Poor nutritional status of fifteen-year-old or younger adolescent mothers enhances the risk of small-for-gestational-age newborns

Objective: To analyze the factors associated with the birth of small for gestational age newborns. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed with 15 years old or younger postpartum adolescents divided into small-for-gestational-age newborn (SGA) and non-small-for-gestational age newborn groups (NSGA). Socio-demographic, clinical, prenatal care, delivery, postpartum data and anthropometric measures were collected. Results: 8,153 women gave birth at the obstetric ward and 364 (4.46%) ≤ 15 years old adolescents were enrolled in the study. The proportion of SGA newborns was 34.61%. The SGA group attended fewer prenatal visits (p = 0.037), had a higher prevalence of nutritional status classified as "very low weight" (p <0.001) and vaginal delivery (p = 0.023), significantly different from the NSGA group. The nutritional status and vaginal delivery remained significant even after adjustment for confounders. The prevalence risk for SGA birth was 30% higher in the group of mothers with nutritional status classified as "very low weight” by Frisancho (odds ratio 1.30, 95% confidence interval 1.13 to 1.50) (p <0.001). Conclusions: The birth of SGA among adolescents ≤ 15 years of age is independently associated with maternal nutritional status classified as "very low weight" by the mid-arm circumference measures (MAC)

Evaluation of emergency contraception use among women receiving gynecological treatment in the Brazilian Amazon

Introduction: The use of a postcoital hormonal contraception regimen has been described and is known as emergency contraception (EC) or “the morning-after pill”. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use and level of knowledge about emergency oral contraception (EC) among women attending the gynecology outpatient clinic of the Hospital Fundação Santa Casa de Misericórdia of the State ofPará, the second largest state in the Brazilian Amazon. Methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted with 316 sexually active women, aged 18 to 50 years, who attended the gynecology outpatient clinic. Participants were included based on spontaneous demand between June and July 2012. Patients answered a questionnaire with 29 questions, including: age in years, educational attainment, knowledge about EC, and previous use of the method. The primary outcome was knowledge on EC use. Results: Participants' mean age was 31.84 years (SD ± 8.00). As for their educational level, 46.84% of them had completed high school, and only 8.55% had higher education. Most of the women obtained information about EC through friends (48.61%, n = 152), and only 7.30% from their doctors. Although most participants (83.54%) reported to be aware of the method, only 0.63% reported that EC could be used up to 5 days after unprotected intercourse; 57.59% did not know how to use it; and 76.58% (n = 242) had never used the method. Conclusion: The women in our study seem to have a high level of knowledge and prevalence of use of emergency contraception, although few of them knew about the time limit for its use. They should receive more information about emergency contraception

Imperio : Diario de Zamora de Falange Española de las J.O.N.S.: Año XX Número 5913 - 1955 Junio 12

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Uso de anticoncepcionais orais combinados : um fator de risco para elevação da pressão arterial entre pacientes hipertensas referidas para manejo da hipertensão arterial

Objetivos: Avaliar o comportamento da pressão arterial sistólica (P AS) e diastólica (P AD) em mulheres hipertensas usuárias de anticoncepcionais. Delineamento: Estudo observacional, analítico, de delineamento transversal, prospectivamente planejado. Métodos: Foram estudados 171 pacientes, entre 18 e 50 anos, que consultaram no Ambulatório de Hipertensão do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre. A amostra compreendeu 66 usuárias atuais de anticoncepcionais orais, 26 usarias de outros métodos de contracepção e 79 pacientes que nunca realizaram qualquer forma de contracepção. Todas as pacientes foram submetidas a avaliação inicial de rotina do ambulatório e os dados foram coletados através de questionário padronizado. A pressão arterial foi aferida de acordo com normas técnicas e classificada segundo a média de 6 determinações. Pacientes usuárias de anticoncepcionais orais foram comparadas a usuárias de outros métodos e a pacientes sem contracepção e, em algumas análises, a não-usuárias de anticoncepcionais orais (outros métodos e sem contracepção). Os desfechos principais foram a PAS e a PAD nos diferentes grupos de comparação e a prevalência de hipertensão (P AS ~ 140 e P AD ~ 90 mmHg) entre usuárias e não-usuárias. Resultados: A amostra constituiu-se predominantemente de mulheres brancas, obesas e hipertensas leves com diagnóstico de hipertensão há aproximadamente 6 anos. A média de idade foi de 41 (± 6,9) anos, sendo significativamente menor nas usuárias de anticoncepcional oral. APAD foi maior nas usuárias de anticoncepcional oral em comparação aos outros grupos (P = 0, 016). Em relação à duração de uso do anticoncepcional oral, observou-se que usuárias há mais de 8 anos apresentavam níveis pressóricos significativamente maiores, mesmo após ajuste para idade. Houve tendência para menor controle da pressão arterial (P AS 140 mmHg and DBP > 90 mmHg). Results: The sample was constituted predominantly by middle-aged (mean 41; ±6,9), overweight white women, with mild hypertension for approximately 6 years. Age was significantly lower in current users of OCP. Diastolic blood pressure was higher in OCP users than the observed in other groups (P = 0,016). In terms of duration of OCP use, we observed that users of OCP for more than 8 years had age adjusted higher blood pressure leveis when compared with women with lower length of use. There was trend for poor blood pressure control (P for trend = 0.046) and a higher proportion of moderate-severe hypertension among OCP users. These results were independent of use of antihypertensive drugs by patients from the comparison groups. The association between DBP (anda trend for SBP) with current use of OCP was not biased by age, body mass index and use of antihypertensive drugs. In a logistic regression model, controlling for the same confounding factors, we found that current use of OCP was independently and significantly associated with the prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension. Conclusions: Hypertensive women using OCP have a significant increase in diastolic blood pressure and a trend for poor blood pressure control. The association between current use of OCP and uncontrolled blood pressure was indepedent of age, weight and antihypertensive drug treatment