Little information exists regarding Ebola vaccine rVSVDeltaG-ZEBOV-GP and pregnancy. The Sierra Leone Trial to Introduce a Vaccine against Ebola (STRIVE) randomized participants without blinding to immediate or deferred (18-24 weeks postenrollment) vaccination. Pregnancy was an exclusion criterion, but 84 women were inadvertently vaccinated in early pregnancy or became pregnant <60 days after vaccination or enrollment. Among immediate vaccinated women, 45% (14/31) reported pregnancy loss, compared with 33% (11/33) of unvaccinated women with contemporaneous pregnancies (relative risk 1.35, 95% CI 0.73-2.52). Pregnancy loss was similar among women with higher risk for vaccine viremia (conception before or <14 days after vaccination) (44% [4/9]) and women with lower risk (conception >15 days after vaccination) (45% [10/22]). No congenital anomalies were detected among 44 live-born infants examined. These data highlight the need for Ebola vaccination decisions to balance the possible risk for an adverse pregnancy outcome with the risk for Ebola exposure.

The Sierra Leone Trial to Introduce a Vaccine against Ebola (STRIVE), a phase 2/3 trial of investigational rVSVG-ZEBOV-GP vaccine, was conducted during an unprecedented Ebola epidemic. More than 8600 eligible healthcare and frontline response workers were individually randomized to immediate (within 7 days) or deferred (within 18-24 weeks) vaccination and followed for 6 months after vaccination for serious adverse events and Ebola virus infection. Key challenges included limited infrastructure to support trial activities, unreliable electricity, and staff with limited clinical trial experience. Study staff made substantial infrastructure investments, including renovation of enrollment sites, laboratories, and government cold chain facilities, and imported equipment to store and transport vaccine at </=-60oC. STRIVE built capacity by providing didactic and practical research training to >350 staff, which was reinforced with daily review and feedback meetings. The operational challenges of safety follow-up were addressed by issuing mobile telephones to participants, making home visits, and establishing a nurse triage hotline. Before the Ebola outbreak, Sierra Leone had limited infrastructure and staff to conduct clinical trials. Without interfering with the outbreak response, STRIVE responded to an urgent need and helped build this capacity. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov [NCT02378753] and Pan African Clinical Trials Registry [PACTR201502001037220].

OBJECTIVE: While pregnancy-related severe liver disorders are rare, when they occur morbidity and mortality rates are increased for mothers and infants. The objective of this study was to examine the prevalence and trends of hepatic diseases during pregnancy hospitalizations from 2002 through 2010 in the United States. STUDY DESIGN: Hospital discharge data were obtained from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, the largest all-payer hospital inpatient care database in the United States that provides nationally representative estimates. Pregnancy hospitalizations with the following diagnoses were identified: hepatitis B, hepatitis C, gallbladder disease/cholelithiasis, liver disorders of pregnancy, chronic/alcohol-related liver disease, biliary tract disease, and HELLP (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelet count) syndrome. Age, insurance status, hospital location, and hospital region were compared among women with and without hepatic diseases using a chi2 test. Trends in rates of pregnancy hospitalizations and mean charges were analyzed using multivariable logistic and linear regression, respectively. RESULTS: From 2002 through 2010 there were an estimated 41,479,358 pregnancy hospitalizations in the United States. Gallbladder disease and liver disorders of pregnancy were the most common hepatic diseases (rates = 7.18 and 4.65/1000 pregnancy hospitalizations, respectively). Adjusted rates and mean charges significantly increased for all hepatic diseases during pregnancy over the study period. All hepatic diseases were associated with significantly higher charges compared to all pregnancy hospitalizations. HELLP syndrome was associated with the highest mean charges. CONCLUSION: This large study among a representative sample of the US population provides valuable information that can aid policy planning and management of these hepatic diseases during pregnancy in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Women with sickle cell disease have an increased risk of pregnancy-related complications and need safe, effective contraceptive methods to prevent unintended pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a systematic review to examine the safety of hormonal and intrauterine contraceptive use among women with sickle cell disease. RESULTS: Eight articles met the inclusion criteria. The evidence was of fair to poor quality and suggested that progestin-only and combined hormonal contraception had no effect on frequency of sickle crises or other adverse events and no effect on hematologic parameters associated with sickle crises. No studies examined the risk of thromboembolism in combined hormonal contraceptive users with sickle cell disease. There was insufficient evidence to comment on the safety of intrauterine contraception. CONCLUSION: While data are limited, there is no evidence to suggest that hormonal contraceptive use among women with sickle cell disease is associated with an increased risk of clinical complications.

The risk of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV can be reduced through cesarean delivery prior to the onset of labor and prior to rupture of the membranes (elective cesarean delivery [ECD]). As a result of this evidence, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Department of Health and Human Services Panel on Treatment of HIV-Infected Pregnant Women and Prevention of Perinatal Transmission developed guidelines recommending ECD for HIV-infected women with plasma viral loads of more than 1000 copies/mL. Since the release of the recommendations, an increase in ECD has been seen among HIV-infected women in the United States. This article discusses the evidence on efficacy of ECD, current recommendations in the United States, and risks and morbidity related to ECD. Although the benefit of ECD in preventing MTCT of HIV is substantial, some questions remain. Specifically, the benefit of ECD for women with very low viral loads or for women using combination antiretroviral regimens is unclear, as is the timeframe after onset of labor or rupture of membranes within which ECD will still confer preventive benefits.