Key Points Preterm birth, defined as birth prior to 37 weeks gestation, is the leading cause of under-five child mortality worldwide. Preterm birth can be spontaneous or medically indicated, in which cesarean delivery or induction of labor is performed to…
Key Points The multiple birth rate has increased by 76% in the past three decades; however, it has recently started to stabilize or even decline. Increased utilization of assisted reproductive technologies and women delaying childbearing are the main contributors to…
Key Points Normal fetal growth is determined by a number of factors. The pattern of normal fetal growth involves rapid increases in fetal weight, length, and head circumference during the last half of gestation. Year-over-year increases in birth weight for…
Key Points The placenta is the first organ to form in mammals and is required for establishment of a maternal–fetal vascular interface capable of supplying the bioenergetic needs of the developing conceptus. Multiple placental cell types engage in highly varied…
Key Points Increasingly available data in neonatal intensive care may help guide ethical decision-making about sick infants. Despite better ability to predict outcomes for sick infants, prognostic efforts are imperfect. When using data to guide decision-making in the neonatal intensive…
Key Points Maternal and child health in the population have traditionally been assessed by monitoring two key statistics—the maternal mortality ratio and the infant mortality rate. The infant mortality rate is the sum of the neonatal mortality and post-neonatal mortality…