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Diagnostics
Special Issues
Diagnosis and Management of Contemporary Issues in Maternal-Fetal Medicine
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Diagnosis and Management of Contemporary Issues in Maternal-Fetal Medicine

A special issue of Diagnostics (ISSN 2075-4418). This special issue belongs to the section "Clinical Diagnosis and Prognosis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 231

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Themistoklis Dagklis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Third Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: fetal medicine; obstetric medicine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Ioannis Tsakiridis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Third Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Agiou Dimitriou, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: high-risk pregnancies; perinatal medicine; placental research; fetal medicine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Maternal–fetal medicine is a specialized field focusing on managing high-risk pregnancies to ensure the health of both the mother and the fetus. While advances in medical technology and prenatal care have improved outcomes, several contemporary challenges persist, requiring ongoing research and policy adjustments. Despite medical advancements, factors such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and hemorrhage contribute significantly to rising trends in maternal mortality rates. Moreover, prematurity remains a leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. The exact causes are often multifactorial, involving genetic, environmental, and medical factors. Efforts to prevent preterm labor have shown mixed success rates, highlighting the need for more effective interventions. Furthermore, many rural and underserved areas lack access to maternal–fetal medicine specialists, leading to delayed or inadequate prenatal care. Rising obesity rates have led to an increase in gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and other metabolic disorders, complicating pregnancies and increasing long-term health risks for both mothers and infants. Managing these conditions requires a multidisciplinary approach, including lifestyle interventions and medical management. Advancements in fetal medicine, such as in utero surgeries and genetic testing, raise ethical dilemmas regarding fetal rights, parental decision making, and resource allocation. Additionally, evolving abortion laws in various regions impact the management of high-risk pregnancies and fetal anomalies. To conclude, maternal–fetal medicine faces complex challenges that require a combination of medical innovation, policy reform, and equitable healthcare access.

Dr. Themistoklis Dagklis
Dr. Ioannis Tsakiridis
Guest Editors

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

  • obstetrics
  • high-risk pregnancy
  • maternal medicine
  • fetal medicine
  • prenatal diagnosis

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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19 pages, 9021 KiB  
Systematic Review
The Association of Placental Grading with Perinatal Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
by Antonios Siargkas, Christina Pachi, Meletios P. Nigdelis, Sofoklis Stavros, Ekaterini Domali, Apostolos Mamopoulos, Ioannis Tsakiridis and Themistoklis Dagklis
Diagnostics 2025, 15(10), 1264; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15101264 - 15 May 2025
Viewed by 117
Abstract
Objective: Premature placental calcification (PPC) has been implicated in adverse perinatal outcomes, yet its clinical significance remains controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to quantitatively synthesize current data on the association between PPC, defined as grade 3 placental calcification before 36+6 weeks of [...] Read more.
Objective: Premature placental calcification (PPC) has been implicated in adverse perinatal outcomes, yet its clinical significance remains controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to quantitatively synthesize current data on the association between PPC, defined as grade 3 placental calcification before 36+6 weeks of gestation and adverse perinatal outcomes. Data Sources: A systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE, Scopus and The Cochrane Library from inception until 11 March 2025, to identify eligible studies. Study Eligibility Criteria: Observational studies including singleton pregnancies with PPC diagnosed via ultrasonography between 28+0 and 36+6 weeks of gestation and comparing them with pregnancies with Grannum grade 0, 1, or 2 placentas were considered eligible. Methods: Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle−Ottawa Scale, and the risk of bias was evaluated with the Quality In Prognosis Studies tool. The primary outcomes were small-for-gestational-age (SGA) neonates and preeclampsia. Heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran’s Q test and the I2 statistic. Meta-analyses were conducted using a random-effects model, with outcomes reported as relative risk (RR) or mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: In total, nine cohort studies were included. PPC was associated with an increased risk of SGA (RR, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.46−2.70), preeclampsia (RR, 5.27; 95% CI, 2.24−12.40), fetal growth restriction (RR, 2.31; 95% CI, 1.30−4.09), preterm delivery (RR, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.00−4.45), suspected fetal hypoxia (RR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.13–2.56), low 5 min Apgar score (RR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.50−3.44) and neonatal intensive care unit admission (RR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.02−3.18). No significant associations were found with fetal or neonatal death (RR, 2.75; 95% CI, 0.87−8.71), cesarean delivery (RR, 1.26; 95% CI, 0.90−1.78), gestational diabetes mellitus (RR, 1.17; 95% CI, 0.81−1.70), neonatal resuscitation (RR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.92−1.16), birthweight (MD, −187.46 g; 95% CI, −413.14 to +38.21), or gestational age at birth (MD, −0.62 weeks; 95% CI, −1.36 to +0.11). A sensitivity analysis excluding high-risk-of-bias studies yielded consistent results. Conclusions: PPC is associated with several adverse perinatal outcomes, including SGA and preeclampsia. While the clinical significance of placental grading has remained limited in recent years, this study has shown that PPC may serve as an early indicator of placental insufficiency, warranting enhanced fetal surveillance and risk assessment in affected pregnancies. Further research is needed to refine its prognostic utility and integration into obstetric practice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnosis and Management of Contemporary Issues in Maternal-Fetal Medicine)
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