A study in JAMA Internal Medicine shows that doxycycline postexposure prophylaxis is linked to a decrease in sexually transmitted infections among adults using HIV preexposure prophylaxis. Researchers analyzed data for 11,551 adults, finding significant reductions in chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis among those using doxyPEP.

Pregnant women with type 2 diabetes face higher risks for neonatal and perinatal mortality compared to those with type 1 diabetes, gestational diabetes, and no diabetes, according to systematic review and meta-analysis of 47 studies published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The study highlighted increased odds of delivering small or large for gestational age infants, congenital anomalies, stillbirths and perinatal mortality. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes as a preexisting condition in pregnancies has doubled over 15 years, necessitating enhanced and supportive care, researchers say.

Digital screening tools and virtual patient education may increase genetic testing rates and hereditary cancer risk assessments, researchers reported in Obstetrics & Gynecology. "In a recent study, integration of refined, protocol-driven, clinic-specific hereditary cancer risk assessment processes resulted in a fourfold increase in genetic testing among patients in two U.S. community obstetrics and gynecology practices, which enabled detection of pathogenic variants that would not otherwise have been identified and helped clinicians better meet standard of care," researchers wrote.

Researchers reported in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth that women using the Continuous Precision Medicine mobile app after cesarean deliveries had a 92% reduction in the odds of prescription opioid misuse compared to nonusers. The study involved 58 women and showed that those not using the app had a seven times higher risk of misuse. The app, CPMRx, aids clinicians in optimizing medication use while minimizing opioid dependency.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that insulin was better for gestational diabetes than oral medications like metformin and glyburide. Researchers said infants born to mothers treated with insulin were less likely to be large for gestational age compared with those treated with oral agents. Insulin also was associated with lower rates of maternal hypoglycemia.

A study published in JAMA Network Open found that breastmilk from mothers taking antidepressants and anti-inflammatory drugs had lower levels of protein, fat and energy. While these macronutrient levels remained within the normal range, the study suggested potential health risks, especially for vulnerable infants such as those born preterm.

Research published in JAMA Network Open found that hospitals with low volumes of operative vaginal deliveries experience higher rates of adverse perinatal outcomes, such as newborns with shoulder dystocia, subgaleal hemorrhage and NICU admission. Hospitals with low operative vaginal delivery volume also had an increased proportion of obstetric anal sphincter injury compared with hospitals with medium and high volumes. The study, which analyzed over 306,000 deliveries in California, suggests that increased simulation training or setting a minimum number of such deliveries could improve outcomes.

Retinopathy of prematurity primarily affects premature infants with low birth weight who require oxygen in neonatal intensive care units. Accurate diagnosis and staging are critical, as ROP can lead to lifelong visual impairments. Accurate staging and treatment, including laser photocoagulation and anti-VEGF injections, are crucial, writes Richard Lindstrom, MD, in Ocular Surgery News. Wide-field digital imaging and telemedicine are effective, especially in rural and emerging areas, Lindstrom writes.

A study in Pediatrics following participants from the Auckland Steroid Trial shows that individuals born preterm have similar long-term health outcomes compared with those born at term. The study, which tracked participants for 50 years, found that preterm individuals had a higher incidence of high blood pressure but a lower risk of major adverse cardiovascular events.

Eighty percent of infants received protection against respiratory syncytial virus during the 2023-24 season, according to a study in JAMA Network Open. Researchers found that 33.9% of infants were exposed to the maternal RSVpreF vaccine, 40.9% received nirsevimab, and 2.7% received both, highlighting that children of Asian mothers were vaccinated at the highest rate, 86.7%, while those of Black mothers were the lowest, at 70.2%.