Hospital Disaster Preparedness for Obstetricians and Facilities Providing Maternity Care

Committee Opinion Number 726, December 2017

(Replaces Committee Opinion Number 555, March 2013)

ABSTRACT: Large-scale catastrophic events and infectious disease outbreaks highlight the need for disaster planning at all community levels. Features unique to the obstetric population (including antepartum, intrapartum, postpartum and neonatal care) warrant special consideration in the event of a disaster. Pregnancy increases the risks of untoward outcomes from various infectious diseases. Trauma during pregnancy presents anatomic and physiologic considerations that often can require increased use of resources such as higher rates of cesarean delivery. Recent evidence suggests that floods an...

Vaginal Seeding

Committee Opinion Number 725, November 2017

(Reaffirmed 2019)

ABSTRACT: Vaginal seeding refers to the practice of inoculating a cotton gauze or a cotton swab with vaginal fluids to transfer the vaginal flora to the mouth, nose, or skin of a newborn infant. The intended purpose of vaginal seeding is to transfer maternal vaginal bacteria to the newborn. As the increase in the frequency of asthma, atopic disease, and immune disorders mirrors the increase in the rate of cesarean delivery, the theory of vaginal seeding is to allow for proper colonization of the fetal gut and, therefore, reduce the subsequent risk of asthma, atopic disease, and immune disorde...

Postpartum Hemorrhage

Practice Bulletin Number 183, October 2017

(Replaces Practice Bulletin Number 76, October 2006) (Reaffirmed 2019)

Guidelines for Perinatal Care

Antenatal Corticosteroid Therapy for Fetal Maturation

Committee Opinion Number 713, August 2017

(Replaces Committee Opinion No. 677, October 2016) (Reaffirmed 2018)

ABSTRACT: Corticosteroid administration before anticipated preterm birth is one of the most important antenatal therapies available to improve newborn outcomes. A single course of corticosteroids is recommended for pregnant women between 24 0/7 weeks and 33 6/7 weeks of gestation who are at risk of preterm delivery within 7 days, including for those with ruptured membranes and multiple gestations. It also may be considered for pregnant women starting at 23 0/7 weeks of gestation who are at risk of preterm delivery within 7 days, based on a family’s decision regarding resuscitation, irrespecti...

Intrapartum Management of Intraamniotic Infection

Committee Opinion Number 712, August 2017

(Reaffirmed 2019)

ABSTRACT: Intraamniotic infection, also known as chorioamnionitis, is an infection with resultant inflammation of any combination of the amniotic fluid, placenta, fetus, fetal membranes, or decidua. Intraamniotic infection is a common condition noted among preterm and term parturients. However, most cases of intraamniotic infection detected and managed by obstetrician–gynecologists or other obstetric care providers will be noted among term patients in labor. Intraamniotic infection can be associated with acute neonatal morbidity, including neonatal pneumonia, meningitis, sepsis, and death. Ma...

Methods for Estimating the Due Date

Committee Opinion Number 700, May 2017

(Replaces Committee Opinion Number 611, October 2014) (Reaffirmed 2019)

ABSTRACT: Accurate dating of pregnancy is important to improve outcomes and is a research and public health imperative. As soon as data from the last menstrual period, the first accurate ultrasound examination, or both are obtained, the gestational age and the estimated due date (EDD) should be determined, discussed with the patient, and documented clearly in the medical record. Subsequent changes to the EDD should be reserved for rare circumstances, discussed with the patient, and documented clearly in the medical record. A pregnancy without an ultrasound examination that confirms or revises...

Shoulder Dystocia

Practice Bulletin Number 178, May 2017

(Replaces Practice Bulletin Number 40, November 2002) (Reaffirmed 2019)

Delivery of a Newborn With Meconium-Stained Amniotic Fluid

Committee Opinion Number 689, March 2017

(Reaffirmed 2019)

ABSTRACT: In 2006, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Heart Association published the 2005 guidelines on neonatal resuscitation. Before the 2005 guidelines, management of a newborn with meconium-stained amniotic fluid included suctioning of the oropharynx and nasopharynx on the perineum after the delivery of the head but before the delivery of the shoulders. The 2005 guidelines did not support this practice because routine intrapartum suctioning does not prevent or alter the course of meconium aspiration syndrome in vigorous newborns. However, the 2005 guidelines did support ...

Management of Suboptimally Dated Pregnancies

Committee Opinion Number 688, March 2017

(Reaffirmed 2019)

ABSTRACT: The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists considers first-trimester ultrasonography to be the most accurate method to establish or confirm gestational age. Pregnancies without an ultrasonographic examination confirming or revising the estimated due date before 22 0/7 weeks of gestation should be considered suboptimally dated. This document provides guidance for managing pregnancies in which the best clinical estimate of gestational age is suboptimal. There is no role for elective delivery in a woman with a suboptimally dated pregnancy. Although guidelines for indicated...

Delayed Umbilical Cord Clamping After Birth

Committee Opinion Number 684, January 2017

(Replaces Committee Opinion Number 543, December 2012) (Reaffirmed 2018)

ABSTRACT: Delayed umbilical cord clamping appears to be beneficial for term and preterm infants. In term infants, delayed umbilical cord clamping increases hemoglobin levels at birth and improves iron stores in the first several months of life, which may have a favorable effect on developmental outcomes. There is a small increase in jaundice that requires phototherapy in this group of infants. Consequently, health care providers adopting delayed umbilical cord clamping in term infants should ensure that mechanisms are in place to monitor for and treat neonatal jaundice. In preterm infants, de...

Immersion in Water During Labor and Delivery

Committee Opinion Number 679, November 2016

(Replaces Committee Opinion Number 594, April 2014)

ABSTRACT: Immersion in water during labor or delivery has been popularized over the past several decades. The prevalence of this practice in the United States is uncertain because it has not been studied in births outside of the home and birth centers, and the data are not recorded on birth certificates. Among randomized controlled trials included in a 2009 Cochrane systematic review that addressed immersion in the first stage of labor, results were inconsistent with regard to maternal benefits. Neither the Cochrane systematic review nor any individual trials included in that review reported ...

Fetal Macrosomia

Practice Bulletin Number 173, November 2016

(Replaces Practice Bulletin Number 22, November 2000) (Reaffirmed 2018)

Comprehensive Sexuality Education

Committee Opinion Number 678, November 2016

(Reaffirmed 2018)

ABSTRACT: Current sexuality education programs vary widely in the accuracy of content, emphasis, and effectiveness. Data have shown that not all programs are equally effective for all ages, races and ethnicities, socioeconomic groups, and geographic areas. Studies have demonstrated that comprehensive sexuality education programs reduce the rates of sexual activity, sexual risk behaviors (eg, number of partners and unprotected intercourse), sexually transmitted infections, and adolescent pregnancy. One key component of an effective program is encouraging community-centered efforts. In addition...

Management of Preterm Labor

Practice Bulletin Number 171, October 2016

(Replaces Practice Bulletin Number 159, January 2016) (Reaffirmed 2018)

Multifetal Gestations: Twin, Triplet, and Higher-Order Multifetal Pregnancies

Practice Bulletin Number 169, October 2016

(Replaces Practice Bulletin Number 144, May 2014) (Reaffirmed 2019)

Severe Maternal Morbidity: Screening and Review

Number 5, September 2016

(Reaffirmed 2018)

ABSTRACT: This document builds upon recommendations from peer organizations and outlines a process for identifying maternal cases that should be reviewed. Severe maternal morbidity is associated with a high rate of preventability, similar to that of maternal mortality. It also can be considered a near miss for maternal mortality because without identification and treatment, in some cases, these conditions would lead to maternal death. Identifying severe morbidity is, therefore, important for preventing such injuries that lead to mortality and for highlighting opportunities to avoid repeat inj...

Perinatal Risks Associated With Assisted Reproductive Technology

Committee Opinion Number 671, September 2016

(Replaces Committee Opinion No. 324, November 2005) (Reaffirmed 2018)

ABSTRACT: Over the past decades, the use of assisted reproductive technology (ART) has increased dramatically worldwide and has made pregnancy possible for many infertile couples. Although the perinatal risks that may be associated with ART and ovulation induction are much higher in multifetal gestations, even singletons achieved with ART and ovulation induction may be at higher risk than singletons from naturally occurring pregnancies. However, it remains unclear to what extent these associations might be related to the underlying cause(s) of infertility. Before initiating ART or ovulation i...

Immediate Postpartum Long-Acting Reversible Contraception

Committee Opinion Number 670, August 2016

(Reaffirmed 2018)

ABSTRACT: Immediate postpartum long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) has the potential to reduce unintended and short-interval pregnancy. Women should be counseled about all forms of postpartum contraception in a context that allows informed decision making. Immediate postpartum LARC should be offered as an effective option for postpartum contraception; there are few contraindications to postpartum intrauterine devices and implants. Obstetrician–gynecologists and other obstetric care providers should discuss LARC during the antepartum period and counsel all pregnant women about options ...

Hospital-Based Triage of Obstetric Patients

Committee Opinion Number 667, July 2016

(Reaffirmed 2018)

ABSTRACT: Emergency departments typically have structured triage guidelines for health care providers encountering the diverse cases that may present to their units. Such guidelines aid in determining which patients must be evaluated promptly and which may wait safely, and aid in determining anticipated use of resources. Although labor and delivery units frequently serve as emergency units for pregnant women, the appropriate structure, location, timing, and timeliness for hospital-based triage evaluations of obstetric patients are not always clear. Hospital-based obstetric units are urged to ...