Dr. Chapa’s OBGYN Clinical Pearls

Podcast family, as we have said on many previous occasions, we get episode suggestions from either real-world patient encounters, from things that are hot in press, and/or from podcasts family member suggestions. Recently, one of our podcast family members asked me about the utility ofperforming pelvic floor muscle therapy (PFMT) antepartum. Is this evidence-based? Does performing PFMT help with postpartum urinary incontinence? Not all PFMTs are Kegel exercises! In this episode, we will review peripartum urinary incontinence and answer the question, “Is there value in teaching antepartum PFMT?”. We will summarize key concepts from the Oct 2025 Narrative Review on thissubject from the Green Journal (Obstet Gynecol).1.     Siddique, Moiuri MD, MPH; Hickman, Lisa MD;Giugale, Lauren MD. Peripartum Urinary Incontinence and Overactive Bladder.Obstetrics & Gynecology 146(4):p 466-472, October 2025. | DOI:10.1097/AOG.00000000000059932.     Woodley SJ, Lawrenson P, Boyle R, et al. PelvicFloor Muscle Training for Preventing and Treating Urinary and Faecal Incontinence in Antenatal and Postnatal Women. The Cochrane Database of SystematicReviews. 2020;5:CD007471. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD007471.pub4.3.     Pelvic Floor Muscle Training to Prevent andTreat Urinary and Fecal Incontinence in Antenatal and Postnatal Patients. AmericanAcademy of Family Physicians (2021). Practice Guideline STRONG COFFEE PROMO: 20% Off Strong CoffeeCompany https://strongcoffeecompany.com/discount/CHAPANOSPINOBG

In the 09/1/2018 Society for Academic Specialists in General Obstetrics and Gynecology’s (SASGOG’s) Pearls of Exxcellence publication, “Management of Preeclampsia at Term”, it states: “If hypertension management requires acute IV treatment, it is often prudent to initiate oral labetalol or EXTENDED-release nifedipine to maintain blood pressures below the severe range. Intrapartum blood pressure management and consultation should not delay progress towards delivery. Fetal monitoring should be continuous.” In the original ACOG CO 692 from 2017, oral nifedipine was first referenced as an alternative to IV meds GIVEN INTRAPARTUM, stating, “Although relatively less information currently exists for the use of calcium channel blockers for this clinical indication, the available evidence suggests that immediate release oral nifedipine also may be considered as a first-line therapy, particularly when intravenous access is not available.” This may be given orally as 10mg, 20mg, and 20 mg separated in time by 20 minutes per dose. Notice it says “immediate release oral nifedipine”. But what about EXTENDED release nifedipine intrapartum as stated by the SASGOG? Is that an option after immediate attentive and therapy has been given with IV anti-hypertensives? Listen in for details.1. Emergent Therapy for Acute-Onset, Severe Hypertension During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period: Committee Opinion, Number 692. Obstetrics & Gynecology 129(4):p e90-e95, April 2017. | DOI: 10.1097/AOG.00000000000020192. Gestational Hypertension and Preeclampsia: ACOG Practice Bulletin, Number 222. Obstet Gynecol. 2020 Jun;135(6):e237-e260. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000003891. PMID: 32443079.3. Cleary EM, Racchi NW, Patton KG, Kudrimoti M, Costantine MM, Rood KM. Trial of Intrapartum Extended-Release Nifedipine to Prevent Severe Hypertension Among Pregnant Individuals With Preeclampsia With Severe Features. Hypertension. 2023 Feb;80(2):335-342. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.122.19751. Epub 2022 Oct 3. PMID: 36189646.STRONG COFFEE PROMO: 20% Off Strong Coffee Company ⁠https://strongcoffeecompany.com/discount/CHAPANOSPINOBG

Fetal gastroschisis is a congenital defect of the abdominal wall, typically located to the right of a normally inserted umbilical cord, through which the fetal intestines and sometimes other abdominal organs herniate directly into the amniotic cavity. This condition is usually isolated, not associated with other major anomalies, and is reliably diagnosed prenatally by ultrasound. Does this require antenatal fetal surveillance? In this episode, we will cover the prevalence, diagnosis, classification, and management of this congenital anomaly. 1. Ferreira RG, Mendonça CR, Gonçalves Ramos LL, de Abreu Tacon FS, Naves do Amaral W, Ruano R. Gastroschisis: a systematic review of diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2022 Dec;35(25):6199-6212. doi: 10.1080/14767058.2021.1909563. Epub 2021 Apr 25. PMID: 33899664.2. Pontes KFM, Muniz TD, Caldas JVJ, Acácio GL, Lapa DA, Rolo LC, Araujo Júnior E. Fetal Gastroschisis: Review From Diagnosis to Delivery. J Clin Ultrasound. 2025 Jun;53(5):1122-1130. doi: 10.1002/jcu.23976. Epub 2025 Mar 28. PMID: 40152061.3. Muniz TD, Rolo LC, Araujo Júnior E. Gastroschisis: embriology, pathogenesis, risk factors, prognosis, and ultrasonographic markers for adverse neonatal outcomes. J Ultrasound. 2024 Jun;27(2):241-250. doi: 10.1007/s40477-024-00887-8. Epub 2024 Mar 29. PMID: 38553588; PMCID: PMC11178761.STRONG COFFEE PROMO: 20% Off Strong Coffee Company ⁠https://strongcoffeecompany.com/discount/CHAPANOSPINOBG

On October 9, 2025, the ACOG released a clinical practice update (CPU) regarding Zouranolone and brexanolone. As postpartum depression is an area of continued research and need for therapeutics, any new clinical practice update on the subject is welcome. So what's new in this update?! Well…the answer will surprise you. Listen in for details on the CPU, and a mini-review of the concerns for Zuranolone. 1. ACOG CPU Oct 9, 2025: Zuranolone and Brexanolone for the Treatment of Postpartum Depression 2. ACOG PA Aug 2023: Zuranolone for the Treatment of Postpartum Depression 3. Clinical Practice Guideline No. 5, Treatment and Management of Mental Health Conditions During Pregnancy and Postpartum (Obstet Gynecol 2023;141:1262–88)STRONG COFFEE PROMO: 20% Off Strong Coffee Company https://strongcoffeecompany.com/discount/CHAPANOSPINOBG

Sometimes you hear something that makes you just stop and say, “What did you say?!”. Yep, in this episode we will give evidence-based answers to three questions that I heard TODAY that made me stop and ask, “What did you say?”. In this episode we will cover: 1. Umbilical cord blood collection from a monochorionic twin gestation, 2. Predictability of the mBPP compared to full BPP, and 3. Breastfeeding during postpartum cannabis use (this last one is not so intuitive as you would think, and there is new ACOG guidance on this which we will review). Listen in for details!1. ACOG PB 229; 20212. ACOG CC #10: Cannabis Use During Pregnancy and Lactation3. Kaufman DA, Lucke AM, Cummings JJ. Postnatal Cord Blood Sampling: Clinical Report.Pediatrics. 2025;155(6):e2025071811. doi:10.1542/peds.2025-071811.4. Simpson L, Khati NJ, Deshmukh SP, et al. ACR Appropriateness Criteria Assessment of Fetal Well-Being. Journal of the American College of Radiology : JACR. 2016;13(12 Pt A):1483-1493. doi:10.1016/j.jacr.2016.08.028.STRONG COFFEE PROMO: 20% Off Strong Coffee Company https://strongcoffeecompany.com/discount/CHAPANOSPINOBG

In July 2023, the ACOG released a Practice Advisory stating, “Based on data on the benefit of adjunct HPV vaccination, ACOG recommends adherence to the current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for vaccinations of individuals aged 9–26 years, and to consider adjuvant HPV vaccination for immunocompetent previously unvaccinated people aged 27–45 years who are undergoing treatment for CIN 2+”. The possible beneficial effect of peri-treatment HPV vaccination goes back to the early 2010s. But science is always changing, and MEDICINE MOVES FAST. In September 2025, the Lancet’s Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women’s Health journal published the VACCIN trial to test that guidance. These authors found that, “Although previous studies, including meta-analyses and observational studies, have shown that adjuvant HPV vaccination reduces the recurrence of cervical dysplasia after surgical treatment, our trial suggests that adjuvant HPV vaccination is not effective in reducing the recurrence of CIN 2–3 lesions, contradicting the conclusions of previous works”. They have also called for a REVISION to prior guidance. This is FASCINATING. Listen in for details. 1. ACOG PA July 2023, “Adjuvant Human Papillomavirus Vaccination for Patients Undergoing Treatment for Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia 2+”2. Adjuvant prophylactic human papillomavirus vaccination for prevention of recurrent high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia lesions in women undergoing lesion surgical treatment (VACCIN): a multicentre, phase 4 randomised placebo-controlled trial in the Netherlands: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S305050382500007X#:~:text=To%20our%20knowledge%2C%20this%20is,the%20conclusions%20of%20previous%20works.STRONG COFFEE PROMO: 20% Off Strong Coffee Company https://strongcoffeecompany.com/discount/CHAPANOSPINOBG

FYI

A breakthrough discovery in the 1970s was the determination of alpha-fetoprotein levels in the serum of pregnant women to detect fetuses with neural tube defects. In the case of high AFP values in maternal serum, amniocentesis was performed to determine the levels of AFP and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the amniotic fluid to confirm the diagnosis. Currently, the ACOG states that high-quality, second-trimester fetal anatomy ultrasonography is an appropriate screening test for NTDs where routinely performed for fetal anatomic survey at 18 to 22 weeks. If optimal images of the fetal spine, intracranial anatomy, or anterior abdominal wall are not obtained (eg, fetal position or maternal obesity), MSAFP should be performed to improve detection of NTDs (ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 187: Neural Tube Defects. Committee on Practice Bulletins Obstet Gynecol. 2017). Some clinicians (as we do in our practice) order both fetal anatomy ultrasound and msAFP concurrently. What are the implications when the msAFP is elevated with a normal fetal anatomical survey? Where is this msAFP coming from? Listen in for details.1. ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 187: Neural Tube Defects. Committee on Practice Bulletins Obstet Gynecol. 20172. Pregnancy Outcomes Regarding Maternal Serum AFP Value in Second Trimester Screening. Bartkute K, Balsyte D, Wisser J, Kurmanavicius J. Journal of Perinatal Medicine. 2017;45(7):817-820. doi:10.1515/jpm-2016-0101.3. Głowska-Ciemny J, Szmyt K, Kuszerska A, Rzepka R, von Kaisenberg C, Kocyłowski R. Fetal and Placental Causes of Elevated Serum Alpha-Fetoprotein Levels in Pregnant Women. J Clin Med. 2024 Jan 14;13(2):466. doi: 10.3390/jcm13020466. PMID: 38256600; PMCID: PMC10816536.STRONG COFFEE PROMO: 20% Off Strong Coffee Company https://strongcoffeecompany.com/discount/CHAPANOSPINOBG

The only structure of fetal gastrointestinal tract (GIT) which is seen on routine second trimester anomaly scan is the fetal stomach. Under normal conditions, the fetal stomach "bubble" is seen on the left side of the fetal abdomen. This is a normal finding on an ultrasound and indicates the stomach's normal position. There are two functions of the fetal GIT: 1. Propulsive action by peristalsis which takes the swallowed amniotic fluid up to the small bowel; 2. Absorption – the amniotic fluid is absorbed through the fetal small bowel. When the stomach is found prenatally to be located on the right side, it is called dextrogastria. Today in our high-risk prenatal clinic, we encountered a patient whose fetus was found to have this rare condition dextrogastria. Is this an isolated issue? What does this mean for clinical outcomes. Listen in for details.1. Versteegh HP, Adams SD, Boxall S, Burge DM, Stanton MP. Antenatally diagnosed right-sided stomach (dextrogastria): A rare rotational anomaly. J Pediatr Surg. 2016 Feb;51(2):236-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2015.10.060. Epub 2015 Nov 4. PMID: 26655213.2. A Case Report Of An Isolated Dextrogastria Diagnosed In First Trimester Ultrasound Screening: https://hjog.org/?p=35403. Docx MKF, Steylemans A, Govaert PIsolated dextrogastria in a newbornArchives of Disease in Childhood - Fetal and Neonatal Edition 2015;100:F513.4. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/43349867_Isolated_dextrogastria_A_case_report5. Aziz, S., König, S., Noor, H. et al. Isolated dextrogastria with eventration of right hemidiaphragm and hiatal hernia in an adult male. BMC Gastroenterol 22, 56 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12876-022-02127-x

Did you know that C-Section birth is referenced in Shakespeare’s Macbeth? Cesarean Section is the most common laparotomy in the world, and yest we are still learning surprising facts about it. This episode we will summarize 2publications which have recently been released. One is from the American Journal of Perinatology (September 2025 ) and the other is from the AJOG (August 2025 ). Does a primary C-section on a laboring uterus have a different risk of PAS in the subsequent pregnancy compared to a non-labored uterus? And what is the percentage of patients who experience “pain” at time of C-section? Listen in for the surprising data.1. Kashani Ligumsky L, Lopian M, Jeong A, Desmond A, Elmalech A, Many A, Martinez G, Krakow D, Afshar Y. Impact of Labor in Primary Cesarean Delivery on Subsequent Risk of Placenta Accreta. Am J Perinatol. 2025 Sep 16. doi: 10.1055/a-2693-8599. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40957594.2. Somerstein, Rachel. I feel pain, not pressure: a personal and methodological reflection on pain during cesarean delivery. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Volume 0, Issue 0 (EPub Ahead of Print)