimester of pregnancy the spontaneous abortion rate decreased to 4 percent. Several studies have suggested that measles does not increase the risk of birth defects. The cases are reported of three women who developed measles and pneumonia during pregnancy. Two of the women became ill during the second trimester of pregnancy. One gave birth to a 4.1-pound baby at week 35, and the other pregnancy resulted in a stillbirth. The third woman became ill during the third trimester and gave birth to a healthy 7.5-pound baby. Adults who are exposed to measles for the first time should be vaccinated within 72 hours, but this does not apply to women who are pregnant. The authors caution that women who are treated with a live virus vaccine should wait three months before becoming pregnant. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
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Article Abstract:
Poor wound healing and wound infection are risks following any surgery. Such wounds require constant attention until healing occurs. Meanwhile, they can cause the patient both physical and mental pain. Cesarean deliveries are frequently performed in this country. Wound complications from cesarean section can interfere with the mother and child bonding process, thus quick healing of the wound is very important. Aloe vera has been promoted as an enhancer of wound healing. This study examined whether a gel containing aloe vera would hasten wound healing in women who had cesarean sections or other gynecologic surgery. Fifty-seven patients were randomly assigned to either an aloe vera gel wound treatment group or a standard wound treatment group. The wounds were examined regularly until healed. Results showed that 13 members of the aloe group and 8 of the standard treatment group completed the study. The average time for wound healing was 83 days for the aloe group and 53 days for the standard group. When the groups were divided by wound type, specifically a vertical abdominal incision, women treated with aloe required an average of 84 days to heal and those with the standard treatment required an average of 47 days to heal. No adverse effects of treatment were seen in either group. These results indicate that aloe vera has no beneficial effect on wound healing and, in fact, significantly lengthened healing time in this study. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
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