BackgroundSaudi Arabia has undergone substantial development in the recent past with concomitant changes in living conditions, and economic and general health status that have affected the age at menarche in Saudi women. We evaluated the current age at menarche and reproductive events among Saudi women.Subjects and MethodsAge, age at menarche, age at marriage, age of first pregnancy, number of children, and number of abortions were collected for Saudi women attending King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH) over a 3-month period in 2002.ResultsFor 989 Saudi women, the mean age at menarche was 13.05 years. There was a decrease in the age of menarche over the past 20 years, an increase in the age of marriage, age of first pregnancy, and a decrease in the number of children and abortions. Compared with data from two decades, the age at menarche decreased significantly from 13.22 to 13.05 years.ConclusionThe decrease in the age of menarche among Saudi women indicates better socioeconomic status and improvements in health.

A preliminary case-control study was conducted on Saudi women to detect possible risk factors for spontaneous abortion (SA). Two hundred and twenty six consecutive women hospitalised for SA and 226 women admitted for normal delivery and used as controls, were studied. Women with SA were significantly older at menarche (Relative Risk (RR) = 3.2), more frequently married to blood-related husbands (RR = 2.1) and husbands older than 50 years (RR = 2.4). Number of previous abortions related linearly to the risk of aborting spontaneously in the next pregnancy. Compared to primigravidas, the RR was 3.2 if the outcome of the most recent pregnancy was SA, and 0.8 if it was a livebirth. A family history of SA was more common among cases (RR = 4.6). Spontaneous abortion was also associated with daily consumption of more than 150 mg of caffeine, abdominal trauma, infection and fever during pregnancy. No significant association, however, emerged with maternal age, social class, education, exposure to video display terminals, parity, use of contraception, diabetes or obesity. The application of these data in clinical practice and future research needs are discussed.

Umbilical cord cysts diagnosed antenatally present a challenge to the clinician as they may be associated with adverse perinatal outcomes including abnormal karyotypes and stillbirths. We present a case of an umbilical cord cyst diagnosed by routine ultrasound at 30 weeks of gestation. Findings on sonography included unidirectional movement of echogenic particles suggesting a large varix of the umbilical vein. The patient delivered vaginally at 39 weeks and histopathology confirmed the diagnosis.

The objective of this study was to identify important risk factors for spontaneous abortion (SA) among Saudi women. It was a case-control study conducted at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The cases were 226 consecutive women hospitalized for SA between October 1992 and January 1993. The controls were 226 consecutive women who had normal delivery in the same hospital during the same period. Bivariate analysis using chi-square tests and estimates of relative risks indicated a positive association of age at menarche with risk of SA (P < 0.01). Also, there was a significant higher risk of SA when a women was married to a blood related husband than if married to a non relative (RR = 2.1). The number of previous abortions was also positively related to the risk of SA in the current pregnancy (P < 0.01). Compared to primigravidas, the risk of SA was 3.2 times greater than if the outcome of the most recent pregnancy was also an SA. Other factors that had significant bivariate association with SA were a family history of SA, abdominal trauma, and infection during pregnancy. When multiple logistic regression was used to adjust for the effects of confounding variables, all the factors that showed significant bivariate association with SA (except outcome of the last pregnancy) remained significant. Early menarche may be protective, but further study is needed to confirm this. Greater attention should be given to pregnant women who had personal or family history of SA and those who had trauma and/or infection during pregnancy. Premarital counselling concerning consanguineous marriages is recommended.

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