To determine the predictive value of fetal nuchal translucency (NT) measurements in the detection of chromosomopathy. The investigation of NT included 317 pregnant women with singleton pregnancies of gestational age of 11 to 14 weeks with pathological karyotype. The control group consisted of pregnant women whose amniocentesis findings indicated a ...

Bad pregnancy outcomes have been associated with increased activation of the coagulation cascade and inflammation, in particular the activation of the complement cascade. Recent studies have suggested that inflammatory processes modulate thrombogenic pathways and vice versa. We studied the cross-talk between the coagulation and the complement cascade in the pathogenesis ...

: To estimate pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in women with decreased amniotic fluid index (AFI) between 24 and 34 weeks of gestation, compared with outcomes in those with normal AFI. : This is a review of singleton pregnancies that received ultrasound examinations at 24-34 weeks from 1997 to 2008. If ...

: The management of inherited hypokalemia has improved and the issue of pregnancy has become important. : Between 1992 and 2010, five Italian women with the clinical diagnosis of Gitelman syndrome gave birth to a total of six newborns. Pregnancy was uneventful in four women but was complicated by tiredness ...

Prenatal alcohol exposure is a cause of congenital brain malformations such as hydrocephalus; however, a complete mechanism accounting for this phenomenon has yet to be discovered. We report a case of a newborn who was exposed to alcohol throughout pregnancy and presented with low serum vitamin A and hydrocephalus. To ...

Microparticles (MPs) are shed from cell membranes of a variety of cells, promote thrombus formation, mediate pro-inflammatory effects and may cause endothelial dysfunction. Normal pregnancy is characterized by increased levels of MPs compared to non-pregnant healthy women but the prevalence, cell origin and the role of MPs in pregnancy-related complications ...

Among pregnancy pathologies preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction are among the leading causes of maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity. For both syndromes, the etiologies are still unclear in many facets. For the development of preeclampsia the presence of the placenta is a prerequisite, while for FGR a variety of ...

: Physiologic changes of pregnancy can predispose women to cardiac arrhythmias. Atrial fibrillation is rare in pregnancy and usually occurs in women with underlying cardiac anomalies. : A young woman at 22 weeks of gestation presented with new-onset atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response. Thorough evaluation revealed atrial fibrillation with ...

To compare the efficacy, safety and cost-effectiveness of Manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) with Electrical vacuum aspiration (EVA) in the management of first trimester pregnancy loss. A single-centre randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted at Maternal and Child Health Centre (MCHC), Unit-I, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad from April ...

Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy is the most common liver disease occurring in the second half of pregnancy, characterized by pruritus and elevated serum bile acids often coupled to abnormal liver tests. Maternal prognosis is favourable with a complete symptom resolution after delivery, while preterm deliveries, fetal respiratory distress and stillbirths ...

To improve the prenatal diagnosis of achondroplasia by constructing charts of fetal size, defining frequency of sonographic features and exploring the role of non-invasive molecular diagnosis based on cell-free fetal deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in maternal plasma. Data on fetuses with a confirmed diagnosis of achondroplasia were obtained from our databases, ...

Until now, vascular complications in diabetic pregnancy are mainly related to hyperglycemia caused by type 1 diabetes (Type 1 DM). Progression of diabetic retinopathy (DR) occurs at least temporarily during pregnancy and postpartum. There is a short-term increase in the level of retinopathy during pregnancy that persisted into the first ...

Abstract Objective: Despite the data that major depressive disorder (MDD) is common during pregnancy and that pregnant women prefer nonmedication treatment options, there is a paucity of research examining alternative treatments for this special population. We present the results of an open label pilot study examining treatment with transcranial magnetic ...

Objective. To investigate pregnancy outcome of patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). Methods. A retrospective cohort study comparing pregnancies of women with and without FMS was conducted. Multivariable logistic regression models was performed to control for confounders Results. Deliveries of 112 women with FMS were compared with a control group of 487 deliveries of ...

To compare perinatal outcome and near-miss morbidities between placenta previa versus abruptio placentae in patients of antepartum haemorrhage (APH). Cross-sectional, analytical study. Gynaecology Unit II, Civil Hospital, Karachi, from August 2007 to July 2009. Patients with APH diagnosed as placenta previa and abruptio placentae who delivered after 24 weeks of ...

Objective: To assess the effects of semen characteristics on the success of intrauterine insemination (IUI). Design: A retrospective study. Settings: The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tokushima University Hospital, Japan. Patients: Between 2004 and 2008, 1,177 IUI cycles in 283 couples were studied. Intervention: IUI cycles were preceded with ovarian ...

Presence of inherited thrombophilia is an additional risk factor for maternal thromboembolism and certain adverse pregnancy outcomes, including recurrent fetal loss, placental abruption, intrauterine growth restriction and early-onset severe preeclampsia. Pregnant women with thrombophilia, especially those with antithrombin (AT) deficiency, are at high risk of both kinds of complications. We ...

In recent years, the prevalence of obesity in the United States has risen dramatically, especially among women of reproductive age. Research that has specifically evaluated pregnancy outcomes among obese parturients has allowed for a better understanding of the myriad adverse perinatal complications that are observed with significantly greater frequency in ...

Teenage primigravida cause high morbidity and mortality to mother and fetus. To compare obstetric outcomes of teenage pregnancy with reproductive-age pregnancy (20-34 years), with a focus on the risk of low birth weight and anemia. A historical cohort study of 2922 primigravida women who gave birth between January 2005 and ...

The choice of anticoagulant agent for pregnant women with mechanical prosthetic heart valves introduces a clinical dilemma for women and the clinicians caring for them. Options include continuing oral anticoagulants (OAC) such as warfarin throughout pregnancy, switching from warfarin to unfractionated heparin or low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) in the ...

Obesity among pregnant women is becoming one of the most important women's health issues. Obesity is associated with increased risk of almost all pregnancy complications: gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, delivery of large-for-GA infants, and higher incidence of congenital defects all occur more frequently than in women with a ...

Thrombophilias are not yet established as a cause of the placenta-mediated pregnancy complications (pregnancy loss, pre-eclampsia, small for gestational age and placental abruption). A thrombophilia may be only one of many factors that lead to development of these complications. Our recent large systematic review of prospective cohort studies highlight that ...

Neonatal lupus erythematosus (NLE) is an uncommon disease of the neonate. It is believed to be caused by the transplacental passage of maternal autoantibodies to the ribonucleoproteins (Ro/SSA, La/SSB or rarely U RNP) as these are almost invariably present in NLE sera. The most common clinical manifestations include cutaneous lupus ...

Some aspects regarding the etiology and the nosologic classification of various pregnancy dermatoses are highly controversial. While some authors highlight the existence of premises allowing several skin disorders to be re-grouped within broader disease concepts, others underline the absence of clear, undisputed etiopathogenetic data that could support such classifications. This ...

OBJECTIVE:: Elective repeat cesarean delivery at 37 or 38 weeks compared with 39 completed weeks of gestation is associated with adverse neonatal outcomes. We assessed whether delivery before 39 weeks is justifiable on the basis of decreased adverse maternal outcomes. METHODS:: We conducted a cohort study of women with live ...

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to test whether ultrasound-measured fetal adrenal gland volume (AGV) and fetal zone enlargement (FZE) predicts preterm birth (PTB) better than cervical length (CL). STUDY DESIGN: Three-dimensional and 2-dimensional ultrasound were used prospectively to measure fetal AGV, FZE, and CL in women with preterm ...

This cross-sectional study was designed to examine the effects of the Valsalva Maneuver (VM) and its duration on the acid- base equilibrium of the neonate and its maternal repercussions during the expulsive stage of labor, after standard breathing and pushing instructions were given. A convenience sample of women with low ...

This study determined ultrasonographic parameters of fetuses and uterine adnexa in late pregnancy in normal, cloned, and high-risk pregnancies in relation to perinatal and neonatal outcome. Ten cows with normal pregnancies (CONTROL, mean pregnancy length 273 d), 10 sick cows with potentially compromised pregnancies (HIGH-RISK, mean pregnancy length 267 d), ...

This pilot case-control study at a tertiary-care hospital over a four-month period was aimed at evaluating the possible usefulness of screening of TORCH (Toxoplasma gondii, rubella virus, cytomegalovirus, and Herpes simplex virus) in females with bad obstetric history. The study included 12 women with bad obstetric history and a similar ...

The purpose of fetal magnetoencephalography (fMEG) is to record and analyze fetal brain activity. Unavoidably, these recordings consist of a complex mixture of bio-magnetic signals from both mother and fetus. The acquired data include biological signals that are related to maternal and fetal heart function as well as fetal gross ...

The healthy development of the fetus depends on an optimal balance between fetal genetic drive for growth and the maternal ability to provide nutrients through the placenta. Nothing is known about fetal-placental signaling in response to increased fetal demand in the situation of overgrowth. Here, we examined this question using ...

OBJECTIVES: To describe the sonographic appearance of the structures of the posterior cranial fossa in fetuses at 11 + 3 to 13 + 6 weeks of pregnancy and determine whether abnormal findings of the brain and spine can be detected by sonography at this time of pregnancy. METHODS: This is ...

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the fetal thymus is smaller in size in preeclampsia. METHODS: Cross-sectional, prospective, comparative study of sonographically determined fetal thymus measurements in 39 pregnancies with preeclampsia and 70 healthy pregnancies. RESULTS: Both the diameter and the perimeter of the fetal thymus were smaller in pregnancies with preeclampsia ...

Several genetic factors have been found to be associated with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). However, not many attempts have been made to associate the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variations with RPL. Therefore, we have analysed the complete mtDNA of 100 women with RPL and 12 aborted fetal tissues. Our analysis revealed ...

Intimate partner violence has been previously examined in relation to a variety of pregnancy, labor and delivery outcomes. We evaluated whether women who experienced physical violence by their intimate partners around the time of pregnancy were less likely to achieve weight gain according to the US Institute of Medicine (IOM) ...

OBJECTIVE: To describe the characteristics of women who suffer from hyperemesis gravidarum, and explore the independent effect of hyperemesis gravidarum on pregnancy outcome. STUDY DESIGN: In The Netherlands Perinatal Registry, we used all data on singleton pregnancies of at least 24 weeks and 500g without congenital anomalies in the years ...

Citation Jin L-P, Fan D-X, Li D-J. Regulation of costimulatory signal in maternal-fetal immune tolerance. Am J Reprod Immunol 2011 A pregnancy is associated with modifications in the immune status of the mother, but the mechanisms are not well understood. Several observations have indicated that CD28/CTLA-4 and B7-1/B7-2 are involved ...

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have demonstrated an overall association between pre-term delivery and maternal risk of subsequent ischaemic heart disease (IHD). The underlying mechanism is unknown. We explored whether the association was specific to spontaneous or elective pre-term delivery. METHODS: We linked three Scottish routine data sources. The Scottish Morbidity Record ...

Aims:  To determine the effect of increasing maternal body mass index (BMI) during pregnancy on maternal and infant health outcomes. Methods:  The South Australian Pregnancy Outcome Unit's population database, 2008 was accessed to determine pregnancy outcomes according to maternal BMI. Women with a normal BMI (18.5-24.9 kg/m(2) ) formed a reference ...

The rate of twin deliveries in 2008 was 15.6 per 1000 in France, an increase of approximately 80% since the beginning of the 1970s. It is recommended that chorionicity be diagnosed as early as possible in twin pregnancies (Professional Consensus). The most relevant signs (close to 100%) are the number ...

OBJECTIVES: The aims of the study were to establish reference range for the Thymic-Thoracic ratio (TT-Ratio) during gestation and to compare with values from fetuses with cardiac defects (CHD) with and without microdeletion 22q11 (del.22q), a condition known to be associated with a hypoplastic thymus. PATIENTS: TT-Ratio was defined as ...

BACKGROUND:: Recent data suggest that the chance of successfully maintaining a pregnancy may be influenced by the sex of previously born children. We explored a possible relation between sex of the first-born infant and the risk of preterm birth in the second pregnancy. METHODS:: Using data from the National Medical ...

Deep trophoblast invasion in the placental bed has been considered the hallmark of human pregnancy. It occurs by two routes, interstitial and endovascular, and results in transformation of the walls of the spiral arteries as they traverse the decidua and the inner third of the myometrium. Disturbances in this process ...

There is a strong clinical association between intrauterine infections and pregnancy complications, such as preterm labor. The placenta functions as an active barrier whereby the trophoblast recognizes microbes through pattern recognition receptors, such as the well characterized Toll-like receptors, in order to respond to pathogens at the maternal-fetal interface. Consequently, ...

Objectives. Our aim was to identify and quantitate free amino acids in human amniotic fluid (AF) specimens collected during 2nd trimester amniocentesis and determine the correlation between amino acid concentrations, gestational age, and estimated fetal weight. Methods. Seventy-eight AF samples were retrieved between 18 and 22 weeks of gestation. Fetal weight estimation ...

Fetal activity is an important indicator of fetal well-being. It is proposed to assess this activity using the pulsed wave Doppler method to collect fetal activity data and dedicated software for on-line processing. The system, addressed to 3rd trimester pregnancies, provides information on presence of pseudobreathing, the heart rate trace, ...

To characterize early fetal placental development, gravid uterine tissues were collected from pregnant ewes every other day from day 16 to 30 after mating. Determination of: 1) cell proliferation was based on Ki67 protein immunodetection; 2) global methylation was based on 5-methyl-cytosine (5mC) expression and mRNA expression for DNA methyltransferase ...

Uterovaginal prolapse complicating pregnancy is an extremely rare event. Obstetricians should be familiar with the condition as early recognition and close follow up is essential in order to avoid possible fetomaternal risks. We report a case of 35-year-old lady who presented to the emergency with complaints of labor pains, absent ...

Prescribing in pregnancy often causes uncertainty and anxiety for the clinician and may lead to the omission of necessary treatment. Many drugs have inadequate data to assure safety, and therefore the clinician is left with a dilemma as to where the balance of risks and benefits lie with respect to ...

Nutrition plays a critical role in maternal and fetal health; however, research on error in the measurement of energy intake during pregnancy is limited. The authors analyzed data on 998 women living in central North Carolina with singleton pregnancies during 2001-2005. Second-trimester diet was assessed by food frequency questionnaire. Estimated ...