PROM : Premature Rupture of membranes before onset of labor is considered premature. Diagnosis is clinical. Delivery is recommended when gestational age is ≥ 34 wk and is generally indicated for infection or fetal compromise regardless of gestational age. Premature rupture of membranes (PROM) may occur at term (≥ 37 wk) or earlier (called preterm PROM if < 37 wk). Preterm PROM predisposes to pr ...

What is in vitro fertilization (IVF)? IVF literally it means "fertilization in glass, ” because the woman’s eggs and the man’s sperm are fertilized in a Petri dish. During the IVF process, a patient’s natural cycle is carefully manipulated through the use of fertility medications. These medications stimulate the ovaries to produce not one, but a number of mature eggs. At the right time, the eggs ...

Assisted conception The following methods are currently available for assisted conception. Intrauterine insemination (IUI): At the time of ovulation, a fine catheter is inserted through the cervix into the uterus to place a sperm sample directly into the uterus. The sperm is washed in a fluid and the best specimens are selected. The woman may be given a low dose of ovary stimulating hormones. I ...

What causes the symptoms of PCOS? Most of the symptoms of PCOS are caused by higher-than-normal levels of certain hormones, called androgens. The ovaries produce hormones, which are chemicals that control functions in the body. One of the hormones that the ovaries make is estrogen—sometimes called the "female hormone" because women's bodies make more of it than men's bodies do. The ovaries also m ...

Ovulation and the Menstrual Cycle: During their reproductive years, women have regular monthly menstrual periods because they ovulate regularly each month. Eggs mature inside of fluid-filled spheres called “follicles.” At the beginning of each menstrual cycle when a woman is having her period, a hormone produced in the pituitary gland, which is located in the brain, stimulates a group of follicles ...

Chiari malformation (kee-AH-ree mal-for-MAY-shun) is a condition in which brain tissue extends into your spinal canal. It occurs when part of your skull is abnormally small or misshapen, pressing on your brain and forcing it downward. Chiari malformation is uncommon, but increased use of imaging tests have led to more frequent diagnoses. Doctors categorize Chiari malformation into three types, d ...

What are uterine fibroids? Fibroids are benign tumors made of smooth muscle cells and fibrous connective tissue. They develop in the uterus. It is estimated that 70-80% of women will develop fibroids in their lifetime—however, not everyone will develop symptoms or require treatment. The most important characteristic of fibroids is that they are not cancer, and they do not have the potential to bec ...

Neural tube defects are birth defects of the brain, spine, or spinal cord. They happen in the first month of pregnancy, often before a woman even knows that she is pregnant. The two most common neural tube defects are spina bifida and anencephaly. In spina bifida, the fetal spinal column doesn't close completely. There is usually nerve damage that causes at least some paralysis of the legs. In ane ...