March 6, 2000

BIRMINGHAM, AL — The editorial board of Obstetrics & Gynecology recently presented a $5,000 grant award to UAB's Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in recognition of excellence in research by clinicians and basic scientists.

The award, one of five given by the editorial board for outstanding manuscripts published in 1999, honors faculty members John C. Hauth, M.D., chairman; Dwight Rouse, M.D.; and John Owen, M.D.; for research published in the March 1999 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

A committee appointed by the board reviewed and scored manuscripts for originality; importance to the specialty; laboratory, clinical and statistical methodology; narrative and graphic presentation of data; and writing style.

The winning article, "Active-phase labor arrest: Oxytocin Augmentation for at Least 4 Hours," looked at extending the minimum period of time to give women in labor oxytocin, a hormone widely used to induce labor, increase the force of uterine contractions and prevent and control postpartum hemorrhage.

The study concluded that increasing the minimum period from the currently recommended two hours to at least four is an effective means of achieving vaginal delivery and reducing the number of cesarean births.