Uterine contraction

The third stage of labor is defined as the time period between delivery of the fetus through delivery of the placenta. During a normal third stage, uterine contractions lead to separation and expulsion of the placenta from the uterus. Postpartum hemorrhage is a relatively common complication of the third stage of labor. Strategies have been studied to mitigate the risk of postpartum hemorrhage, leading to the widespread implementation of active management of the third stage of labor. Initially, active management of the third stage of labor consisted of a bundle of interventions including administration of a uterotonic agent, early cord clamping, controlled cord traction, and external uterine massage...

RATIONALE: Uterine rupture is extremely hazardous to both mothers and infants. Diagnosing silent uterine rupture in pregnant women without uterine contractions is challenging due to the presence of nonspecific symptoms, signs, and laboratory indicators. Therefore, it is crucial to identify the elevated risks associated with silent uterine rupture. PATIENT CONCERNS: on admission, case 1 was at 37 gestational weeks, having undergo laparoscopic transabdominal cerclage 8 months prior to the in vitro fertilization embryo transfer procedure, case 2 was at 38 4/7 gestational weeks with a history of 5 previous artificial abortion and 2 previous vaginal deliveries, case 3 was at 37 6/7 gestational weeks with a history of laparoscopic myomectomy...

Bicornis unicollis uterus is a rare congenital uterine abnormality that occurs due to the failure of Mullerian duct fusion early in the development of the female internal genitalia system. In this case report, we present a woman with bicornis unicollis uterus who had preterm birth. A 30-year-old female patient with two caesarean sections history with premature babies was presented to the hospital with a complaint of regular contractions for twelve hours in her third preterm pregnancy. The patient has no particular symptoms besides acute abdominal pain...

PURPOSE: To evaluate the utility of a novel ultrasound index "combined utero-cervical index (CUCI)" in the prediction of preterm delivery. METHODS: The present prospective cohort study was conducted in Ankara Bilkent City Hospital Perinatology Clinic between January 1, 2023, and March 31, 2023. Pregnant women with uterine contractions between 24 and 36th gestational weeks but did not have dilatation or effacement were included. CUCI was calculated as: (utero-cervical angle)/(anterior cervical lip thickness + fundal thickness + lower uterine segment thickness + cervical length)...

Oxytocin (OT) is a peptide hormone synthesized in the hypothalamus and released into systemic circulation or other areas of the brain. Its physiological roles include action as a hormone with stimulation of uterine contractions and that as a neuromodulator with involvement in social behaviors and regulation of mood. Its small size and low levels within biological matrices make it challenging to accurately measure. The goal of this study was to demonstrate the specificity of the antibody, sensitivity, and reproducibility of the Phoenix Pharmaceuticals (PP) OT radioimmunoassay (RIA) for use in human urine, serum, and saliva...

BACKGROUND: Intravenous oxytocin is commonly used for labor induction. However, a consensus on the initial dosing regimen is lac with conflicting research findings and varying guidelines. This study aimed to develop a population kinetic-pharmacodynamic (K-PD) model for oxytocin-induced uterine contractions considering real-world data and relevant influencing factors to establish an optimal starting dosing regimen for intravenous oxytocin. METHODS: This retrospective study included pregnant women who underwent labor induction with intravenous oxytocin at Peking University Third Hospital in 2020...

Objective: To investigate the feasibility of expectant management of different degrees of vaginal fluid in pregnant women with premature rupture of membranes in the second trimester. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted to collect 103 pregnant women who were diagnosed with premature rupture of membranes in the second trimester of pregnancy and insisted on continuing the pregnancy in Shanxi Bethune Hospital from July 2012 to July 2022. According to the degree of vaginal fluid, pregnant women were divided into rupture group (with typical vaginal fluid, 48 cases) and leakage group (without typical vaginal fluid, 55 cases)...

Steroid hormones play an important role in physiological processes. The classical pathway of steroid actions is mediated by nuclear receptors, which regulate genes to modify biological processes. Non-genomic pathways of steroid actions are also known, mediated by cell membrane-located seven transmembrane domain receptors. Sex steroids and glucocorticoids have several membrane receptors already identified to mediate their rapid actions. However, mineralocorticoids have no identified membrane receptors, although their rapid actions are also measurable...

Uterine contraction patterns vary during the ovulatory cycle and during gestation, but prior measurements have produced limited and conflicting information on these patterns. We combined a virally delivered genetically encoded calcium reporter (GCaMP8m) and ultra-widefield imaging in live nonpregnant mice, and characterized uterine calcium dynamics at organ-scale throughout the estrus cycle. At all stages, activity emanated from multiple loci of initiation (LOIs) and had irregular patterns in time. The average frequency of calcium events varied strongly with cycle stage, being lowest in proestrus (0...

BACKGROUND: Patients with obesity experience an increased duration of labor with an increased risk for perinatal morbidity. When compared with parturients without obesity, they also experience fewer uterine contractions after administration of misoprostol. It is unclear if the same dose of misoprostol should be used for induction of labor in patients with obesity compared to non-obese patients. Therefore, we sought to investigate if a higher dose of misoprostol for patients with obesity is more effective...

BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia, new-onset hypertension during pregnancy alongside other organ dysfunction, is the leading cause of mortality for the mother and low birth weight for the baby. Low birth weight contributes to high risk of cardiovascular disorders later in life. Women with preeclampsia have activated B cells producing agonistic autoantibodies to AT1-AA (angiotensin II type I receptor). We hypothesize that rituximab, a B cell-depleting chemotherapeutic, will deplete maternal B cells in reduced uterine perfusion pressure (RUPP) rats without worsening the effect of placental ischemia on pup growth and survival...

The placenta is a transient organ critical for fetal development. Disruptions of normal placental functions can impact health throughout an individual's entire life. Although being recognized by the NIH Human Placenta Project as an important organ, the placenta remains understudied, partly because of a lack of non-invasive tools for longitudinally evaluation for key aspects of placental functionalities. Non-invasive imaging that can longitudinally probe murine placental health in vivo are critical to understanding placental development throughout pregnancy...

Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) is a significant cause of maternal mortality globally, necessitating prompt and efficient management. This review provides a comprehensive exploration of endovascular treatment dimensions for both primary and secondary PPH, with a focus on uterine atony, trauma, placenta accreta spectrum (PAS), and retained products of conception (RPOC). Primary PPH, occurring within 24 h, often results from uterine atony in 70% of causes, but also from trauma, or PAS. Uterine atony involves inadequate myometrial contraction, addressed through uterine massage, oxytocin, and, if needed, mechanical modalities like balloon tamponade...

Intrauterine infection during pregnancy can enhance the uterine contractions. A two-pore K+ channel TREK1 is crucial for maintaining uterine quiescence and reducing contractility, with its properties regulated by pH changes in cell microenvironment. Meanwhile, the sodium hydrogen exchanger 1 (NHE1) plays a pivotal role in modulating cellular pH homeostasis, and its activation increases smooth muscle tension. By establishing an infected mouse model of Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), we employed Western blotting, RT-qPCR, and immunofluorescence to detect changes of TREK1 and NHE1 expression in the myometrium, and isometric recording measured the uterus contraction...

Background-We evaluated whether the oral intake of high-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid (HMWHA) in association with alpha lipoic acid (ALA), magnesium, vitamin B6, and vitamin D can improve the resorption of subchorionic hematoma in cases of threatened miscarriage. Methods-In this study, we enrolled 56 pregnant women with threatened miscarriage (i.e., subchorionic hematomas, pelvic pain/uterine contractions, and/or vaginal bleeding) between the 6th and the 13th week of gestation. They were treated with vaginal progesterone (200 mg/twice a day) (control group; n = 25) or vaginal progesterone plus oral 200 mg HMWHA, 100 mg ALA, 450 mg magnesium, 2...

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the relationship between stages of labour and the risk of postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) and provide evidence for clinical application. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Manual searches were undertaken, and computer searches of PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang and Wipu databases with a search window from database creation to April 2022 were conducted to procure relevant studies on the relationship between labour phase and PPH. The articles included in this study were evaluated for quality, and RevMan 5...

Parturition is a complex physiological process that must occur in a reliable manner and at an appropriate gestation stage to ensure a healthy newborn and mother. To this end, hormones that affect the function of the gravid uterus, especially progesterone (P4) and 17ß-estradiol (E2), oxytocin (OT) and prostaglandins (PGs) play pivotal roles. P4 via the nuclear P4 receptor (PR) promotes uterine quiescence and for most of pregnancy exerts a dominant block to labor. Loss of the P4 block to parturition in association with a gain in pro-labor actions E2 are key transitions in the hormonal cascade leading to parturition...

BACKGROUND: The exhaustion of T-cells is a primary factor contributing to immune dysfunction in cancer. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a significant role in the advancement, survival, and treatment of Uterine Corpus Endometrial Carcinoma (UCEC). Nevertheless, there has been no investigation into the involvement of lncRNAs associated with T-cell exhaustion (TEXLs) in UCEC. The goal of this work is to establish predictive models for TEXLs in UCEC and study their related immune features...

An accurate transvaginal ultrasound (TVU) cervical length (CL) is paramount to obtain the best prediction for preterm birth (PTB). TVU CL should be optimally obtained when a lower uterine segment (LUS) contraction (CTX) is not seen. For universal TVU CL screening at around 20 weeks, the options are to do the TVU soon after bladder void (LUS CTXs present in 16-43% of this approach), or to wait until the end of the anatomy scan (ideally within 30 minutes after bladder voiding) to decrease the chance of a LUS CTX...

Childbirth or labor, as the final phase of a pregnancy, is a biomechanical process that delivers the fetus from the uterus. It mainly involves two important biological structures in the mother, the uterus -- generating the pushing force on the fetus -- and the pelvis (bony pelvis and pelvic floor muscles) -- resisting the movement of the fetus. The existing computational models developed in this field that simulate the childbirth process have focused on either the uterine expulsion force or the resistive structures of the pelvis, not both...