Pregnancy balance

BACKGROUND: Undernutrition refers to an overall deficiency of nutrients due to an inadequate intake of a well-balanced diet. Undernourishment during pregnancy is an important contributor to maternal morbidity and mortality. It remains a persistent problem in developing countries, where women usually fall behind men in having access to food, health care, and education. Despite the high prevalence of maternal undernourishment, its direct impact on obstetric outcomes has not been studied in developing countries, including Ethiopia...

We report a case of an Ewing-like sarcoma of the gluteal region with ongoing growth during the second trimester of pregnancy and noted during the third trimester. This lesion was consequently studied to infer its malignant potential. Several examinations were conducted to characterise this lesion, such as ultrasound and MR, which showed signs of tumourous invasion of the deep tissues of the gluteal region.Given that the pregnancy was at the end of the third trimester, the decision was made to schedule the delivery at 37 weeks of gestation and treat the tumour afterwards to balance maternal and fetal health...

OBJECTIVES: Gamete and embryo-foetal origins of adult diseases hypothesis proposes that adulthood chronic disorders are associated with adverse foetal and early life traits. Our study aimed to characterise developmental changes and underlying mechanisms of metabolic disorders in offspring of pre-eclampsia (PE) programmed pregnancy. METHODS: Nω-Nitro-l-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (L-NAME) induced pre-eclampsia-like C57BL/6J mouse model was used. Lipid profiling, histological morphology, indirect calorimetry, mRNA sequencing, and pyrosequencing were performed on PE offspring of both young and elderly ages...

INTRODUCTION: Congenital dysfibrinogenemia (CD) is characterized by dysfunction induced by an abnormal fibrinogen molecule structure that results in blood coagulation dysfunction. The clinical manifestations of CD patients are asymptomatic, bleeding and thrombosis. The majority of patient are asymptomatic. However, the single fibrinogen detection method is easy to cause missed diagnosis or misdiagnosis of CD patients. The treatment strategies of CD patients with different clinical manifestations are also different...

INTRODUCTION: The importance of micronutrient intake during the preconceptional and early pregnancy period for both maternal and fetal outcomes is well-known, however, relevant data are not available for Greek pregnant women. The aim of the present study is to delineate the nutritional status preceding conception among a representative cohort of Greek pregnant women. METHODS: This was a prospective study of pregnant women from routine care, recruited at 11+0 -13+6 gestational weeks, between December 2020 and October 2022, at the 3rd Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece...

Neuroactive steroids are a type of steroid hormones produced within the nervous system or in peripheral glands and then transported to the brain to exert their neuromodulatory effects. Neuroactive steroids have pleiotropic effects, that include promoting myelination, neuroplasticity, and brain development. They also regulate important physiological functions, such as metabolism, feeding, reproduction, and stress response. The homoeostatic processes of metabolism and reproduction are closely linked and mutually dependent...

BACKGROUND: Pharmacological prophylaxis during hospital admission can reduce the risk of acquired blood clots (venous thromboembolism) but may cause complications, such as bleeding. Using a risk assessment model to predict the risk of blood clots could facilitate selection of patients for prophylaxis and optimise the balance of benefits, risks and costs. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to identify validated risk assessment models and estimate their prognostic accuracy, evaluate the cost-effectiveness of different strategies for selecting hospitalised patients for prophylaxis, assess the feasibility of using efficient research methods and estimate key parameters for future research...

OBJECTIVE: To improve timely and equitable access to postpartum blood pressure (BP) monitoring in individuals with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). METHODS: A quality improvement initiative was implemented at a large academic medical centre in the USA for postpartum individuals with HDP. The primary aim was to increase completed BP checks within 7 days of hospital discharge from 40% to 70% in people with HDP in 6 months. Secondary aims included improving rates of scheduled visits, completed visits within 3 days for severe HDP and unattended visits...

INTRODUCTION: The period from pregnancy to postpartum is a vulnerable time with an increased risk of mental illness. The COVID-19 pandemic led to restrictions in peripartum care, such as infection control measures, or restrictions regarding accompanying persons. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Effects of COVID-19-related restrictions on the psyche and well-being during the peripartum period in Austria were retrospectively assessed using a partially standardized online questionnaire...

OBJECTIVES: Sickle cell disease (SCD) occurs in 2.8 % of our Jamaican antenatal population with homozygous HbSS being most associated with adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective comparative analysis of HbSS, HbSC and HbSβThal pregnancy outcomes at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) between January 2012 and December 2022 was conducted. RESULTS: Of 120 patients (138 pregnancies), obesity occurred in 36 % (20/56) of the 'non-HbSS' group, i...

Lactation insufficiency affects many women worldwide. During lactation, a large portion of mammary gland alveolar cells become polyploid, but how these cells balance the hyperproliferation occurring during normal alveologenesis with terminal differentiation required for lactation is unknown. Here, we show that DNA damage accumulates due to replication stress during pregnancy, activating the DNA damage response. Modulation of DNA damage levels in vivo by intraductal injections of nucleosides or DNA damaging agents reveals that the degree of DNA damage accumulated during pregnancy governs endoreplication and milk production...

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a glycoprotein that plays an important role in immune regulation with critical involvement in early human development and maintaining the immune balance during pregnancy. Postfetal development, the regulatory mechanisms controlling AFP undergo a shift and AFP gene transcription is suppressed. Instead, these enhancers refocus their activity to maintain albumin gene transcription throughout adulthood. During the postnatal period, AFP expression can increase in the setting of hepatocyte injury, regeneration, and malignant transformation...

PROBLEM: Burnout and the psychological co-morbidities stress, anxiety and depression have a significant impact on healthcare providers, including midwives. These conditions impact the quality of care provided to women, and midwives' ability to remain in the profession. BACKGROUND: There is growing concern regarding the retention of maternity care providers in Canada, particularly midwives. Nationally, 33% of Canadian midwives are seriously considering leaving practice; impacts of the profession on work-life-balance and mental health being commonly cited reasons...

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a complex metabolic disorder that has short- and long-term effects on maternal and offspring health. This study aimed to assess the impact of maternal hyperglycemia severity, classified as GDM-G1 (diet treatment) and GDM-G2 (insulin treatment) on colostral appetite-regulating molecules. Colostrum samples were collected from hyperglycemic (N = 30) and normoglycemic (N = 21) mothers, and the concentrations of milk hormones were determined by immunoenzymatic assay. A difference was found for milk ghrelin, but not for molecules such as adiponectin, leptin, resistin, or IGF-I levels, in relation to maternal hyperglycemia...

INTRODUCTION: Pregnancy success relies on the establishment of a delicate immune balance that requires the early activation of a series of local and systemic immune mechanisms. The changes in the immunological profile that are normally occurring in the pregnant uterus does not take place in cyclic (non-pregnant) uterus, a fact that has been widely explored in pigs at the tissue local level. Such differences would be especially important in the context of embryo transfer (ET), where a growing body of literature indicates that immunological differences at the uterine level between donors and recipients may significantly impact embryonic mortality...

BACKGROUND: Over nearly three decades, Ecuador experienced a significant rise in adolescent motherhood. OBJECTIVES: By focusing on social, health, and psychological aspects, the research aims to reveal the complex factors influencing the decision to discontinue education. The emphasis on providing a platform for direct expression of personal experiences not only adds qualitative depth to the study but also ensures that the voices of those involved are heard authentically...

BACKGROUND: Orthopedic surgery continues to have one of the lowest rates of female trainees among all medical specialties in the United States. Barriers to pursuing a surgical residency include the challenges of family planning and work-life balance during training. METHODS: A systematic literature search of articles published between June 2012 and December 2022 in the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases was performed in January 2023 according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis)...

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the effect of diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) on the clinical outcomes and maternal and infant safety of in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) procedures in young women aged ≤ 35 years. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed to analyze the clinical data of 4,203 infertile women aged ≤ 35 years who underwent fresh embryo transfer (ET) in IVF/ICSI cycles...

Additional risk minimization strategies may be required to assure a positive benefit-risk balance for some therapeutic products associated with serious adverse drug reactions/risks of use, without which these products may be otherwise unavailable to patients. The goals of risk minimization strategies are often fundamentally to influence the behavior of healthcare professionals (HCPs) and/or patients and can include appropriate patient selection, provision of education and counselling, appropriate medication use, adverse drug reaction monitoring, and adoption of other elements to assure safe use, such as pregnancy prevention...

This report documents the case of a 36-year-old female diagnosed with stage I invasive ductal carcinoma of the left breast who, alongside her 39-year-old husband, sought fertility assistance at our center due to primary infertility. Having survived cancer twice in the span of their seven-year marriage, the couple faced the challenge of overcoming both the repercussions of cancer treatment and difficulties in conceiving. Initial attempts through three intrauterine insemination (IUI) cycles proved unsuccessful, leading the couple to opt for in vitro fertilization (IVF)...