Dr. Chapa’s OBGYN Clinical Pearls

In November 2013, ACOG issued the Hypertension in Pregnancy Task Force Report recommending daily low-dose aspirin (81mg) beginning in the late 1st trimester for women with a history of early-onset preeclampsia and preterm delivery at less than 34 0/7 weeks, or for women with more than one prior pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia. The following year, the USPSTF published a similar guideline, alt...

The first successful births from frozen eggs were twins, born in Australia in 1986. IVF serves a valuable role for those with persistent infertility issues or other conditions where natural conception is hindered. Although oocyte cryopreservation was initially used as a fertility preservation strategy for medical indications, currently, it is increasingly used to circumvent age-related infertility...

Introducing one of our Senior Residents, Dr. Mauldin: Dr. Mauldin just told me of a real patient encounter she had just today, that I felt we HAD to share with everyone. This real encounter is WHY we are passionate about EVIDENCE-BASED medicine! PLUS, we will introduce our NEXT episode which will focus on "elective egg harvesting and freezing" for young women who may have "delayed fertility" due t...

In the United States, more than 400,000 babies are born prematurely each year, which is about 1 in 10 babies. Over the last several decades, multiple studies have shown a link between poor oral health and increased occurrence of preterm birth. Researchers have looked at various ways to improve dental health during pregnancy, including doing a “deep-teeth cleaning” (also called ‘scaling and planing...

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the World Health Organization recommend primary HPV screening, starting at age 25, as an option (some as preferred) for cervical cancer screening. Although primary HPV screening is as effective as cotesting at detecting cervical cancer, primary HPV screening decreases the number of lifetime screenings needed. The primary HPV screening tests approved by t...

With an estimated 3.8 million breast cancer survivors in the United States, OBGYNs and other women's healthcare providers often are on the front lines of addressing survivorship issues, including the hypoestrogenic-related adverse effects of cancer therapies or early menopause in survivors. Although systemic and vaginal estrogen are used widely for symptomatic relief of genitourinary syndrome of m...

Yep! We have definitely covered the evolving saga and controversy regarding antenatal corticosteroids in the late preterm/early term interval. It's like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz: "Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!" More fitting for our discussion, its "Steroids, and Studies, and Shared-Decisions, Oh My!" In this episode we will highlight TWO pieces of literature coming out in DECEMBER 2024 in...

Well, in the last 4 weeks there have some interesting developments in the sphere of OBGYN medical news. In October 2024, out of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, came a study on the possibility of using serum FAR to predict preeclampsia with severe features in admitted patients (don’t worry, we’ll discuss what FAR is!). PLUS, some exciting, although preliminary, data has been published ou...

The ARRIVE was published in the New England Journal of Medicine on August 8, 2018 1. This study was a large unmasked multicenter trial conducted from March 2014 to August randomized 6,106 nulliparous women to either IOL or expectant management at full term. The trial was conducted at 41 facilities across the United States. This validated that eIOL at 39 weeks, in that patient population, had the a...

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a leading cause of health care visits in the USA and around the world. In the US, they have a cost burden of $3.5 billion annually. Half of women experience at least one UTI in their lifetime, and approximately 25% of these women develop recurrent UTIs! On October 31, 2024, a study was published in Obstetrics Gynecology (the Green Journal) looking at UTI treatme...

Everyone understands that VTE (DVT and/or VTE) requires life-saving anticoagulation. That's simple. No controversy there. But what about pregnancy-associated superficial thrombophlebitis (AKA superficial venous thrombosis) in an extremity? Does that need anticoagulation? We have been traditionally taught that superficial venous issues are benign and do not require LMWH. Is that correct? The answer...

According to the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE; 2024), women who are S/P scheduled CS and recovering well, who are afebrile, and do not have complications, should be discharged early (after 24 h) and followed at home because this is not related to the readmission of the baby or mother. However, the first 24 hours after a C-section can be challenging, with many of the...

Welcome Back to another episode of "You ask, We Answer"! As Abrysvo (RSV vaccine) now has some time on the market, some women may find themselves with a subsequent pregnancy after first receiving the injection in the prior pregnancy. Is another RSV vaccine recommended with each pregnancy, like TDap? The answer to that question depends on where you live. We will discuss in this episode. PLUS, have...

Ultrasound assessment of placental volume has been proposed as an important aspect of prenatal care. It involves measuring the size and volume of the placenta, which may provide critical information regarding fetal health and development. Abnormal placental volume can be associated with various complications such as FGR, preeclampsia, and other pregnancy-related conditions. Some advocates suggests...

Stroke is also a leading cause of adult-onset disability; among individuals who survive 6 months, almost half are dependent in at least 1 activity of daily living. In October 2024, the AHA/ASA released their 2024 Primary Prevention of Stroke guidance. This document has a striking focus on women's health, namely adverse pregnancy outcomes and certain gynecological conditions (Endometriosis, POI, PC...

Several observational studies have suggested that women with endometriosis have a slightly increased risk for preterm birth. The cause seems to be related to factors associated with pathogenesis of endometriosis, such as inflammation, reactive oxygen species, progesterone resistance, and alterations in the junctional zone of uterus leading to the shallow invasion of the placenta and to preterm bir...

In November's Green Journal, Drs Amy Valent and Linda Barbour will publish their Clinical Expert Series (CES) on insulin management in GDM and Type 2 DM in pregnancy. This is a FANTASTIC document and is our subject matter in this episode. Here, we will give clinical pearls for insulin initiation in pregnancy based on 3 regimens (NPH/Reg; NPH/RAAs; Basal-Bolus) and their initiation in an easy to fo...

The relationship between hormonal birth control and sexual orientation has been a topic on social media channels and threads; it is a discussion of controversy. It is essential to clarify that the hormonal birth control pill itself does not determine or change an individual's sexual orientation. While there is evidence to suggest that hormonal birth control can influence sexual desire and partner...

Early pregnancy failure (EPF), pregnancy loss in the first trimester, is a common pregnancy complication, with 15 to 20% of clinically recognized pregnancies ending in the first trimester. It is not uncommon for women with one or more cesarean sections, or myomectomies, to present with EPF. Options for treatment of early pregnancy failure include expectant management, surgical management (D&C)...

The SMFM, ACOG and RCOG all recommend screening for Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome (APS) in women with Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL). However, once identified, there has been controversy historically regarding the best TIME to initiate low dose aspirin and prophylactic LMWH. The main controversy regarding this is whether to begin treatment before a confirmed pregnancy, right after a positive...

Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS): Yep, this is definitely an issue and has been in recent print. This was just covered in an expert commentary in J Gastroenterology in May 2024, and CMS was featured as a JAMA Patient Page on October 10, 2024 in JAMA Network. PLUS, we actually covered this back in Feb 10th, 2020! Yep…M-O-R-E information just keeps coming, including a new study in the OCT 2024...

Proper hydration is important for physiology whether male or female, and if female… hydration in pregnancy is important for proper uterine blood flow and proper amniotic fluid production. Interestingly, water recommendations do not specify differential water needs or hydration status recommendations by pregnancy month or trimester, nor do they take into account body composition, knowing that overw...

Eczema is also known as a form of Atopic Dermatitis (AD). Males and females are not equally affected by AD, and studies have shown that AD is more common among males during infancy and childhood. However, around puberty, there is a shift towards more females than males having AD and this female predominance continues into adulthood. Eczema can impact any women during pregnancy. In fact, it is the...

Hurricane Helene has caused massive devastation for a part of the US, and now we are bracing again for Milton, set to affect Florida within the next 24 hours. Baxter, one of the country's leading manufactures for IV fluid bags has closed its plant for an unknown amount of time as it was affected by Helene. On October 4, 2024, the SMFM released a news brief on IVF conservation intrapartum. Listen i...

BRCA1 mutations dramatically increase the lifetime risk of breast, ovarian, pancreatic, and other cancers, yet most BRCA1-positive patients are not identified until after they have been diagnosed with cancer. At prenatal visits, women often undergo obstetrical prenatal carrier screening that can identify hundreds of genetic mutations which can be passed on to offspring and results in an inherited...