OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the risk of spontaneous preterm delivery in relation to cervical length in severe cases of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) diagnosed before 26 weeks of gestation and treated by laser coagulation of the intertwin placental anastomoses. METHODS: This was an observational study of cases of severe TTTS diagnosed ...

PURPOSE: To assess whether hair-relaxer use is associated with an increased risk of preterm birth among African-American women. METHODS: We used data from the Black Women's Health Study. The participants were enrolled in 1995 and provided follow-up information in 1997, 1999, and 2001. Among 6130 singleton births reported by women ...

An integrated approach of neonatal analgesia starts with the systematic evaluation of pain and should be followed by effective interventions, mainly based on the appropriate (i.e. safe and effective) administration of analgesics. In contrast to the more potent opioids, data on the pharmacokinetics and -dynamics of non-opioid analgesics in this ...

OBJECTIVE: To compare the use of midtrimester vaginal polymorphonuclear cell (PMN) counts on Gram-stain preparations with PMN to epithelial cell (EPI) ratios for the prediction of subsequent spontaneous preterm birth. METHODS: From a prospective cohort study, 83 women with a spontaneous preterm birth at less than 35 weeks of gestation ...

OBJECTIVE: To assess the agreement of transcutaneous carbon dioxide (TcPCO(2)) and end tidal carbon dioxide (PetCO(2)) with arterial carbon dioxide (PaCO(2)) values in infants < 28 weeks gestational age. STUDY DESIGN: In all, 27 ventilated preterm infants were prospectively studied. PaCO(2) was compared with TcPCO(2) and PetCO(2) measured at three ...

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare stress responses of infants born preterm during routine nursing assessments performed under two conditions. One condition incorporated a second caregiver supporting the infant in a facilitated tucked position, whereas the second condition did not. METHODS: A convenience sample of 12 infants ...

BACKGROUND: Identification of pregnant women presenting with threatened preterm labor who are destined to deliver prematurely would greatly assist planning their management. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the ultrasonographic measurement of cervical length as a prognostic factor for predicting preterm birth in cases of threatened preterm ...

We sought to determine whether midtrimester amniotic fluid levels of matrix metalloproteinase-8 were associated with subsequent preterm premature rupture of membranes. We conducted a case-control study examining 57 asymptomatic women who underwent genetic amniocentesis from 14 to 21 weeks' gestation and subsequently had preterm premature rupture of membranes (<35 wk) ...

The quantity and distribution of adipose tissue are markers of morbidity risk. The third trimester of human development is a period of rapid adipose tissue deposition. Preterm infants may be at risk of altered adiposity. We measured anthropometric indices and quantified total, subcutaneous, and intraabdominal adipose tissue volumes using whole-body ...

OBJECTIVE: The reported rate of preterm delivery in women with type 1 diabetes ranges from 22 to 45%, but the reasons are unclear. The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with preterm delivery in these women. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We studied the influence of maternal and ...

Preterm birth is a major clinical problem, accounting for 47% of all neonatal deaths. The preterm delivery rate in UK is approximately 7%, and rates of preterm birth are steadily increasing. The diagnosis of preterm labour is difficult and most interventions to halt labour are unsuccessful. Despite this, the lack ...

In industrialized countries, 5-11% of infants are born preterm (<37 weeks' gestation), and the rate has been increasing since the early 1980s. Preterm births account for 70% of neonatal deaths and up to 75% of neonatal morbidity, and contribute to long-term neurocognitive deficits, pulmonary dysfunction and ophthalmologic disorders. In the ...

Preterm infants are at increased risk for cognitive disorders, including impairments in recognition memory. This study evaluated the effects of extreme prematurity on the neural pathway for auditory recognition memory using event-related potentials (ERPs), a neurophysiological technique widely used in cognitive neuroscience. ERPs were recorded at term postmenstrual age in ...

BACKGROUND: While traditionally Maori perinatal mortality has been similar to that of other ethnic groups, rates of preterm birth, small for gestational age (SGA) and teenage pregnancy have remained high. AIMS: To review current trends in preterm birth, SGA and teenage pregnancy for Maori during 1980-2001 and to highlight the ...

Elevated blood 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone (17OHP) level, although widely used for the screening of classical 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21OHD) in neonates, has frequently been found in some neonates without classical 21OHD, particularly preterm neonates. We studied the diagnostic value of the metabolite of 21-deoxycortisol (pregnanetriolone, Ptl) and the metabolite of 17OHP (pregnanetriol, PT) ...

The authors aimed to determine whether their reticulated platelet percentage (RP%) analysis technique was suitable for use in term and preterm neonates and to characterize RP% values among nonthrombocytopenic neonates. The authors modified a whole blood method that uses dual-color CD41 staining for platelet gating and thiazole orange for RNA ...

Preterm birth continues to pose a significant clinical dilemma and contributes to both acute and long-term neonatal morbidity. Despite efforts, the incidence of preterm birth has not decreased, partly because of our lack of understanding of the mechanisms that trigger parturition. Animal models are essential research tools for investigating the ...

A pilot study to establish what constitutes a normal response to the low dose synacthen test (using 500 ng/1.73 m2 of ACTH) in well preterm infants was carried out on seven well preterm infants. Previous studies on preterm neonates (using a dose of ACTH of 36 microg/kg) suggest that a ...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: There is persisting controversy about tocolytic treatment for preterm labour. This review addresses this controversy by appraising the recent clinical literature. RECENT FINDINGS: Surveys of obstetricians indicate a high usage of tocolysis for preterm labour, but evidence that this treatment confers overall benefit is still lacking. Betamimetics ...

Hepatic glucose production by glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis is essential to maintain blood glucose levels, and the glucose-6-phosphatase system catalyses the terminal step of both pathways. Developmental delays in the postnatal up-regulation of hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase enzyme activity are common in preterm infants. Two groups of infants have been identified with failure ...

Reducing the incidence of cerebral damage in preterm infants has become a major objective of perinatal medicine. Recent studies have shown that intrapartum hypoxia is implicated in only 10% of cases, whereas prenatal factors are significantly linked with such damage. The main risk factors associated with cerebral palsy are preterm ...

Obstetric and neonatal interventions have improved the survival of preterm infants, but there has not been an equivalent reduction in long-term neurological disability. Thus, some effort must be invested in finding ways of preventing preterm birth. Numerous programmes have been promoted to address the matter of how the frequency of ...

Preterm labour is a frequent cause of admission to hospital during pregnancy. However, in most cases, preterm labour is diagnosed with reference to clinical criteria only. Since the clinical assessment of uterine contractions and of cervical changes is highly subjective, few of the patients admitted to the hospital with suspected ...

OBJECTIVE: To assess serum concentrations of lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP) in preterm infants with neonatal bacterial infection (NBI). METHODS: Blood samples were analysed of 57 preterm (28(+1) to 36(+6), median 33(+2) weeks gestation) and 17 term infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit within the first 72 hours of ...

An altered inflammatory activity due to functionally relevant polymorphisms of the innate immune system may influence pathways leading to labour and, therefore, impact on the frequency of preterm birth. We examined five polymorphisms of the innate immune system in a large cohort of preterm very-low-birth-weight (VLBW, n = 909) and ...

OBJECTIVE: We have previously found an association between the combination of topical and vaginal clotrimazole treatment during pregnancy and a decreased prevalence of preterm births in the population-based data set of the Hungarian Case-Control Surveillance of Congenital Abnormalities. Thus the objective of this secondary analysis in the expanded data set ...

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to determine the predictive accuracy for preterm birth of transvaginal ultrasound (TVU) of the cervix in women with a prior cone biopsy. STUDY DESIGN: Pregnant patients with a history of cervical cone biopsy by cold knife, loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP), or laser were monitored ...

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the relationship between maternal periodontal disease and both early spontaneous preterm birth and selected markers of upper genital tract inflammation. METHODS: In this case-control study, periodontal assessment was performed in 59 women who experienced an early spontaneous preterm birth at less than 32 weeks of gestation, in ...

OBJECTIVE: Periodic breathing is a respiratory pattern typical of preterm infants, but its clinical significance has not been clarified yet. The present study was designed to investigate whether the presence of periodic breathing is specifically associated to low post-conceptional ages, preterm birth, or common clinical disorders related to preterm birth. ...

AIM OF THE STUDY: To evaluate the influence of three common thrombophilic polymorphisms, factor V Leiden (FV), prothrombin G20210A (PT), and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T mutations, on preterm birth of unknown cause. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A single-centre case-control study of women with preterm infants < or =35 weeks of gestation, ...

BACKGROUND: Infection of the chorioamnion with Ureaplasma urealyticum has been associated with low birth weight. Respiratory tract colonization in preterm infants has been associated with the development of chronic lung disease (CLD). The purpose of the present study was to determine the frequency of colonization of the mother's vagina and ...

Progestogens for the prevention of preterm birth have a long history. In 2003, two widely publicized double-blind trials, one of daily vaginal progesterone suppositories and the other of weekly intramuscular injections of 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, claimed that the treatments effectively reduce the incidence of preterm birth in women at risk of spontaneous ...

Preterm delivery (before 37 completed weeks of gestation) is the major determinant of infant mortality. In women with a previous preterm birth associated with bacterial vaginosis, prophylactic antibiotics (e.g., metronidazole) reduce the risk of preterm birth and low birth weight. Trichomonas vaginalis increases the risk of preterm delivery, but metronidazole ...

In this article, the researchers studied the prevalence of preterm births for women living near thermal power plants. The prevalence of delivery of preterm birth infants was significantly higher among women living within 3 km of a thermal power plant than among women living within 3-4 km of a plant. ...

Thinning of the corpus callosum (CC) is often observed in individuals who were born very preterm. Damage to the CC during neurodevelopment may be associated with poor neuropsychological performance. This study aimed to explore any evidence of CC pathology in adolescents aged 14-15 years who were born very preterm, and ...

We investigate sex-associated effects of preterm birth on cerebral gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) volumes. Preterm children (n=65) and 31 healthy, term control children had usable magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data acquired at 8 years of age. Both GM and WM volumes were significantly reduced in the preterm ...

OBJECTIVES: This analysis explores the association between preterm birth and maternal country of birth in a French district with a multiethnic population. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING: District of Seine-Saint-Denis in France POPULATION: 48,746 singleton live births from a population-based birth register between October 1998 and December 2000. METHODS: We ...

Arginine, an amino acid that is nutritionally essential for the fetus and neonate, is crucial for ammonia detoxification and the synthesis of molecules with enormous importance (including creatine, nitric oxide, and polyamines). A significant nutritional problem in preterm infants is a severe deficiency of arginine (hypoargininemia), which results in hyperammonemia, ...

OBJECTIVES: Preterm deliveries represent still one of the most important problems in contemporary obstetrics. They are associated with prematurity and higher rate of perinatal mortality and morbidity. During the last few years, the role of C-reactive protein (CRP) in prediction of threatening preterm delivery was emphasized. CRP is produced mainly ...

We assessed associations between psychosocial factors and preterm birth, stratified by race in a prospective cohort study. We surveyed 1898 women who used university and public health prenatal clinics regarding various psychosocial factors. African Americans were at higher risk of preterm birth if they used distancing from problems as a ...

This study investigated the relation between self-reported vaginal bleeding during pregnancy and preterm birth in a prospective cohort of 2,829 pregnant women enrolled from prenatal clinics between 1995 and 2000 in central North Carolina. The overall association between vaginal bleeding and preterm birth was modest (risk ratio (RR) = 1.3, ...

Increased oxidative stress has been implicated in pathogenesis of serious diseases in neonates. We measured urinary levels of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (a marker of oxidative DNA damage), acrolein-lysine adduct (a marker of lipid peroxidation and oxidative protein damage), and nitrite/nitrate (a marker of endogenous nitric oxide formation) in one-month-old neonates to examine ...

OBJECTIVE: The study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that shortened midtrimester cervical length is more predictive of early (<26 weeks) than later (26-34 weeks) spontaneous preterm birth. STUDY DESIGN: This is a secondary analysis of a blinded, multicenter observational study of 183 women with a prior preterm birth. Vaginal ...

BACKGROUND: The incidence of preterm meconium staining of the amniotic fluid (MSAF) is uncertain. It may be an indicator of possible listeriosis. It is unclear how great this risk is or whether preterm MSAF is a risk factor for adverse neonatal outcome. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence of preterm MSAF, ...

OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to document the differential neonatal morbidity and intrapartum and neonatal mortality of subgroups of preterm delivery. METHODS: This analysis included 38,319 singleton pregnancies, of which 3,304 (8.6%) were preterm deliveries (less than 37 completed weeks) enrolled in the World Health Organization randomized trial of a new ...

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to determine whether the number and gestational age of prior preterm deliveries modifies the significance of endovaginal sonographic cervical length less than 25 mm for the prediction of recurrent preterm birth less than 35 weeks' gestation. STUDY DESIGN: Secondary analysis of a multicenter, blinded, observational ...

OBJECTIVE: To identify the risk of preterm birth and possible determinants among women in Hanoi, Vietnam. METHOD: Prospective cohort study of 1709 women with singleton live births at Hanoi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam, June-October 2002. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine predictors of preterm birth (<37 weeks' ...

BACKGROUND: Human paraoxonase (PON) is an enzyme involved in vasodilation and thrombosis. Disruption of blood blow through the placenta could be part of the pathophysiological mechanism leading to preterm delivery. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between polymorphisms in 2 paraoxonase genes (PON1 and PON2) and ...

Severe and prolonged thrombocytopenia is not uncommon among ill preterm infants. Pseudothrombocytopenia, which has the appearance of severe and prolonged thrombocytopenia, has not been described in this population. We observed a preterm neonate who had EDTA-independent pseudothrombocytopenia and conclude that this condition should be considered when severe and prolonged thrombocytopenia ...

Stress systems may be altered in the long term in preterm infants for multiple reasons, including early exposure to procedural pain in neonatal intensive care. This question has received little attention beyond hospital discharge. Stress responses (cortisol) to visual novelty in preterm infants who were born at extremely low gestational ...