Insights in Maternal-Fetal Medicine—Preventing Preterm Births

A special issue of Diagnostics (ISSN 2075-4418). This special issue belongs to the section "Pathology and Molecular Diagnostics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2025 | Viewed by 337

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hackensack Meridian Health Network, Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack, NJ, USA
Interests: maternal & fetal medicine; obstetrics & gynecology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue focuses on clinical innovations and advanced research in preventing preterm birth from the maternal–fetal medicine perspective. The articles in this issue aim to address the multifaceted nature of preterm birth, exploring new approaches, interventions, predictive models and personalized care plans to mitigate risks, prolong gestation and decrease preterm birth rates.

In addition to discussing the latest medical interventions, this Special Issue emphasizes the importance of collaborative and interdisciplinary efforts in advancing maternal–fetal medicine. Insights from obstetricians, neonatologists, geneticists and other experts collectively contribute to a holistic understanding of preterm birth, fostering a more effective and comprehensive approach to prevention.

This Special Issue aims to critically examine and consolidate the latest research and clinical advancements in preterm birth prevention. Through a multidisciplinary approach, the issue aims to promote a deeper comprehension of the diverse factors contributing to preterm births and clarify innovative methods for effective prevention, ultimately improving maternal and neonatal outcomes.

Dr. Manuel Alvarez
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diagnostics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • preterm birth
  • cervical surveillance
  • cervical cerclage
  • progesterone supplementation
  • prenatal interventions
  • neonatal outcomes

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Review

9 pages, 444 KiB  
Review
Vasa Previa and the Role of Fetal Fibronectin and Cervical Length Surveillance: A Review
by Antonia F. Oladipo, Kaitlyn Voity, Kimberly Murphy, Manuel Alvarez and Jesus Alvarez-Perez
Diagnostics 2024, 14(10), 1016; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics14101016 - 15 May 2024
Viewed by 226
Abstract
Vasa previa is a pregnancy complication that occurs when unprotected fetal blood vessels traverse the cervical os, placing the fetus at high risk of exsanguination and fetal death. These fetal vessels may be compromised by fetal movement and compression, leading to poor oxygen [...] Read more.
Vasa previa is a pregnancy complication that occurs when unprotected fetal blood vessels traverse the cervical os, placing the fetus at high risk of exsanguination and fetal death. These fetal vessels may be compromised by fetal movement and compression, leading to poor oxygen distribution and asphyxiation. Diagnostic tools for vasa previa management and preterm labor (PTL) include transvaginal ultrasound, cervical length (CL) surveillance and use of fetal fibronectin (FFN) testing. These tools can prove to be quite useful as they allow for lead time in the prediction of PTL and spontaneous rupture of membranes which can result in devastating outcomes for pregnancies affected by vasa previa. We conducted a literature review on vasa previa management and the usefulness of FFN and CL surveillance in predicting PTL and found 36 related papers. Although there is limited research available to show the impact of FFN and CL surveillance in the management of vasa previa, there is sufficient evidence to support FFN and CL surveillance in predicting the onset of PTL, which can have devastating consequences for the pregnancies affected. It can be extrapolated that these tools, by helping to determine pregnancies at risk for PTL, could improve management and outcomes in patients with vasa previa. Future studies investigating the management of vasa previa with FFN and CL surveillance to reduce the burden of PTL and its associated comorbidities are warranted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insights in Maternal-Fetal Medicine—Preventing Preterm Births)
Back to TopTop