Browsing by Author "Parker, Corette B."
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Item Association between aspirin use during pregnancy and cardiovascular risk factors 2-7 years after delivery: The nuMoM2b Heart Health Study(Elsevier, 2022) Theilen, Lauren H.; Greenland, Philip; Varagic, Jasmina; Catov, Janet; Shanks, Anthony L.; Thorsten, Vanessa; Parker, Corette B.; McNeil, Rebecca; Mercer, Brian; Hoffman, Matthew; Wapner, Ronald; Haas, David; Simhan, Hyagriv; Grobman, William; Chung, Judith H.; Levine, Lisa D.; Barnes, Shannon; Merz, Noel Bairey; Saade, George; Silver, Robert M.; Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of MedicineObjectives: To evaluate the association between aspirin use during first pregnancy and later maternal cardiovascular risk. Study design: In this secondary analysis of a prospective cohort, we included participants who carried their first pregnancy to 20 + weeks, had data regarding aspirin use, and attended a study visit 2-7 years following delivery. The exposure was aspirin use during the first pregnancy. We calculated aspirin use propensity scores from logistic regression models including baseline variables associated with aspirin use in pregnancy and cardiovascular risk. Outcomes of interest were incident cardiovascular-related diagnoses 2-7 years following delivery. Robust Poisson regression calculated the risk of outcomes by aspirin exposure, adjusting for the aspirin use propensity score. Main outcome measures: The primary outcome was a composite of incident cardiovascular diagnoses at the time of the study visit: cardiovascular events, chronic hypertension, metabolic syndrome, prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, and chronic kidney disease. Results: Of 4,480 women included, 84 (1.9%) reported taking aspirin during their first pregnancy. 52.6% of participants in the aspirin-exposed group and 43.0% in the unexposed group had the primary outcome. After adjusting for the aspirin use propensity scores, aspirin use during the first pregnancy was not associated with any of the outcomes. Conclusion: We did not detect an association between aspirin use during the first pregnancy and cardiovascular-related diagnoses 2-7 years later. Our study was only powered to detect a large difference in relative risk, so we cannot rule out a smaller difference that may be clinically meaningful.Item Association of Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes With Hypertension 2 to 7 Years Postpartum(Wiley Open Access, 2019-10-01) Haas, David M.; Parker, Corette B.; Marsh, Derek J.; Grobman, William A.; Ehrenthal, Deborah B.; Greenland, Philip; Merz, C. Noel Bairey; Pemberton, Victoria L.; Silver, Robert M.; Barnes, Shannon; McNeil, Rebecca B.; Cleary, Kirsten; Reddy, Uma M.; Chung, Judith H.; Parry, Samuel; Theilen, Lauren H.; Blumenthal, Elizabeth A.; Levine, Lisa D.; Mercer, Brian M.; Simhan, Hyagriv; Polito, LuAnn; Wapner, Ronald J.; Catov, Janet; Chen, Ida; Saade, George R. Saade; NHLBI nuMoM2b Heart Health Study; Medicine, School of MedicineBackground Identifying pregnancy-associated risk factors before the development of major cardiovascular disease events could provide opportunities for prevention. The objective of this study was to determine the association between outcomes in first pregnancies and subsequent cardiovascular health. Methods and Results The Nulliparous Pregnancy Outcomes Study Monitoring Mothers-to-be Heart Health Study is a prospective observational cohort that followed 4484 women 2 to 7 years (mean 3.2 years) after their first pregnancy. Adverse pregnancy outcomes (defined as hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, small-for-gestational-age birth, preterm birth, and stillbirth) were identified prospectively in 1017 of the women (22.7%) during this pregnancy. The primary outcome was incident hypertension (HTN). Women without adverse pregnancy outcomes served as controls. Risk ratios (RR) and 95% CIs were adjusted for age, smoking, body mass index, insurance type, and race/ethnicity at enrollment during pregnancy. The overall incidence of HTN was 5.4% (95% CI 4.7% to 6.1%). Women with adverse pregnancy outcomes had higher adjusted risk of HTN at follow-up compared with controls (RR 2.4, 95% CI 1.8-3.1). The association held for individual adverse pregnancy outcomes: any hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (RR 2.7, 95% CI 2.0-3.6), preeclampsia (RR 2.8, 95% CI 2.0-4.0), and preterm birth (RR 2.7, 95% CI 1.9-3.8). Women who had an indicated preterm birth and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy had the highest risk of HTN (RR 4.3, 95% CI 2.7-6.7). Conclusions Several pregnancy complications in the first pregnancy are associated with development of HTN 2 to 7 years later. Preventive care for women should include a detailed pregnancy history to aid in counseling about HTN risk.Item Association of second trimester uterine artery Doppler parameters with maternal hypertension 2-7 years after delivery(Elsevier, 2021-08-12) Miller, Eliza C.; Carper, Benjamin; Bello, Natalie A.; Merz, C. Noel Bairey; Greenland, Philip; Levine, Lisa D.; Haas, David M.; Grobman, William A.; McNeil, Rebecca B.; Chung, Judith H.; Jolley, Jennifer; Saade, George R.; Silver, Robert M.; Simhan, Hyagriv N.; Wapner, Ronald J.; Parker, Corette B.; NIH NICHD nuMoM2b and NHLBI nuMoM2b Heart Health Study Networks; Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of MedicineBackground: Reduced uterine artery compliance is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) and may indicate underlying maternal cardiovascular pathology. We investigated associations between second trimester uterine artery Doppler (UAD) parameters and incident maternal hypertension 2-7 years after delivery. Methods: A cohort of 10,038 nulliparous US participants was recruited early in pregnancy. A subgroup of 3739, without baseline hypertension and with complete follow-up visits 2-7 years after delivery, were included in this analysis. We investigated UAD indicators of compliance including: 1) early diastolic notch; 2) resistance index (RI); and 3) pulsatility index (PI). We defined hypertension as systolic blood pressure ≥130 mmHg, diastolic ≥80 mmHg, or antihypertensive medication use. We calculated odds ratios (OR) and 95 % confidence intervals (95%CI) for associations between UAD parameters and hypertension, adjusting for age, obesity, race/ethnicity, insurance, smoking, and APOs. Results: A total of 187 (5 %) participants developed hypertension after the index pregnancy. Presence of early diastolic notch on UAD was not associated with incident hypertension. Increased RI and PI correlated with higher odds of hypertension (RI: adjusted OR 1.15 [95 % CI 1.03-1.30]; PI: adjusted OR 1.03 [95%CI 1.01-1.05] for each 0.1 unit increase). Maximum RI above 0.84 or maximum PI above 2.3 more than doubled the odds of incident hypertension (RI: adjusted OR 2.49, 95%CI 1.45-4.26; PI: adjusted OR 2.36, 95%CI 1.45-3.86). Conclusion: Higher resistance and pulsatility indices measured on second trimester UAD were associated with increased odds of incident hypertension 2-7 years later, and may be biomarkers of higher maternal cardiovascular risk.Item Early Pregnancy Atherogenic Profile in a First Pregnancy and Hypertension Risk 2 to 7 Years After Delivery(American Heart Association, 2021-02) Catov, Janet M.; McNeil, Rebecca B.; Marsh, Derek J.; Mercer, Brian M.; Merz, C. Noel Bairey; Parker, Corette B.; Pemberton, Victoria L.; Saade, George R.; Chen, Yii-Der (Ida); Chung, Judith H.; Ehrenthal, Deborah B.; Grobman, William A.; Haas, David M.; Parry, Samuel; Polito, LuAnn; Reddy, Uma M.; Silver, Robert M.; Simhan, Hyagriv N.; Wapner, Ronald J.; Kominiarek, Michelle; Kreutz, Rolf; Levine, Lisa D.; Greenland, Philip; Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of MedicineBackground: Cardiovascular risk in young adulthood is an important determinant of lifetime cardiovascular disease risk. Women with adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) have increased cardiovascular risk, but the relationship of other factors is unknown. Methods and Results: Among 4471 primiparous women, we related first-trimester atherogenic markers to risk of APO (hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, preterm birth, small for gestational age), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and hypertension (130/80 mm Hg or antihypertensive use) 2 to 7 years after delivery. Women with an APO/GDM (n=1102) had more atherogenic characteristics (obesity [34.2 versus 19.5%], higher blood pressure [systolic blood pressure 112.2 versus 108.4, diastolic blood pressure 69.2 versus 66.6 mm Hg], glucose [5.0 versus 4.8 mmol/L], insulin [77.6 versus 60.1 pmol/L], triglycerides [1.4 versus 1.3 mmol/L], and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [5.6 versus 4.0 nmol/L], and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [1.8 versus 1.9 mmol/L]; P<0.05) than women without an APO/GDM. They were also more likely to develop hypertension after delivery (32.8% versus 18.1%, P<0.05). Accounting for confounders and factors routinely assessed antepartum, higher glucose (relative risk [RR] 1.03 [95% CI, 1.00-1.06] per 0.6 mmol/L), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (RR, 1.06 [95% CI, 1.02-1.11] per 2-fold higher), and triglycerides (RR, 1.27 [95% CI, 1.14-1.41] per 2-fold higher) were associated with later hypertension. Higher physical activity was protective (RR, 0.93 [95% CI, 0.87-0.99] per 3 h/week). When evaluated as latent profiles, the nonobese group with higher lipids, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and insulin values (6.9% of the cohort) had increased risk of an APO/GDM and later hypertension. Among these factors, 7% to 15% of excess RR was related to APO/GDM. Conclusions: Individual and combined first-trimester atherogenic characteristics are associated with APO/GDM occurrence and hypertension 2 to 7 years later.Item Factors associated with duration of breastfeeding in women giving birth for the first time(BMC, 2022-09-22) Haas, David M.; Yang, Ziyi; Parker, Corette B.; Chung, Judith; Parry, Samuel; Grobman, William A.; Mercer, Brian M.; Simhan, Hyagriv N.; Silver, Robert M.; Wapner, Ronald J.; Saade, George R.; Greenland, Philip; Merz, Noel Bairey; Reddy, Uma M.; Pemberton, Victoria L.; nuMoM2b study; nuMoM2b Heart Health Study; Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of MedicineObjective: To examine maternal, psychosocial, and pregnancy factors associated with breastfeeding for at least 6 months in those giving birth for the first time. Methods: We performed a planned secondary analysis of an observational cohort study of 5249 women giving birth for the first time. Women were contacted at least 6 months after delivery and provided information regarding breastfeeding initiation, duration, and exclusivity. Maternal demographics, psychosocial measures, and delivery methods were compared by breastfeeding groups. Results: 4712 (89.8%) of the women breastfed at some point, with 2739 (58.2%) breastfeeding for at least 6 months. Of those who breastfed, 1161 (24.7% of the entire cohort), breastfed exclusively for at least 6 months. In the multivariable model among those who ever breastfed, not smoking in the month prior to delivery (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.04, 95%CI 1.19-3.45), having a Master's degree of higher (aOR 1.89, 95%CI 1.51-2.36), having a planned pregnancy (aOR 1.48, 95%CI 1.27-1.73), older age (aOR 1.02, 95% CI, 1.01-1.04), lower BMI (aOR 0.96 95% CI 0.95-0.97), and having less anxiety measured during pregnancy (aOR 0.990, 95%CI 0.983-0.998) were associated with breastfeeding for at least 6 months. Compared to non-Hispanic White women, Hispanic women, while being more likely to breastfeed initially (aOR 1.40, 95%CI 1.02-1.92), were less likely to breastfeed for 6 months (aOR 0.72, 95%CI 0.59-0.88). While non-Hispanic Black women were less likely than non-Hispanic White women to initiate breastfeeding (aOR 0.68, 95%CI 0.51-0.90), the odds of non-Hispanic Black women of continuing to breastfeed for at least 6 months was similar to non-Hispanic White women (aOR 0.92, 95%CI 0.71-1.19). Conclusions: In this cohort of women giving birth for the first time, duration of breastfeeding was associated with several characteristics which highlight groups at greater risk of not breastfeeding as long as currently recommended.Item Objectively assessed sleep-disordered breathing during pregnancy and infant birthweight(Elsevier, 2021) Hawkins, Marquis; Parker, Corette B.; Redline, Susan; Larkin, Jacob C.; Zee, Phyllis P.; Grobman, William A.; Silver, Robert M.; Louis, Judette M.; Pien, Grace; Basner, Robert C.; Chung, Judith H.; Haas, David M.; Nhan-Chang, Chia-Ling; Simhan, Hyagriv N.; Blue, Nathan R.; Parry, Samuel; Reddy, Uma; Facco, Francesca; NICHD NuMoM2b; NHLBI NuMoM2b Heart Health Study Networks; Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of MedicineBackground: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in pregnancy is associated with adverse maternal outcomes. The relationship between SDB and infant birthweight is unclear. This study's primary aim is to determine if objectively measured SDB in pregnancy is associated with infant birthweight. Methods: We measured SDB objectively in early (6-15 weeks' gestation) and mid (22-31 weeks' gestation) pregnancy in a large cohort of nulliparous women. SDB was defined as an Apnea-Hypopnea Index ≥5 and in secondary analyses we also examined measures of nocturnal hypoxemia. We used a modified Poisson regression approach to estimate relative risks (RR) of large-for-gestational-age (LGA: >90th percentile for gestational age) and small-for-gestational-age (SGA: <10th percentile for gestational age) birthweights. Results: The prevalence of early-pregnancy SDB was nearly 4%. The incidence of mid-pregnancy SDB was nearly 6.0%. The prevalence of LGA and SGA was 7.4% and 11.9%, respectively. Early-pregnancy SDB was associated with a higher risk of LGA in unadjusted models (RR 2.2, 95% CI 1.3-3.5) but not BMI-adjusted models (aRR 1.0, 95% CI 0.6-1.8). Mid-pregnancy SDB was not associated with SGA or LGA. Mid-pregnancy nocturnal hypoxemia (% of sleep time <90% oxygen saturation) and increasing nocturnal hypoxemia from early to mid-pregnancy were associated with a higher risk of LGA in BMI-adjusted models. SDB and nocturnal hypoxemia were not associated with SGA. Conclusions: SDB in pregnancy was not associated with an increased risk of LGA or SGA birthweight, independent of BMI. Some measures nocturnal hypoxemia were associated with an increase in LGA risk, independent of BMI.Item Objectively measured short sleep duration and later sleep midpoint in pregnancy are associated with a higher risk of gestational diabetes(Elsevier, 2017-10) Facco, Francesca L.; Grobman, William A.; Reid, Kathryn J.; Parker, Corette B.; Hunter, Shannon M.; Silver, Robert M.; Basner, Robert C.; Saade, George R.; Pien, Grace W.; Manchanda, Shalini; Louis, Judette M.; Nhan-Chang, Chia-Ling; Chung, Judith H.; Wing, Deborah A.; Simhan, Hyagriv N.; Haas, David M.; Iams, Jay; Parry, Samuel; Zee, Phyllis C.; Medicine, School of MedicineBACKGROUND: Experimental and epidemiologic data suggest that among nonpregnant adults, sleep duration may be an important risk factor for chronic disease. Although pregnant women commonly report poor sleep, few studies objectively evaluated the quality of sleep in pregnancy or explored the relationship between sleep disturbances and maternal and perinatal outcomes. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to examine the relationship between objectively assessed sleep duration, timing, and continuity (measured via wrist actigraphy) and maternal cardiovascular and metabolic morbidity specific to pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN: This was a prospective cohort study of nulliparous women. Women were recruited between 16 0/7 and 21 6/7 weeks' gestation. They were asked to wear a wrist actigraphy monitor and complete a daily sleep log for a period of 7 consecutive days. The primary sleep exposure variables were the averages of the following over the total valid nights (minimum 5, maximum 7 nights): short sleep duration during the primary sleep period (<7 h/night), late sleep midpoint (midpoint between sleep onset and sleep offset >5 am), and top quartile of minutes of wake time after sleep onset and sleep fragmentation index. The primary outcomes of interest were a composite of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (mild, severe, or superimposed preeclampsia; eclampsia; or antepartum gestational hypertension) and gestational diabetes mellitus. We used χ2 tests to assess associations between sleep variables and categorical baseline characteristics. Crude odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated from univariate logistic regression models to characterize the magnitude of the relationship between sleep characteristics and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and gestational diabetes. For associations significant in univariate analysis, multiple logistic regression was used to explore further the association of sleep characteristics with pregnancy outcomes. RESULTS: In all, 901 eligible women consented to participate; 782 submitted valid actigraphy studies. Short sleep duration and a later sleep midpoint were associated with an increased risk of gestational diabetes (odds ratio, 2.24; 95% confidence interval, 1.11-4.53; and odds ratio, 2.58; 95% confidence interval, 1.24-5.36, respectively) but not of hypertensive disorders. A model with both sleep duration and sleep midpoint as well as their interaction term revealed that while there was no significant interaction between these exposures, the main effects of both short sleep duration and later sleep midpoint with gestational diabetes remained significant (adjusted odds ratio, 2.06; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-4.19; and adjusted odds ratio, 2.37; 95% confidence interval, 1.13-4.97, respectively). Additionally, after adjusting separately for age, body mass index, and race/ethnicity, both short sleep duration and later sleep midpoint remained associated with gestational diabetes. No associations were demonstrated between the sleep quality measures (wake after sleep onset, sleep fragmentation) and hypertensive disorders or gestational diabetes. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate a relationship between short sleep duration and later sleep midpoint with gestational diabetes. Our data suggest independent contributions of these 2 sleep characteristics to the risk for gestational diabetes in nulliparous women.Item Placental protein levels in maternal serum are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes in nulliparous patients(ScienceDirect, 2022) Parry, Samuel; Carper, Benjamin A.; Grobman, William A.; Wapner, Ronald J.; Chung, Judith H.; Haas, David M.; Mercer, Brian; Silver, Robert M.; Simhan, Hyagriv N.; Saade, George R.; Reddy, Uma M.; Parker, Corette B.; Obstetrics and Gynocology, School of MedicineBackground The NICHD Nulliparous Pregnancy Outcomes Study: Monitoring Mothers-to-be (nuMoM2b) was established to investigate the underlying causes and pathophysiologic pathways associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes in nulliparous gravidas. Objective Our objectives were to study placental physiology and identify novel biomarkers in relation to adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preterm birth (medically-indicated and spontaneous), preeclampsia, small for gestational age (SGA) neonates, and stillbirth. We measured levels of placental proteins in the maternal circulation in the first two trimesters of pregnancy. Materials and Methods Maternal serum samples were collected at two study visits (6-13 weeks and 16-21 weeks), and levels of nine analytes were measured. The analytes we measured were vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), placental growth factor (PlGF), endoglin (Eng), soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1), A disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain-containing protein 12 (ADAM12), pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A), free β human chorionic gonadotropin (βhCG), inhibin A, and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). The primary outcome was preterm birth between 20 weeks 0 days and 36 weeks 6 days gestation. Secondary outcomes were spontaneous preterm births, medically-indicated preterm births, preeclampsia, SGA neonates, and stillbirth. Results A total of 10,038 eligible gravidas were enrolled into the nuMoM2b cohort, from which a nested case-control study was performed comparing 800 cases with preterm birth (466 spontaneous preterm births, 330 medically-indicated preterm births, and 4 unclassified preterm births), 568 with preeclampsia, 406 with SGA birth, and 49 with stillbirth, with 911 controls who delivered at term without complications. Although levels of each analyte generally differed between cases and controls at one or both visits, the odds ratios revealed a less than two-fold difference between cases and controls in all comparisons. Receiver operating characteristic curves, generated to determine the relationship between analyte levels and preterm birth and the other adverse pregnancy outcomes, resulted in areas under the curves (AUCs) that were relatively low (range 0.50-0.64) for each analyte. Logistic regression modeling demonstrated that AUCs for predicting adverse pregnancy outcomes were greater using baseline clinical characteristics and combinations of analytes compared to baseline characteristics alone, but AUCs remained relatively low for each outcome (0.65-0.78). Conclusion We have found significant associations between maternal serum levels of analytes evaluated early in pregnancy and subsequent adverse pregnancy outcomes in nulliparous gravidas. However, the test characteristics for these analytes do not support their use as clinical biomarkers to predict adverse pregnancy outcomes, either alone or in combination with maternal clinical characteristics.Item Pregnancy as a Window to Future Cardiovascular Health: Design and Implementation of the nuMoM2b Heart Health Study(Oxford University Press, 2016-03-15) Haas, David M.; Ehrenthal, Deborah B.; Koch, Matthew A.; Catov, Janet M.; Barnes, Shannon E.; Facco, Francesca; Parker, Corette B.; Mercer, Brian M.; Bairey-Merz, C. Noel; Silver, Robert M.; Wapner, Ronald J.; Simhan, Hyagriv N.; Hoffman, Matthew K.; Grobman, William A.; Greenland, Philip; Wing, Deborah A.; Saade, George R.; Parry, Samuel; Zee, Phyllis C.; Reddy, Uma M.; Pemberton, Victoria L.; Burwen, Dale R.; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, IU School of MedicineThe National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's Nulliparous Pregnancy Outcomes Study-Monitoring Mothers-to-Be (nuMoM2b) Heart Health Study (HHS) was designed to investigate the relationships between adverse pregnancy outcomes and modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The ongoing nuMoM2b-HHS, which started in 2013, is a prospective follow-up of the nuMoM2b cohort, which included 10,038 women recruited between 2010 and 2013 from 8 centers across the United States who were initially observed over the course of their first pregnancies. In this report, we detail the design and study procedures of the nuMoM2b-HHS. Women in the pregnancy cohort who consented to be contacted for participation in future studies were approached at 6-month intervals to ascertain health information and to maintain ongoing contact. Two to 5 years after completion of the pregnancy documented in the nuMoM2b, women in the nuMoM2b-HHS were invited to an in-person study visit. During this visit, they completed psychosocial and medical history questionnaires and had clinical measurements and biological specimens obtained. A subcohort of participants who had objective assessments of sleep-disordered breathing during pregnancy were asked to repeat this investigation. This unique prospective observational study includes a large, geographically and ethnically diverse cohort, rich depth of phenotypic information about adverse pregnancy outcomes, and clinical data and biospecimens from early in the index pregnancy onward. Data obtained from this cohort will provide mechanistic and clinical insights into how data on a first pregnancy can provide information about the potential development of subsequent risk factors for cardiovascular disease.Item Prescription and Other Medication Use in Pregnancy(Wolters Kluwer, 2018-05) Haas, David M.; Marsh, Derek J.; Dang, Danny T.; Parker, Corette B.; Wing, Deborah A.; Simhan, Hyagriv N.; Grobman, William A.; Mercer, Brian M.; Silver, Robert M.; Hoffman, Matthew K.; Parry, Samuel; Iams, Jay D.; Caritis, Steve N.; Wapner, Ronald J.; Esplin, M. Sean; Elovitz, Michal A.; Peaceman, Alan M.; Chung, Judith; Saade, George R.; Reddy, Uma M.; Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of MedicineOBJECTIVE: To characterize prescription and other medication use in a geographically and ethnically diverse cohort of women in their first pregnancy. METHODS: In a prospective, longitudinal cohort study of nulliparous women followed through pregnancy from the first trimester, medication use was chronicled longitudinally throughout pregnancy. Structured questions and aids were used to capture all medications taken as well as reasons they were taken. Total counts of all medications taken including number in each category and class were captured. Additionally, reasons the medications were taken were recorded. Trends in medications taken across pregnancy and in the first trimester were determined. RESULTS: Of the 9,546 study participants, 9,272 (97.1%) women took at least one medication during pregnancy with 9,139 (95.7%) taking a medication in the first trimester. Polypharmacy, defined as taking at least five medications, occurred in 2,915 (30.5%) women. Excluding vitamins, supplements, and vaccines, 73.4% of women took a medication during pregnancy with 55.1% taking one in the first trimester. The categories of drugs taken in pregnancy and in the first trimester include the following: gastrointestinal or antiemetic agents (34.3%, 19.5%), antibiotics (25.5%, 12.6%), and analgesics (23.7%, 15.6%, which includes 3.6%; 1.4% taking an opioid pain medication). CONCLUSION: In this geographically and ethnically diverse cohort of nulliparous pregnant women, medication use was nearly universal and polypharmacy was common.