Search Results (7)

Amniotic band syndrome is a constrictive phenomenon in fetal development that can provoke limb autoamputation, malformation, trunk division, and umbilical cord strangulation. The latter two complications will ultimately lead to fetal demise if left untreated. If detected early enough, select cases may benefit from prenatal resection of the amniotic bands, thus preventing amputation and fetal death. Yet, especially in the presence of complete chorioamniotic separation, these procedures are rare, technically difficult, and not without significant risk. Objectives: The purpose of this report is to present the surgical technique and outcome of a challenging percutaneous fetoscopic intervention in a human fetus with amniotic band constrictions of a fetal thigh, retroplacental hematoma, partial placental abruption, subtotal chorioamniotic separation, and multiple amniotic bands encircling the umbilical cord. Methods: Minimally invasive, fetoscopic surgery to salvage the fetal life and lower leg was performed at 22 + 2 weeks of gestation under general maternofetal anesthesia. Results: Total resection of all amniotic bands was achieved, notwithstanding the aforementioned challenges. No surgical complications were observed. Despite preterm delivery at 25 + 4 weeks of gestation, the postnatal experience for the infant was favorable and uncomplicated as it furthermore benefitted from neonatal intensive care. At almost three years of age, the child remains healthy and demonstrates normal function of the formerly constricted leg. Conclusions: Our case shows that the combination of tested percutaneous fetoscopic techniques, high-risk obstetrics, and modern neonatology can overcome multiple obstacles in order to save a fetal patient stuck in a near-hopeless situation. Full article

Background: The literature provides limited evidence of cord blood leptin levels in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), with contradictory and inconsistent results with respect to their possible implications for maternal, perinatal, and future complications. Methods: MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched in order to investigate the state of evidence on the association of leptin profile in cord blood during perinatal complications in GDM. We critically assessed the risk of bias using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Meta-analyses were performed, and heterogeneity and publication bias were analyzed. Results: sixteen primary-level studies were included, recruiting 573 GDM and 1118 control pregnant women. Cord blood leptin levels were significantly higher in GDM participants compared to controls (standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.59, 95% confidence intervals (CI) = 0.37 to 0.80, p < 0.001). All subgroups also maintained significant differences stratified by continents (Asia: SMD = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.45 to 1.37, p < 0.001; Europe: SMD = 0.38, 95% CI = 0.20 to 0.56, p < 0.001), analysis technique (ELISA: SMD = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.44 to 0.97, p < 0.001; RIA: SMD = 0.30, 95% CI = 0.11 to 0.49, p = 0.002), and sample source (plasma: SMD = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.33 to 1.09, p < 0.001; serum: SMD = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.34 to 0.77, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Cord blood leptin levels were significantly higher in GDM compared to controls. Further research is needed to clarify its role as a predictive biomarker of subsequent metabolic diseases in mothers with GDM and offspring. Full article

Psychosis refers to a mental health condition characterized by a loss of touch with reality, comprising delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thought, disorganized behavior, catatonia, and negative symptoms. A first-episode psychosis (FEP) is a rare condition that can trigger adverse outcomes both for the mother and newborn. Previously, we demonstrated the existence of histopathological changes in the placenta of pregnant women who suffer an FEP in pregnancy. Altered levels of oxytocin (OXT) and vasopressin (AVP) have been detected in patients who manifested an FEP, whereas abnormal placental expression of these hormones and their receptors (OXTR and AVPR1A) has been proven in different obstetric complications. However, the precise role and expression of these components in the placenta of women after an FEP have not been studied yet. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to analyze the gene and protein expression, using RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry (IHC), of OXT, OXTR, AVP, and AVPR1a in the placental tissue of pregnant women after an FEP in comparison to pregnant women without any health complication (HC-PW). Our results showed increased gene and protein expression of OXT, AVP, OXTR, and AVPR1A in the placental tissue of pregnant women who suffer an FEP. Therefore, our study suggests that an FEP during pregnancy may be associated with an abnormal paracrine/endocrine activity of the placenta, which can negatively affect the maternofetal wellbeing. Nevertheless, additional research is required to validate our findings and ascertain any potential implications of the observed alterations. Full article

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) represents a stage of subclinical inflammation and a risk factor for subsequent future type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease development. Leptin has been related with vascular and metabolic changes in GDM with heterogeneous and contradictory results with respect to their possible involvement in maternal, perinatal, and future complications. Our objective is to evaluate current evidence on the role of leptin in maternal and perinatal complications in women with GDM. PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were searched. We evaluated the studies’ quality using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Meta-analyses were conducted, and heterogeneity and publication bias were examined. Thirty-nine relevant studies were finally included, recruiting 2255 GDM and 3846 control pregnant women. Leptin levels were significantly higher in GDM participants than in controls (SMD = 0.57, 95%CI = 0.19 to 0.94; p < 0.001). Subgroup meta-analysis did not evidence significant differences in leptin in the different trimesters of pregnancy. Meta-regression showed a positive significant relationship for HOMA in the GDM group (p = 0.05). According to these results, it seems that high levels of leptin can be used as predictive markers in GDM. Full article

A pre-gestational thyroid reserve of iodine is crucial to guarantee the increased demand for thyroid hormone production of early pregnancy. An iodine intake ≥150 µg/day is currently recommended. The objective of this study was to assess average pre-gestational food-based iodine consumption in pregnant women at their first prenatal visit (<12 gestational weeks), and its association with adverse materno-fetal events (history of miscarriages, early fetal losses, Gestational Diabetes, prematurity, caesarean sections, and new-borns large/small for gestational age). Between 2015–2017, 2523 normoglycemic women out of 3026 eligible had data in the modified Diabetes Nutrition and Complication Trial (DNCT) questionnaire permitting assessment of pre-gestational food-based iodine consumption, and were included in this study. Daily food-based iodine intake was 123 ± 48 µg, with 1922 (76.1%) not reaching 150 µg/day. Attaining this amount was associated with consuming 8 weekly servings of vegetables (3.84; 3.16–4.65), 1 of shellfish (8.72; 6.96–10.93) and/or 2 daily dairy products (6.43; 5.27–7.86). Women who reached a pre-gestational intake ≥150 µg had lower rates of hypothyroxinemia (104 (17.3%)/384 (21.4%); p = 0.026), a lower miscarriage rate, and a decrease in the composite of materno-fetal adverse events (0.81; 0.67–0.98). Reaching the recommended iodine pre-pregnancy intake with foods could benefit the progression of pregnancy. Full article

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) is perhaps the most worrisome pandemic in the 21st century, having entailed devastating consequences for the whole society during the last year. Different studies have displayed an existing association between pregnancy and COVID-19 severity due to the various physiological changes that occur during gestation. Recent data identified maternal country of origin as an important determinant of COVID-19 presentation in pregnant women. However, the explanation of this fact remains to be fully elucidated. Therefore, the purpose of this work is to analyze the possible relationship between Human Development Index (HDI) of maternal country of origin with the morbimortality of pregnant women and their newborns. Here, we conducted a multicentric, ambispective, observational case-control study (1:1 ratio) and compare with the HDI of each country (group 1—very high HDI, group 2—high HDI, group 3—medium HDI, and group 4—low HDI). In total, 1347 pregnant women with confirmed SARV-CoV-2 infection (cases) were enrolled, and each was paired with one control to give a total number of 2694 participants from 81 tertiary care centers. Among the women with SARS-CoV-2 infection, more cases were produced of perinatal mortality, overall maternal morbidity, COVID-19 maternal morbidity, C-sections, hypertensive maternal morbidity, and perinatal morbidity. Our results described an inverse association between HDI and maternofetal morbidity and mortality. Moreover, the countries with an HDI lower than 1 showed higher rates of patients with maternal COVID-19-related morbidity (6.0% vs. 2.4%, p < 0.001), a need for oxygen therapy (4.7% vs. 1.8%, p < 0.001), and maternal ICU admission (2.6% vs. 1.0%, p = 0.007). Compared to other risk factors such as overweight, obesity, preexisting and obstetric comorbidities, HDI emerged as an independent risk factor explaining much of the increased maternal–perinatal morbidity and mortality detected in our group of cases. Further research is needed to establish to confirm the real impact of this factor and its components on pregnancy outcomes. Full article

Background: Antenatal Cytomegalovirus infection (CMV) can be associated with severe fetal symptoms and newborn outcome. The current prenatal diagnosis is based on amniocentesis (AC). No reliable biomarker for fetal infection is available. Methods: We measured Placenta-derived growth factor (PlGF), and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt1), concentrations in maternal serum and amniotic fluid (AF) in context of maternal CMV primary infection. Blood sampling was carried out at the time of AC for detection of fetal CMV infection. The study cohort was divided into four subcohorts according to the presence or absence of fetal infection and preemptive hyperimmunoglobulin (HIG) treatment during the time interval between diagnosis of the CMV primary infection and AC. Results: The study cohort involved 114 pregnancies. In the non-transmitting subcohorts (NT) with and without prior HIG treatment, the median sFlt1 concentrations were 1.5 ng/mL (NT, HIG+) and 1.4 ng/mL (NT, HIG−), respectively. In the two transmitting groups (T) the concentrations were 1.3 ng/mL (T, HIG+) and 2.3 ng/mL (T, HIG−), respectively (NT, HIG− vs. T, HIG−, p < 0.001). The corresponding PlGF levels and the sFlt1/PlGF ratios showed no significant differences between the cohorts. The empirical cut-off values <1504 pg/mL sFlt1 and <307 pg/mL PlGF, were associated with the exclusion of CMV transmission (p < 0.001). Conclusion: sFlt1 concentration in the maternal blood could be a predictive biomarker for maternofetal CMV transmission. Full article