Advances in Maternal and Fetal Medicine Research: from Diagnostics to Prognosis

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 1205

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Obstetrics, Paulista School of Medicine, São Paulo Federal University of São Paulo (EPM-UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
Interests: obstetrics; high-risk pregnancy; perinatology; prenatal diagnosis; ultrasound
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Recent years have seen extraordinary advances in maternal–fetal care, with new discoveries in prediction, prevention, and therapy. Serious obstetric conditions can now be predicted early and prevented with medication, reducing maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Similarly, serious fetal anomalies can now be diagnosed early and intervened with in utero, improving survival and the quality of life in the neonatal period. New research in genetics and stem cells offers the prospect of early prenatal diagnosis and the treatment of rare diseases.

This Special Issue will focus on recent advances in maternal–fetal medicine, including prediction, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, and prognosis.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Women.

Prof. Dr. Edward Araujo Júnior
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • maternal
  • fetal
  • perinatal period
  • prenatal diagnosis
  • pregnancy

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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14 pages, 2236 KB  
Systematic Review
Pessary for Prevention of Preterm Birth and Perinatal Mortality in Pregnancies with a Short Cervix: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
by Henrique Graf Provinciatto, Edward Araujo Júnior, Gustavo Yano Callado, Alan Roberto Hatanaka, Roberto Angelo Fernandes Santos, Evelyn Traina, Gabriela Ubeda Santucci França, Luiza Graça Coutinho, Alan Lebrão de Amorim, Lucas Almeida das Chagas, Rosiane Mattar and Marcelo Santucci França
Diagnostics 2025, 15(12), 1466; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15121466 - 9 Jun 2025
Viewed by 989
Abstract
Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy of cervical pessaries in preventing perinatal mortality and extreme preterm birth in pregnancies characterized by a short cervix. Methods: The analysis included data from nine randomized controlled trials (RCTs), incorporating a [...] Read more.
Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy of cervical pessaries in preventing perinatal mortality and extreme preterm birth in pregnancies characterized by a short cervix. Methods: The analysis included data from nine randomized controlled trials (RCTs), incorporating a total of 3813 participants. These studies compared the use of cervical pessaries against standard care or other interventions in preventing preterm births in women with a short cervix, defined as less than 30 mm. The eligibility criteria for the trials included studies on asymptomatic pregnant women with a short cervix. The primary outcomes analyzed were perinatal mortality and the incidence of preterm birth before 28 weeks of gestation. Results: The results showed an imprecise effect estimate for perinatal mortality (OR = 0.93; 95% CI: 0.54 to 1.62). Similarly, the risk reduction for preterm birth before 28 weeks was also non-significant (OR = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.49 to 1.15). Substantial heterogeneity was observed among the studies (I2 = 62%), suggesting variability in the study results, which could have been influenced by differences in the study design, population, and interventions. Conclusions: Although the results were statistically inconclusive and the estimates imprecise, the confidence intervals still span possible benefit and harm. Thus, while the current evidence does not support the routine use of cervical pessaries, it also does not indicate an increased risk of fetal or neonatal mortality. Full article
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