Alexandra Sundermann

Study details the downsides of testing for pregnancy too early

More than 40% of the women reported that they tested their urine for human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone released by the placenta, four or more days before their expected periods.

Alexandra Sundermann, MD, PhD, poses for a photo with an ultrasound machine. (photo by Donn Jones)

Discrepancies in gestational dating can inform miscarriage risk: study

Investigators measured whether gestational dating determined by ultrasound lagged what the last menstrual period predicted. The bigger the lag, the higher risk of the pregnancy ending in a loss, they found.