Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a leading cause of maternal mortality in the developed world. Along with appropriate prophylaxis and therapy, prevention of death from PE in pregnancy requires a high index of clinical suspicion followed by a timely and accurate diagnostic approach. To provide guidance on this important health issue, ...

Oocyte donors have high serum estradiol (E2) levels similar to the serum levels seen in the first trimester of pregnancy. We report in this article our studies comparing cell proliferation, Ki67 (MIB1), and estrogen and progesterone receptor levels (ERα, PRA, and PRB) in the breast terminal duct lobular units of ...

Summary.  Type 2B von Willebrand disease (VWD) is a rare, inherited bleeding disorder resulting from a qualitative defect in von Willebrand factor (VWF). There is very little published information on how to quantify bleeding risk and manage haemostasis in type 2B VWD patients during pregnancy. This article presents the changes ...

Objective. To estimate the association between maternal pre-pregnant body mass index (BMI) and maternal weight change during pregnancy and offspring birthweight using BMI classification developed by World Health Organization (WHO) and adopted by Institute of Medicine (IOM) in 2009. Design. The Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) is a ...

Abstract Objective: To compare the likelihood of being within weight standards before and after pregnancy between United States Marine Corps (USMC) and Navy (USN) active duty women (ADW). Methods: ADW with singleton gestations who delivered at a USMC base were followed for 6 months to determine likelihood of returning to ...

Abstract Objective: To determine the effects of maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) on large-for-gestational-age (LGA) birth weight (?90(th) % ile). Methods: We examined 4321 mother-infant pairs from the Ottawa and Kingston (OaK) birth cohort. Multivariate logistic regression (controlling for gestational and maternal age, pre-pregnancy ...

Abstract Objective: To determine if maternal circulating red blood cell (RBC) folate concentration in early pregnancy is associated with late gestation pregnancy complications including small for gestational age (SGA) infants, preeclampsia and preterm birth in a socioeconomically disadvantaged population. Method: This was a retrospective case control study, conducted at Lyell ...

Abstract The introduction of 3D/4D sonography with high frequency transvaginal transducer has resulted in remarkable progress in ultrasonographic visualization of early emryos and fetuses and development of new fields of 3D sonoembryology. With the proper use of this new diagnostic modality and with experienced examiner, both structural and functional development ...

Abstract Oxidative stress has been implicated in the uteroplacental ischemia characteristic of preeclampsia and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) birth, both of which are more common at high (>2500m) vs. low altitude. Since Andeans are protected relative to Europeans from the altitude-associated rise in SGA, we asked if alterations in maternal antioxidant status ...

Abstract Objective. To study fetal nuchal translucency (NT) thickness as a possible early marker in fetuses at risk for severe spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). To investigate the significance of the SMN2 copy number in affected fetuses. Methods. We performed 2D-ultrasound in 98 pregnancies at risk for SMA, all of which ...

OBJECTIVE: To assess the use of fetal foot length for predicting gestational age in stillborn fetuses in Vietnam and the ability of this measurement to differentiate early from late fetal deaths. METHODS: In a prospective case series, gestational age was determined from either certain first day of last menstrual period ...

OBJECTIVE: To compare the outcome of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in patient couples where the male partner has partial globozoospermia with the outcome in a general ICSI population. DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: Center for Reproductive Medicine, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, the Netherlands, a tertiary referral center. PATIENT(S): Between 1997 ...

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine whether or not the serum human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) level and ratio during 2 weeks after evacuation is predictive of persistent gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) in patients with complete molar pregnancies. METHODS: Between January 2000 and June 2010, a total of ...

OBJECTIVES: Antidepressant drugs are used frequently during pregnancy. The risk assessment of SSRI exposure is still evaluated and re-opened due to studies indicating possible increase of inborn defects, neonatal abstinence syndrome and cognitive ability or behavioral defects. METHODS: In our study, we prospectively followed groups of pregnancies in years 2002-2009, ...

OBJECTIVE: It has been shown that coenzyme Q(10) (CoQ(10)) supplementation in men with idiopathic oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT) results in improved semen parameters. In present study, we evaluated the effects of coenzyme CoQ(10) supplementation on semen parameters and pregnancy rates in infertile men with idiopathic OAT. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two hundred and ...

PURPOSE: The aim of this systematic review was to examine and compare differences in the way medication exposures are classified in studies using linked administrative data to investigate outcomes following medication use during pregnancy. This was undertaken with a focus on studies investigating specific neonatal outcomes following prenatal exposure to ...

PURPOSE: To evaluate the proportions of abnormal and normal embryos detected by preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) of infertile couples of whom one was a Robertsonian translocation (RT) carrier, and to provide practical information, including details of reproductive outcomes, to aid in genetic counseling of such couples. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed ...

Objective: To evaluate pre-intervention echocardiographic parameters of cardiac function in fetuses who survive without hydrops as compared to fetuses who develop hydrops or perinatal death in the setting of sacrococcygeal teratoma (SCT) and twin-reversed arterial perfusion sequence (TRAP). Methods: Clinical, echocardiographic and sonographic data of fetuses with SCT or TRAP ...

Large placental chorioangiomas (>4 cm) can precipitate severe polyhydramnios, fetal anemia, growth restriction, high-output cardiac failure, hydrops, and fetal demise. We report a case of a large chorioangioma that was treated in a stepwise fashion with amnioreduction to ameliorate maternal discomfort, followed by fetoscopic laser ablation of the feeding vessels ...

Escitalopram is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor prescribed for depression and anxiety. There is a paucity of information regarding safety in pregnancy. The objective of this study was to determine whether escitalopram is associated with an increased risk for major malformations or other adverse outcomes following use in pregnancy. The authors ...

OBJECTIVE: We previously reported an association between prenatal exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and lower birth weight, birth length, and head circumference. The main goal of the present analysis was to assess the possible impact of coexposure to PAH-containing barbecued meat consumed during pregnancy on birth outcomes. MATERIALS ...

Pure-bred embryos were transferred within and reciprocally between large (Suffolk: S) and small (Cheviot: C) breeds of sheep to establish 4 treatment groups; SinS (Suffolk embryos in Suffolk dams), SinC (Suffolk embryos in Cheviot dams), CinS (Cheviot embryos in Suffolk dams) and CinC (Cheviot embryos in Cheviot dams). The recipient ...

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to evaluate and analyze the efficacy and safety of using gemeprost for second- and third-trimester termination of pregnancy (TOP) in women with uterine scar due to previous cesarean section. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of 111 medical TOPs for fetal anomaly or death at 14 to ...

OBJECTIVE: We describe clinical trials conducted in pregnant women. METHODS: We searched PubMed database for articles related to clinical trials between 01/01/2000 and 31/12/2009 involving pregnant women by using the preferred terms "pregnancy", "human", and "clinical trials". RESULTS: Of 1,264 retrieved publications, 762 (60%) were excluded, leaving 502 for analysis: ...

The objective of the present study was to define the secretion of prolactin (PRL) in pregnant African and Asian elephants. Levels of immunoreactive (ir-) PRL in serum and placental homogenates were measured by a heterologous radioimmunoassay (RIA) based on an ovine and human RIA system, and the localization of immunoreactive ...

BACKGROUND: The impact of pregnancy on efavirenz pharmacokinetics is unknown. METHODS: International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials (IMPAACT) P1026s is an on-going, prospective, non-blinded study of antiretroviral pharmacokinetics in HIV-infected pregnant women that included a cohort receiving 600 mg efavirenz once daily as part of combination antiretroviral therapy. Intensive ...

BACKGROUND:: Adequate vitamin D status in mothers during pregnancy may influence the health status of the child later in life. We assessed whether maternal circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) concentrations in pregnancy are associated with risk of lower respiratory tract infections, wheezing, and asthma in the offspring. METHODS:: Data were obtained ...

When infertile women undergoing IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) have more than 20 mature oocytes retrieved, at least 15 oocytes are inseminated by their husband's spermatozoa. The extra oocytes are cryopreserved by vitrification. If the patients became pregnant and have healthy live births, the patients are encouraged to donate ...

Abstract Objective: To compare intra-partum performance of trans-abdominal electrocardiogram with Doppler telemetry. Methods: In this prospective longitudinal study, simultaneous monitoring with trans-abdominal ECG and Doppler telemetry was performed in 41 uncomplicated term singleton pregnancies during labour. Results: The overall success rate for FHR monitoring was similar between trans-abdominal ECG and ...

BACKGROUNDIn New Zealand ranking patients for elective, publicly funded procedures uses clinical priority access criteria (CPAC). A CPAC to prioritize patients seeking assisted reproductive technology (ART) was developed in 1997 and implemented nationwide in 2000. This study describes the development of the ART CPAC tool and its evaluation on 1386 ...

OBJECTIVE: To compare the differential expression of 15-lipoxygenase (15-LO) isoenzymes, 15-LO-1 and 15-LO-2 in preeclampsia (PE), and normal pregnancy and its metabolite 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15-HETE) on the vasoconstriction of human umbilical artery (HUA) rings. STUDY DESIGN: We performed western blotting and isometric tension studies and t-test analysis on data from ...

Alterations in expression of the imprinted gene PHLDA2 are linked to low birth weight in both humans and the mouse. However birth weight is a summary measure of fetal growth and provides little information on the growth rate of the fetus in early and late pregnancy. To examine the relation ...

The position of transfer air bubbles after embryo transfer is related to the pregnancy rate. With the conventional manual embryo-transfer technique it is not possible to predict the final position of the air bubbles. This position mainly depends on the catheter load speed at transfer (injection speed), a parameter that ...

LH surges are the start of a period of optimal endometrial receptivity. Missing these surges in an unstimulated-cycle frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) based on ultrasound alone might lead to incorrect timing of embryo transfer. This prospective, non-randomized trial established the incidence and effect of spontaneous LH surges on ongoing pregnancy ...

Fatty acids (FA) are known to have a number of immunological effects and, accordingly, may play a role in the development of allergic diseases. We investigated the effect of maternal intake of FA during pregnancy on the risk of allergic rhinitis, wheeze and atopic eczema in children aged 5 years. ...

The aim of this study was to explore whether scoliosis is a risk factor for adverse obstetric outcomes and specifically for cesarean delivery (CD) and labor dystocia. Association between scoliosis and pregnancy outcome was studied before. Confounding conclusions prevent proper counseling of patients. Appropriate statistical analysis of a suitable cohort ...

ObjectivesTo determine whether a rule-based algorithm applied to an outpatient electronic medical record (EMR) can identify patients who are pregnant and prescribed medications proved to cause birth defects.DesignA descriptive study using the University of Pennsylvania Health System outpatient EMR to simulate a prospective algorithm to identify exposures during pregnancy to ...

Aim:  The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of passive uterine straightening during intrauterine insemination (IUI). Material and Methods:  A randomized controlled trial was conducted at Zeynep Kamil Maternity and Pediatric Research and Training Hospital. Participants were 460 women with unexplained infertility. Interventions were IUI by ...

BACKGROUND: Bacterial vaginosis (BV) in pregnancy is linked to preterm birth, but its risk factors are not well understood. Micronutrient deficiencies may be associated with an increased risk of this condition. OBJECTIVE: We assessed the effect of weekly vitamin A or β-carotene supplementation during pregnancy until 3 mo postpartum on ...

Aim:  Good glycemic control in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) seems not to be enough to prevent macrosomia (large-for-gestational-age newborns). In GDM pregnancies we studied the effects of glycemic control (as glycosylated hemoglobin [HbA1c]), pre-pregnancy body mass index (PP-BMI) and gestational weight gain per week (GWG-W) on the frequency of macrosomia. ...

To investigate the role of FMS-like tyrosine kinase 1 (FLT1, previously known as VEGFR1) signaling during pregnancy, mice were injected with anti-FLT1 neutralizing antibody beginning on Gestational Day 8 or 12, and every other day thereafter until Day 18; vehicle-only injected mice served as controls. Uterine artery blood flow was ...

BACKGROUND: Many professional organizations recommend intrauterine device (IUD) use in adolescents, but data on performance of currently available devices in US teens are scant. We describe IUD continuation, side effect and pregnancy rates in parous adolescents. STUDY DESIGN: Between 2002 and 2008, a cohort of 136 young mothers from an ...

Objective: To examine the association between body mass index (BMI) at 11-13 weeks' gestation and a wide range of adverse pregnancy outcomes after adjustment for confounding factors in obstetric history and maternal characteristics. Methods: This was a prospective screening study for adverse obstetric outcomes in women with singleton pregnancies attending ...

  We performed a prospective study of 1,000 neonates investigated in the first 72 hours of life in the health area of Ferrol (northwest of Spain) to assess the prevalence of erythema toxicum neonatorum, the anatomical sites most frequently involved, the influence of different maternal and neonatal parameters, day of life ...

The present study was performed to investigate the numerical distribution of mast cells (MCs) in the uteri of pregnant Meishan pigs to explore the functions of MCs in pig pregnancy. The uterine samples from pregnant (on days 15, 26 and 50 of gestation) pigs were obtained respectively and stained with ...

BACKGROUNDNear infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is a technology proposed to facilitate non-invasive screening for the most optimal human embryo for uterine transfer. It has been proposed that the NIR spectral profile of an embryo's spent culture medium can be used to generate a viability score that correlates to implantation potential. As ...

OBJECTIVE: To compare patterns of human placental gene expression of IGF from pregnancies that ended with preterm delivery vs. full term pregnancies as controls. STUDY DESIGN: Real-time PCR was used to assess gene expression of IGF in human placental samples from 104 preterm and 140 full term pregnancies. RESULTS: In ...

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess obstetrician-gynecologists' regarding their beliefs about when pregnancy begins and to measure characteristics that are associated with believing that pregnancy begins at implantation rather than at conception. STUDY DESIGN: We mailed a questionnaire to a stratified, random sample of 1800 practicing obstetrician-gynecologists ...

The objective of this study is to describe the fetal phenotype in utero and its associations with maternal pre-pregnancy weight and gestational weight gain. This prospective longitudinal cohort included 179 Australian women with singleton pregnancies. Serial ultrasound measurements were performed at 19, 25, 30 and 36 (±1) weeks gestation and ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: To build a reference curve for the area of Wharton's jelly (WJ) in low-risk pregnancies from 13 to 40 weeks and to assess its relationship with estimated fetal weight (EFW). METHODS: 2,189 low-risk pregnancies had the area of WJ estimated by ultrasound and the 10th, 50th and 90th ...