Obstetrics high risk, fetal medicine

BACKGROUND: Pre-eclampsia is a systemic disease connected with high maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Despite significant progress achieved in perinatal medicine, pre-eclampsia is still one of the most significant current problems in obstetrics. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to establish diagnostic algorithms for early and late pre-eclampsia (PE) and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 320 pregnant women between 11 + 0 and 13 + 6 weeks of gestation were recruited for a case-control study...

All providers who care for reproductive-aged women with cardiac disease should assess these patients' desires and plans for pregnancy at every encounter. For those considering pregnancy, preconception counseling, often performed by a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, can help patients understand the potential implications of pregnancy on their health and estimate the risks of an adverse cardiac event prior to conceiving. There are cardiac conditions, such as pulmonary hypertension and aortic stenosis, in which pregnancy may be contraindicated given the high morbidity and mortality; there are tools available to help quantify a patient's risk...

Antithrombin (AT) deficiency is a high-risk thrombophilia and a rare condition. Despite full anticoagulation during pregnancy and the postpartum period, women with AT deficiency may still be vulnerable to developing venous thromboembolism (VTE), including fatal events. There is limited guidance on the management of AT deficiency in pregnancy, including the role of AT concentrates. Following a comprehensive review of the state of the art with respect to recommendations and guidelines, our expert panel in maternal-fetal medicine, hematology and basic science reached consensus on key issues in the recognition and management of AT deficiency in pregnancy...

Introduction CHD occurs in about 1% of the United States population, and is now the most common cardiac condition affecting women during pregnancy. METHODS: An anonymous, single-site, cross-sectional, 50-question survey was performed at a national Adult Congenital Heart Disease conference to assess the level of knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions regarding cardiac care during pregnancy in women with CHD. RESULTS: A total of 77 women completed the survey. Among them, 50% (n=39) had moderate and 38% (n=29) had severely complex disease; 30% (n=23) of women were told that pregnancy was contraindicated given their underlying cardiac condition...

PURPOSE: To compare maternal and fetal effects of intravenous phenylephrine and ephedrine administration during spinal anesthesia for cesarean delivery in high-risk pregnancies. SOURCE: An extensive literature search was conducted using the US National Library of Medicine, MEDLINE search engine, Cochrane review, and Google Scholar using search terms "ephedrine and phenylephrine," "preterm and term and spinal hypotension," "preeclampsia and healthy parturients," or "multiple and singleton gestation and vasopressor...

BACKGROUND: Perinatal services exist today as a dyad of maternal and neonatal care. When perinatal care is fragmented or unavailable, excess morbidity and mortality may occur in pregnant women and newborns. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to describe spatial relationships between women of reproductive age, individual perinatal subspecialists (maternal-fetal medicine and neonatology), and obstetric and neonatal critical care facilities in the United States to identify gaps in health care access...

BACKGROUND: Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is a specific pregnancy-related disorder without standard medical therapies. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is the most used medicine, but the efficacy and safety of UDCA remain uncertain. Several meta-analyses had been made to assess the effects of UDCA in ICP. However, the samples were not large enough to convince obstetricians to use UDCA. We conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the effects and safety of UDCA in patients with ICP, which included only randomized controlled trials (RCTs)...

OBJECTIVE: To characterize subsequent pregnancy outcomes among women with a history of previable, preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PROM) and assess factors associated with recurrent preterm birth. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of women cared for with a history of one or more singleton pregnancy complicated by preterm PROM at less than 24 weeks of gestation between 2002 and 2013 who were cared for in two tertiary care health systems by a single group of maternal-fetal medicine specialists...

BACKGROUND: Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (NVP) affects up to 85% of all women during pregnancy, but for the majority self-management suffices. For the remainder, symptoms are more severe and the most severe form of NVP - hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) - affects 0.3-1.0% of pregnant women. There is no widely accepted point at which NVP becomes HG. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the relative clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of treatments for NVP and HG...

Background Homozygous hemoglobin E (HbE) disease is common, especially in Southeast Asia where the prevalence may be as high as nearly 1 % of pregnancies and it is usually associated with mild anemia. Nevertheless, the effects of the disease on pregnancy outcomes have never been explored. Objective To compare the obstetric adverse outcomes between singleton pregnancies complicated with HbE disease and normal controls. Patients and Methods A retrospective cohort study was undertaken by assessment of the database of maternal-fetal medicine units, Chiang Mai University, Thailand, from January 2000 to December 2014 to search for the records of pregnant women complicated by the disease...

Advanced reproductive age (ARA) is a risk factor for female infertility, pregnancy loss, fetal anomalies, stillbirth, and obstetric complications. Oocyte donation reverses the age-related decline in implantation and birth rates of women in their 40s and 50s and restores pregnancy potential beyond menopause. However, obstetrical complications in older patients remain high, particularly related to operative delivery and hypertensive and cardiovascular risks. Physicians should perform a thorough medical evaluation designed to assess the physical fitness of a patient for pregnancy before deciding to attempt transfer of embryos to any woman of advanced reproductive age (>45 years)...

Physiologic alterations of the oral and vulvovaginal mucosal surfaces result from the profound hormonal and immunologic changes of gestation. High estrogen levels are responsible for the vascular changes noted on mucosal surfaces. Gingival hyperemia and edema, gingivitis and pyogenic granuloma are the most common alterations of the oral mucosa during gestation. Physiologic changes of the vulvovaginal area are mainly of vascular nature, and include among others varicose veins. The oral and vulvovaginal mucosal surfaces can be affected by diseases that can worsen or develop in pregnancy...

Objectives In 2011, a workforce assessment conducted by the Georgia Maternal and Infant Health Research Group found that 52 % of Primary Care Service Areas outside metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia, had an overburdened or complete lack of obstetric care services. In response to that finding, this study's aim was twofold: to describe challenges faced by providers who currently deliver or formerly delivered obstetric care in these areas, and to identify essential core components that can be integrated into alternative models of care in order to alleviate the burden placed on the remaining obstetric providers...

INTRODUCTION: The occurrence of a bad outcome, injury or death of a patient during treatment increases the chance of malpractice litigation, increases legal responsibility and leads to increased fees for malpractice insurance. Physicians practicing obstetrics and gynecology face among the highest risks of malpractice litigation, and such litigation has led to an increase in the practice of defensive medicine and has made this specialty less appealing. Previous clinical data from Saudi Arabia have shown that more malpractice litigation concerns claims in obstetrics and gynecology than claims in any other field of medicine...

OBJECTIVE: To report a case of robotic partial nephrectomy (RPN) during pregnancy and review the existing literature on the topic. METHODS: A 35-year-old asymptomatic pregnant woman at 20 weeks gestation was found to have a large mass in the right kidney during routine anatomic ultrasound for fetal assessment. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a 7.5 cm right upper-pole solid-enhancing renal mass, concerning for malignancy, without evidence of local extension or metastases...

Although pregnancy often motivates women to quit smoking, 20% to 25% will continue to smoke. Smoking is associated with adverse obstetric and neonatal outcomes such as placental abruption, stillbirth, preterm birth and sudden infant death syndrome, and it is therefore important to motivate women to quit during pregnancy. In this review, we explore the efficacy and evidence for safety of strategies for smoking cessation in pregnancy, including behavioural and pharmacologic therapies. The PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases (1990 to 2014) were accessed to identify relevant studies, using the search terms "smoking cessation," "pregnancy," "medicine, behavioural," "nicotine replacement products," "bupropion," and "varenicline...

Fetal/neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FNAIT) is a relatively rare condition (1/1000-1/2000) that was granted orphan status by the European Medicines Agency in 2011. Clinical consequences of FNAIT, however, may be severe. A thrombocytopenic fetus or new-born is at risk of intracranial hemorrhage that may result in lifelong disability or death. Preventing such bleeding is thus vital and requires a solution. Anti-HPA1a antibodies are the most frequent cause of FNAIT in Caucasians. Its pathogenesis is similar to hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN) due to anti-RhD antibodies, but is characterized by platelet destruction and is more often observed in the first pregnancy...

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OBJECTIVE: Physical trauma affects 1 in 12 pregnant women and has a major impact on maternal mortality and morbidity and on pregnancy outcome. A multidisciplinary approach is warranted to optimize outcome for both the mother and her fetus. The aim of this document is to provide the obstetric care provider with an evidence-based systematic approach to the pregnant trauma patient. OUTCOMES: Significant health and economic outcomes considered in comparing alternative practices...

Acute viral hepatitis is the most common cause of jaundice in pregnancy. Amongst hepatitis E bears a deadly combination with pregnancy, leading to loss of very young lives. There is almost no data available in this aspect documenting prevalence, profile and effect of jaundice on outcome of pregnancy in Bangladesh. This observational study was done to determine and analyze the frequency, cause and outcome of jaundice in pregnancy among the admitted patients in the feto-maternal medicine wing of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, for a 2 years period from August 2009 to July 2011...