ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: Studies have shown that fetal progenitor cells persist in maternal blood or bone marrow for more than 30 years after delivery. Increased trafficking of fetal cells occurs during pregnancy complications such as hypertension, preeclampsia, miscarriage and intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR). Women with these pregnancy complications are significantly more ...

Abstract Objectives: In the industrialized world, the mean age at which mothers give birth to their first child has increased. The purpose of this article was to review the available evidence in order to optimize preconception care in women who have postponed childbearing to the later years of the reproductive ...

Background: There is little information on the status of the implementation of the isotretinoin Pregnancy Prevention Programme (PPP) in the EU, and on compliance with this programme by the regulatory agencies. Objective: The aim of the study was to obtain information on implementation of the harmonized PPP of isotretinoin in ...

BACKGROUNDThe genital malformations in Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome (MRKH) are frequently accompanied by associated malformations whose forms were recently classified as typical (isolated uterovaginal aplasia/hypoplasia) and atypical (the addition of malformations in the ovary or renal system). The aim of this study was to compare the surrogate IVF performance of women with ...

We assessed the outcomes of ovarian stimulation in a two-day egg collection (EC) week with preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) cycles (N = 307) compared to a five-day EC week with conventional in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) cycles (N = 2,417). The mean (SD) age of women undergoing PGD was 34 (3.97) and 35 ...

Air pollutant exposure is linked with childhood asthma incidence and exacerbations, and maternal exposure to airborne pollutants during pregnancy increases airway hyperreactivity (AHR) in offspring. To determine if exposure to diesel exhaust during pregnancy worsened postnatal ozone-induced AHR, timed pregnant C57BL/6 mice were exposed to diesel exhaust (0.5 or 2.0 ...

Temporal expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1, -2, -3, -7, -8, -9, -12, and -13, and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs)-1 and -2 in human cervicovaginal fluid (CVF) in term pregnancy and labor was investigated. Term parous women provided CVF samples that were grouped into labor, 1 to 3, 6 to ...

Embryo transfer (ET) in the donkey resulted in a very low recipient pregnancy rates. The aim of these studies was to investigate if nonsurgical transfer techniques or donkey embryo quality affect donkey recipient pregnancy failure. In Study 1, the impact of transfer technique was investigated by evaluating if cervical catheterization ...

BACKGROUND: Amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) is a rare but catastrophic complication of pregnancy characterized by severe hypotension, cardiovascular collapse, and massive consumptive coagulopathy. Several animal models of this syndrome have been proposed, but most have yielded inconclusive results. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to develop a suitable animal ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Poorly controlled asthma can lead to maternal and fetal complications. Despite the known risks of poorly controlled asthma during pregnancy and the need for stepping up therapy when appropriate, there are concerns that management is suboptimal in primary care. Our objective was to investigate the management of asthma ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The progression of implantation and placentation in ruminants is complex and is regulated by interplay between sex steroids and local signaling molecules, many of which have immune function. Chemokines and their receptors are pivotal factors in implantation and vascularization of the placenta. Based on known critical roles for ...

Baheiraei A, Banihosseini SZ, Heshmat R, Mota A, Mohsenifar A. Association of self-reported passive smoking in pregnant women with cotinine level of maternal urine and umbilical cord blood at delivery. Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology 2012; 26: 70-76. Passive smoking during pregnancy leads to adverse effects on mother and infant. The ...

Controversy exists about the risk of microbiological contamination from direct contact with unsterile liquid nitrogen during oocyte vitrification. The aim of this observational study was to evaluate the effectiveness of oocyte vitrification using a high-security closed vitrification system in a donation programme. Oocyte vitrification was performed using CBS High Security ...

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the possible association between protease inhibitor (PI) and premature birth and low birth-weight in HIV-infected pregnancies. Materials and methods: Data were collected retrospectively for maternal and pregnancy characteristics, antiretroviral medication, lowest CD4 count and highest viral load during pregnancy, and pregnancy outcomes. χ(2) Analysis, Student's t-test, ...

This study examines predictors of drinking during pregnancy among first-time mothers, in order to distinguish those in need of targeted screening and intervention. Data from the prenatal panel of the Parenting for the First Time study were used in hierarchical linear regressions to determine likelihood of prenatal alcohol consumption among ...

It was proposed that four members of the aquaporin family (AQP1, AQP3, AQP8 and AQP9) are involved in the control of amniotic fluid homeostasis, as illustrated by their differential expressions in normal and pathological human term fetal membranes. However, there is still no data available on their ontogeny throughout pregnancy. ...

OBJECTIVE: Endothelial dysfunction is known to play a key role in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia, but the majority of methods for its detection are too invasive to be used in pregnancy. In this study we report a novel method - peripheral arterial tonometry (PAT) - for examining microcirculatory function in ...

BACKGROUND: The aim was to examine whether depression is associated with preexisting hypertension or pregnancy-induced hypertension in a large sample of women attending a university-based obstetrics clinic. METHODS: In this prospective study, participants were 2398 women receiving ongoing prenatal care at a university-based obstetrics clinic from January 2004 through January ...

The objective of this study was to examine sperm penetration through cervical mucus and associated physicochemical properties of cervical mucus from Belclare and Suffolk ewes - two breeds with divergent pregnancy rate following cervical AI using frozen-thawed semen. In Experiment 1, sperm penetration through cervical mucus was assessed in 15 ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Toxicants can cross the placenta and expose the developing fetus to chemical contamination leading to possible adverse health effects, by potentially inducing alterations in immune competence. Our aim was to investigate the impacts of maternal exposure to air pollution before and during pregnancy on newborn's immune system. METHODS: ...

The aim of this review was to critically appraise the existing literature with a particular focus on identifying methodological issues associated with studying outcomes following the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) during pregnancy. Existing studies evaluating outcomes following prenatal SSRI exposure suffer from a number of important methodological ...

Because fetal brain development proceeds at an extremely rapid pace, early life experiences have the potential to alter the trajectory of neurodevelopment, which may increase susceptibility for developmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. There is evidence that prenatal maternal stress and anxiety, especially worries specifically related to being pregnant, influence neurodevelopmental outcomes. ...

Spearman CWN, Goddard E, McCulloch MI, Hairwadzi HN, Sonderup MW, Kahn D, Millar AJW. Pregnancy following liver transplantation during childhood and adolescence. Pediatr Transplantation 2011: 15: 712-717. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Abstract:  More than 80% of pediatric transplant recipients will survive to reach adulthood, and many will ...

Intra-uterine growth restriction is an independent risk factor for adult psychiatric and cardiovascular diseases. In humans, intra-uterine growth restriction is associated with increased placental and fetal oxidative stress, as well as down-regulation of placental 11β-HSD (11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase). Decreased placental 11β-HSD activity increases fetal exposure to maternal glucocorticoids, further increasing fetal ...

Objectives- The purpose of this study was to report the outcomes of fetuses with the finding of an umbilical cord cyst during nuchal translucency examination in a low-risk population. Methods- A retrospective study was conducted in a large tertiary referral academic center over a 3-year period. All fetuses with umbilical ...

This study evaluated some risk factors for pre-eclampsia, which is one of the most problematic complications of pregnancy. This was a retrospective case control study conducted on 318 pre-eclamptic women (case group) and 318 women who were normotensive at the time of delivery as the control group. Evaluated factors were: ...

Excessive gestational weight gain is a prevalent problem and an independent predictor of future obesity in both mothers and offspring. Intervention research to prevent excessive gestational weight gain is still in its infancy but results to date have been quite modest. Research in weight control outside of pregnancy over the ...

Background: Despite the high prevalence of constipation and its related public health implications, there is relatively little research available on the condition from large epidemiological studies. The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiology of general practitioner (GP)-diagnosed constipation and the prescribing trends for laxatives in the UK, ...

OBJECTIVE: Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), in particular urinary incontinence (UI), commonly develops during pregnancy or following delivery. This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of the LUTS before and during pregnancy, and to demonstrate the relationships between various obstetric parameters and UI. METHODS: For this observational study, 1,501 ...

Maternal food restriction during pregnancy results in adverse consequences for offspring, including obesity and cardiovascular disease. Early pregnancy is a critical period for this programming effect. Leptin is a regulator of energy homeostasis that also affects placental and fetal development. As food restriction results in decreased serum leptin levels, at ...

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the risk of preterm delivery of twin pregnancies based upon sonographic cervical length measurement and gestational age of measurement. METHODS: Twin pregnancies that delivered between 1999 and 2005 that underwent sonographic measurement of cervical length between 13-34 6/7 weeks gestation were identified and a retrospective review performed. ...

OBJECTIVE:  To investigate maternal periodontitis associated with prematurity. STUDY DESIGN:  A case-control study including 718 puerperae who experienced a spontaneous delivery: 360 cases (premature) and 358 controls (full-term). Sociodemographic, obstetric, prenatal, perinatal and periodontal data were obtained within 48 hours after delivery. Periodontitis was defined as probing depth ≥ 4 ...

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of leukocytospermia on assisted reproductive technology outcomes. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis. SETTING: University laboratory. PATIENT(S): Couples attending the infertiliy clinic and involved in ART program for IVF or ICSI. INTERVENTION(S): During a 7-year follow-up in an assisted reproductive technology program, leukocytospermia was routinely determined using the ...

OBJECTIVE: To determine threshold β-hCG levels predictive of an ongoing pregnancy (OP), live birth (LB), and multiple gestation (MG) in IVF cycles resulting from day-3 (D3) vs. day-5 (D5) embryo transfers (ET), to compare IVF cycle characteristics and pregnancy outcomes in D3 vs. D5 ET groups, and to assess the ...

ABSTRACT. Objective: We examined the role of anger, hostility, and aggression, in addition to depression and stress, in predicting persistent smoking during pregnancy in a low-income sample. Method: The sample consisted of 270 pregnant women (189 smokers, 81 nonsmokers) recruited into a prospective study of prenatal cigarette exposure in the ...

Unintended pregnancies have significant social, health and financial costs. Importantly, there is surprisingly little information available about the prevalence of unintended pregnancy in Australia. We are currently investigating unintended pregnancy and access to contraception among women aged 18-23 years in rural and urban areas of New South Wales. This is ...

Anemia prevalence is highest in preschool children, women of reproductive age, and women who are pregnant. While the etiology of anemia is multifactorial, iron deficiency is the most commonly recognized nutritional cause. Observational studies imply that supplementation with iron or iron-folic acid should be started early in pregnancy, if not ...

Objective To document the incidence of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) and the rate of narcotic use during pregnancy in northwestern Ontario, where narcotic abuse is a growing social and medical problem. Design Retrospective chart review. Setting The Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre catchment area in northwestern Ontario. Participants ...

Objective: To evaluate the effect of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) on fetal liver growth during the third trimester. Methods: We performed a longitudinal study of pregnant women recruited at the time of GDM screening (24 to 28 weeks of gestation), with follow-up visits at 32 weeks, 36 weeks, and delivery. ...

This study is a retrospective review of the transcervical fluoroscopy-guided fallopian tube recanalisation (FTR) procedures done in a multi-ethnic south-east Asian population, over 9 years. A total of 100 patients with infertility and documented proximal tubal obstruction (PTO) were referred for FTR. On-table hysterosalpingography under sedation demonstrated true PTO in ...

This retrospective cohort study identifies complications associated with transabdominal cerclage (TAC). In 300 procedures performed over a 24 year time span, 11 (3.7%) surgical complications were encountered. Fetal loss (prior to 20 weeks) occurred in 4.1% of pregnancies. The median estimated blood loss among patients was 100 ml, with blood ...

The objective of our study was the evaluation and elucidation of levonorgestrel (LNG) as emergency contraception (EC) administered through oral and vaginal routes. Data regarding post-coital oral and peri-coital vaginal application of LNG were extracted from the literature through MEDLINE database service for years 2001?2010. It was found that a ...

Our aim was to explore the clinical application value of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy for tubal pregnancy. Forty hospitalized patients with tubal pregnancies (28 cases of non-ruptured tubal pregnancy and 12 cases of ruptured tubal pregnancy) were selected to receive HIFU therapy. Serum human chorionic gonadotropin (β-HCG) concentrations were ...

This study assessed the effect of feeding 0.75 energy requirements between Days 1 and 90 of pregnancy on placental development and feto-placental amino acid status on Day 125 of pregnancy in Scottish Blackface and Suffolk ewes carrying a single fetus. Such moderate nutrient restriction did not affect placental size, placentome ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Improved pregnancy, implantation, and birth rates have been reported after the use of reduced O2 concentration during embryo culture, mainly due to a reduction of the cumulative detrimental effects of reactive oxygen species. However, some studies have failed to report any positive effects. The objective of this meta-analysis ...

Tuberculosis (TB) was declared a public health emergency by WHO in 2005. The disease is a significant contributor to maternal mortality and is among the three leading causes of death among women aged 15-45 years in high burden areas. The exact incidence of tuberculosis in pregnancy, though not readily available, ...

To look retrospectively at patients undergoing elective, ultrasound indicated and rescue cervical cerclage, examine the immediate pregnancy outcomes and compare them. This was a retrospective observational study using the maternity and neonatal databank to identify patients having cervical cerclage between 1985 and 2009 inclusive. Data extracted included patient demographics, gestation ...

. The explicit objectives of the present study were to assess the level of knowledge on pregnancy "danger signs" and HIV status, estimate the proportion of pregnant women uses health care facilities, and identify sociodemographic predictors. . A cross-sectional community-based study was conducted by means of a questionnaire survey among ...

Background: Several psychological and obstetric predictors of a negative childbirth experience and traumatic response to delivery have been identified. However, the influence of antepartum physiological stress parameters has not been elucidated. Objective: The study includes an exploratory analysis of the associations of fear of delivery, antenatal basal and reactive activity ...

This study reviews systematically the effectiveness of management strategies for carriers of a reciprocal translocation involving two chromosomes, ascertained on the basis of recurrent pregnancy loss. Subsequent pregnancy outcomes were tabulated based on whether management was medical or involved in vitro fertilization/preimplantation genetic diagnosis (IVF/PGD). A total of 129 cases ...