Abstract We describe 3 cases of complex umbilical cord entanglement seen in the past 5 years at our Placenta Clinic. The cases were associated with intermittent fetal bradycardia, reduced fetal movements, and were all delivered prematurely with multiple umbilical cord loops around the neck, limbs, or body. One intrauterine fetal ...

The aim of this study was to describe lamivudine (3TC) pharmacokinetics (PK) in HIV-infected non pregnant, pregnant women and their fetus. Samples were collected according to a therapeutic drug monitoring in 228 women treated with lamivudine and retrospectively analyzed by a population approach. They were also collected in cord blood ...

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is defined as the onset of acute heart failure without demonstrable cause in the last trimester of pregnancy or within the first six months after delivery. We report a case of PPCM (LVEF < 39%) in a 30-year-old housekeeper requiring emergency Caesarean section, who was successfully managed ...

: We report a case of a large giant cell tumor of the thoracic spine presenting with spinal cord compression during pregnancy. : A 24-year-old woman presented at term with lower back pain, bilateral lower extremity weakness, numbness, and bowel and bladder incontinence. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a spinal soft ...

We present three extremely rare cases of spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma occurring in pregnancy. The patients developed progressive paralysis of the upper and lower limbs and the diagnoses were confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging. Urgent decompression is required to prevent neurological sequelae. The pregnancy may either be continued or delivered ...

Abdominal Compartment Syndrome (ACS) is characterized by intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH), elevation and splinting of the diaphragm, high pleural pressure, and poor venous return to the heart, producing low cardiac output and shock which, in turn, results in poor venous return across the capillaries to set in a vicious cycle. Unless ...

We present a case of a 36-year-old pregnant female after intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Ultrasonographic examination at 8 weeks' gestation revealed umbilical cord insertion with a viable fetus located on the septum membrane of dichorionic twin pregnancy near the anterior wall, while the other fetus was observed to have vanished. Next, this ...

Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma without discernable underlying conditions is a rare complication during pregnancy. We report a pregnant woman who developed the hematoma at 16 weeks of pregnancy; the earliest occurrence ever reported. A 36-year-old Japanese primipara with twins felt shoulder, neck and back pain at 16(+1) weeks with progressive quadriplegia. ...

The data on the use of tipranavir and enfuvirtide in pregnancy are very limited. We performed a pharmacokinetic profile in a pregnant woman with multidrug-resistant HIV-1 infection at 37 weeks gestation. Tipranavir levels were in the therapeutic range and the cord blood concentration at delivery was relatively high when compared ...

Maternal thyroid function during pregnancy is implicated in the neurodevelopment of the offspring, yet little is known about the effect of maternal thyroid parameters on the behavior of children. We investigated the association of maternal thyroid function during the first half of pregnancy with parent-reported problem behavior of the offspring ...

  Objective:  To study the relationship between maternal thyroid function at each pregnancy trimester and neonatal screening results. Background: Overt maternal thyroid dysfunction during gestation is associated with poor neonatal thyroid function. However, research on the relationship between suboptimal maternal thyroid function (assessed at 3 trimesters) and neonatal thyroid screening ...

BACKGROUND: Primary hyperparathyroidism in pregnant women is a rare antenatal complication. Maternal symptoms include nephrolithiasis, bone disease, pancreatitis, hyperemesis, muscle weakness, mental status changes, and hypercalcemic crisis. Fetal complications comprise intrauterine growth retardation, low birth weight, preterm delivery, intrauterine fetal death, postpartum neonatal titanic crisis, and permanent hypoparathyroidism. CASE: A ...

OBJECTIVES: To assess the psychomotor development of the progeny of women from a moderately iodine-deficient area for whom thyroid function during pregnancy was measured. STUDY DESIGN: The development of 86 children was assessed by the Bayley Scale of Infant Development at 12, 18, and 24 months. RESULTS: Maternal serum free ...

Pregnancy and lactation are associated with remarkable changes in calcium homeostasis, resulting from pregnancy-induced alterations in the production, metabolism and excretion of calcium and calcitropic hormones. Therefore, the clinical course of disorders affecting the parathyroid glands during pregnancy and lactation is often atypical. As the symptoms experienced by patients with ...

BACKGROUND Proper maternal thyroid function is necessary for a successful pregnancy. In order to identify women who may experience miscarriage due to transient impairment of the pituitary-thyroid axis in early pregnancy, we aimed to investigate the ratio between basal and peak thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) [following stimulus with thyrotrophin-releasing hormone ...

Hyperthyroidism in pregnancy is an uncommon disease, involving less than 1% of pregnancies. The recognition of hyperthyroidism may be elusive as some sign and symptoms may be attributed to the state of pregnancy itself. Furthermore, the diagnosis of hyperthyroidism is sometimes challenging and treatment must take into account not only ...

Background: The production of iodine-containing thyroid hormones necessary for brain development in the fetus depends not only on maternal dietary intake but also on placental iodine transport. The optimum level of iodine nutrition during pregnancy and the proportion of the pregnant population reaching this level have previously been evaluated. Little ...

Context: Thyroid antibody positivity during pregnancy has been associated with adverse outcomes including spontaneous miscarriage, recurrent miscarriage, and preterm delivery. Objective: The objective of the study was to determine whether thyroid antibody positivity in the first trimester of pregnancy in euthyroid women was associated with maternal and neonatal adverse outcomes. ...

Iodine is the main constituent of thyroid hormones, which in turn are required for fetal brain development. However, the relation between iodine intake during pregnancy, thyroid function, and child neurodevelopment needs further evaluation. The authors assessed the association of maternal iodine intake from diet and supplements during pregnancy and of ...

Thyroid disorders are quite a common health problem in pregnant women, thus adequate treatment in this period is very important in order to decrease maternal and fetal morbidity. The prevalence of hyperthyroidism is estimated to be present in approximately 0.2-0.4% of all pregnancies and the most common is Graves disease. ...

Introduction: Pregnancy increases the risks of adverse outcomes for mother and infant in women with type 1 diabetes. Obtaining and maintaining adequate glycemic control during pregnancy is crucial for optimizing outcomes. Areas covered: The importance of prepregnancy planning and treatment during pregnancy is reviewed. The use of insulin analogues and ...

Abstract Soy and its isoflavones have been suggested to suppress thyroperoxidase (TPO), induce goiter, inhibit deiodinase, and modulate immune functions. This study initially investigated the effects of dietary soy consumption on maternal thyroid functions and anti-TPO antibody (TPOAb) production during early pregnancy. Data were collected through questionnaire from 505 women ...

We examined the effects of I-131 therapy for thyroid cancer on female and male gonads and pregnancy outcome. After an extensive review of the published literature we concluded that ablative administration of I-131 therapy may result in transient abnormalities of ovarian and testicular function, but subsequent pregnancies are safe without ...

OBJECTIVE:: To estimate the relationship between thyroid antibodies and placental abruption. METHODS:: This cohort study assesses thyroperoxidase and thyroglobulin antibodies in relation to placental abruption among 10,062 women with singleton viable pregnancies (from the First and Second Trimester Risk of Aneuploidy [FaSTER] trial). A thyroperoxidase antibody cutoff of 50 international ...

: Hyperparathyroidism is seldom encountered during pregnancy. Moreover, when the disease does occur, it is typically masked until late pregnancy or after delivery. : A previously healthy multiparous woman presented with sudden-onset severe preeclampsia with hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelets syndrome at 37 weeks of gestation. Acute intracerebral hemorrhage ...

: To estimate the possible association between spontaneous early preterm delivery and maternal thyroid dysfunction in early pregnancy. : Maternal serum concentrations of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine, antithyroperoxidase, and antithyroglobulin antibodies at 11-13 weeks of gestation were compared in 102 singleton pregnancies, resulting in spontaneous delivery before 34 weeks ...

Maternal thyroid function during pregnancy is implicated in the neurodevelopment of the offspring, yet little is known about the effect of maternal thyroid parameters on the behavior of children. We investigated the association of maternal thyroid function during the first half of pregnancy with parent reported problem behavior of the ...

Background: Thyroid dysfunction and antibodies are increasingly recognized as risk factors during pregnancy. Thyroid function changes during pregnancy and there is a need for gestational age-specific reference intervals for thyroid hormones. The aim of this study was to calculate gestational age-specific thyrotropin (TSH), free thyroxine (fT4), and free triiodothyronine (fT3) ...

We report a case highlighting the multidisciplinary management of a giant pleomorphic adenoma of the parotid gland that showed rapid growth in the third trimester of pregnancy. A 43-year-old Caucasian woman presented in her 32nd week of gestation with a tumor of the parotid gland. Ultrasonography of her neck showed ...

HIV resides within anatomical 'sanctuary sites' where local drug exposure and viral dynamics may differ significantly from the systemic compartment. Widespread implementation of antiretroviral therapy has seen a significant decline in the incidence of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV. In addition to suppression of maternal plasma/genital viral loads, antiretroviral agents ...

Advances in understanding the physiology of thyroid function in normal pregnancy have highlighted the importance of the consequences of abnormal function on obstetric outcome and foetal well-being. Pubmed search was done using the terms thyroid and pregnancy. Areas of agreement are the following: gestational normative reference ranges for thyroid function ...

This paper aims to describe the pathophysiology and management of the main endocrine complications of pregnancy. For each endocrine dysfunction, the issues with the fetus, the mother, obstetric complications, and the long term prognosis for the disease itself need to be considered. Key management issues are highlighted with each condition. ...

Miscarriages occur to excess in sibships with neural tube defects (NTDs) and among maternal versus paternal relatives in NTD families. Folic acid prevents most NTDs. Its potential to prevent miscarriages has been controversial. We evaluated the relationship of maternal line and periconceptional folic acid with miscarriage. First cousins in Irish ...

Buprenorphine is under investigation in the U.S. as pharmacotherapy for opioid-dependent pregnant women. Buprenorphine and metabolites were quantified in umbilical cord specimens from women receiving daily buprenorphine doses. Correlations between maternal buprenorphine dose, buprenorphine and metabolite umbilical cord concentrations, and neonatal outcomes were investigated, as well as the ability to ...

Pregnancies complicated by maternal diabetes have long been known to carry a higher risk for congenital malformations, such as neural tube defects. Using the FVB inbred mouse strain and the Streptozotocin-induced diabetes model, we tested whether the incidence of neural tube defects in diabetic pregnancies can be modulated by maternal ...

Measures for prevention of neural tube defects (NTDs) have been recommended for many years in China, but the compliance with these measures is unsatisfactory. This study aims to compare the effect differences between planned pregnancy and unplanned pregnancy in the compliance with these measures and analyze the interactions between pregnancy ...

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are serious birth defects that result from the failure of the neural tube to close in the cranial region (anencephaly) or more caudally along the spine (spina bifida) by the 28th day of gestation. Infants born with anencephaly usually die within a few days of birth, ...

Subchorionic hematoma might be associated with poor pregnancy outcome. Two intra cytoplasmic sperm injection pregnancies complicated with subchorionic hematoma were found to have elevated mid-trimester maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein levels. One of them had miscarriage at 16 weeks' gestation and the other delivered a healthy baby by cesarean section. The valid ...

Maternal serum screening for congenital anomalies began over 30 years ago with the advent of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) screening for open neural tube defects. It was from these screening programs that the more complex multiple marker Down syndrome screening programs developed. However, today open neural tube defect screening remains a relatively ...

Alpha-methyldopa is one of the most widely prescribed antihypertensive agents used during pregnancy. Despite its known potential hepatotoxicity, there have been only a few reports describing hepatotoxicity with the use of this drug during pregnancy. We report here a new case of acute hepatitis in a pregnant woman related to ...

BACKGROUND: Laboratory evidence is presented of significant associations between reduced maternal serum folate and vitamin B12 levels and neural tube birth defects (NTD) compared to referents. METHODS: This was an incident case-control study. Cases of neural tube defects (including anencephaly and open spina bifida) diagnosed in residents within 100 miles ...

BACKGROUND: Neonatal limb reduction defects may be caused by exposure to an external agent. The azole derivatives are used in the treatment of systemic and dermal mycoses. Their relative teratogenic risk is still controversial. CASES: We describe two newborns with severe limb defects who were exposed to high doses of ...

BACKGROUND: Oral contraceptives (OCs) are the most commonly used reversible contraceptive method among US women. Although the majority of previous studies have reported no association between OC use during pregnancy and birth defects, some studies have reported increased occurrence of neural tube defects, limb reduction defects, and urinary tract anomalies. ...

BACKGROUND: Little efforts are geared towards prevention of CNS anomalies in the developing countries. METHODS: A 1-year prospective cross-sectional analysis of the cases of CNS congenital anomalies seen in a Nigerian neurosurgical unit. This included both the children's and parents' sociodemographics, the profiles of the CNS anomalies, and the maternal ...

It has been reported that neural tube defects can be prevented with periconceptional folic acid supplementation. The effects of different doses, forms and schemes of folate supplementation for the prevention of other birth defects and maternal and infant outcomes are unclear. This review updates and expands a previous Cochrane Review ...

BACKGROUND: Micronutrient deficiencies have been associated with significantly high reproductive risks, ranging from infertility to fetal structural defects and long-term diseases. In this review we focus on the reproductive risks related to some micronutrients during the periconceptional period, a critical step in determining fetal development and health due to the ...

We investigated the levels of S100 beta protein (S100B) in the serum of fetuses with neural tube defects (NTD), and their mother. Samples from 20 fetuses with NTD and 30 controls at the same gestational age, and their mothers, were studied. S100B protein levels were determined using Lia-mat Sangtec. kit. ...

Thyroid disturbances are common in women during the reproductive years of their lives. Autoimmunity and altered iodine status together account for a high proportion of the abnormalities. Autoimmune thyroid disease is present in around 4% of young females, and up to 15% are at risk because they are thyroid antibody-positive. ...

Radioactive iodine has been used effectively in the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid diseases. Since radiation is delivered to the whole body, including the ovaries, there is reasonable concern as to whether there is a possibility of mutagenic effect on germ cells. A 33-year-old woman with a differentiated papillary carcinoma. ...

Parity in women is associated with reduced lifetime risk of breast cancer, and hormones of pregnancy [estrogen (E), progesterone (P), human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)] are implicated. Parity also reduces mammary cancer risk in carcinogen-exposed rats, and administering pregnancy hormones to these animals is similarly effective. Because pregnancy hormones are also ...