Journal of Maternal-fetal & Neonatal Medicine

OBJECTIVE: Congenital segmental dilatation of the intestine (CSDI) is a rare gastrointestinal condition. We conducted a scoping review through MEDLINE and Google Scholar, collecting data from 1959 through August 2020 to better understand this peculiar disease. METHODS: The clinical and pathological features of 150 patients were reviewed. RESULTS: The mean age was 25.9 days, and 61.3% of patients were male. An antenatal diagnosis was made in 15...

BACKGROUND: Very preterm infants born small for gestational age (SGA) are at risk for short- and long-term excess mortality and morbidity resulting from immaturity and deficient intrauterine growth. However, previous findings are inconclusive, and there is a paucity of contemporary data in Chinese population. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the excess risks of mortality and morbidity independently associated with SGA birth in very preterm (before 32 weeks of gestation) Chinese infants...

Objective: This study aims to characterize changes in serum lipid levels throughout twin pregnancies and explore the relationship between lipid levels and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and hypertensive disorders complicating pregnancy (HDCP). Methods: We retrospectively studied 297 twin pregnancies of women who received regular prenatal care and delivered at the Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital over a period of two years. Demographic and medical data of the participants were collected by questionnaires and medical records review...

OBJECTIVE: Despite the trend of increasing paternal age, its impact on neonatal outcomes, particularly in preterm infants, has not been thoroughly investigated. We aimed to evaluate the perinatal characteristics and neonatal outcomes associated with paternal age. METHODS: Electronic medical records of very low-birthweight infants admitted to our unit from July 2013 to March 2022 were reviewed. Infants grouped according to paternal age (<35 years, 35-39 years, and ≥40 years) were analyzed for differences in perinatal findings and neonatal outcomes...

Some of obstetrical complications such as unexplained pregnancy loss and preeclampsia (PE) are associated with maternal-fetal immune abnormalities, leading to uteroplacental dysfunction, insufficient fetal immune tolerance, or fetal rejection. Immunosuppressants with calcineurin inhibitors could be useful for the prevention of these complications by modulating the cellular immune balance by directly inhibiting activated T-helper (Th) 1 and natural killer (NK)/NKT cells. We present our experience with the immunosuppressant tacrolimus in five pregnant women who had a previous pregnancy history of unexplained or preeclamptic stillbirth...

Objective: To evaluate the impact of timing combined immunoprophylaxis on mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) in pregnant women living with hepatitis B. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was included HBsAg-positive pregnant women who delivered full-term at Tianjin Third Central Hospital from January 2019 to December 2021. The objective of this study is to determine whether early administration of hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG) and the first dose of hepatitis B vaccination after birth can further improve protection...

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the maternal serum endocan concentrations in pregnant women diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) and to investigate the usability of serum endocan in GDM screening. METHODS: This prospective case-control study was conducted with 160 pregnant women. The GDM group consisted of 80 pregnant women who had 75 g OGTT between the 24th and 28th weeks of pregnancy and were diagnosed with GDM. The control group consisted of 80 healthy pregnant women who were matched with the GDM group in terms of age and body mass index (BMI) and had a normal 75 g OGTT result...

Objective: To evaluate breastfeeding intent, rates at discharge, and continued breastfeeding at follow-up in patients managed in a comprehensive cardio-obstetrics program stratified by severity of maternal cardiac disease. Study Design: Retrospective cohort of patients managed by a comprehensive cardio-obstetrics program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Patients were included if they had ≥1 prenatal visit with the Cardio-Obstetrics team and delivered at UAB. The primary outcome was the breastfeeding rate on discharge from the delivery-associated hospitalization...

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the association between prophylactic radiologic interventions and perioperative blood loss in women with risk factors for placenta accreta spectrum disorder (PAS). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective nationwide cohort study of women with risk factors for placenta accreta spectrum disorder who underwent planned cesarean section in 69 Dutch hospitals between 2008 and 2013. All women had two risk factors for PAS: placenta previa/anterior low-lying placenta and a history of cesarean section(s)...

OBJECTIVES: To present a novel 91.5-kb deletion of the α-globin gene cluster (αα)FJ identified by genetic assay and prenatal diagnosis in a Chinese family. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The proband was a 34-year-old G3P1 (Gravida 3, Para 1) female at the gestational age of 21+ weeks with a history of an edematous fetus. A routine genetic assay (reverse dot blot hybridization, RDB) was performed to detect common thalassemia mutations. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) and single-molecule real-time technology (SMRT) were used to detect rare thalassemia mutations...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

OBJECTIVE: Interleukin 22 (IL-22) plays a role in inflammatory diseases. However, whether IL-22 affects the function of ovarian granulosa cells (GCs) and its relationship with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)remains unclear. METHODS: We investigated the level of IL-22 in human follicular fluid using ELISA. The expression and localization of the IL-22 receptor 1 (IL-22R1) in GCs were investigated by RT-PCR and immunofluorescence staining, respectively. The proliferation of KGN cells (human GCs line) was assessed by CCK-8 assay and EdU assay after treatment with recombinant human IL-22 (rhIL-22) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)...

OBJECTIVE: Insufficient placental development causes various obstetric complications, including fetal growth restriction (FGR). The Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) and insulin-like 4 (INSL4) protein-coding genes have been demonstrated to play an important role in placental development. However, no treatment for FGR is available due to placental dysfunction. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the potential of the SIRT1-INSL4 axis as a treatment candidate for FGR caused by insufficient placental development...

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to identify the predictive value of the first-trimester serum SHARP1 level and the second-trimester uterine artery Doppler in singleton pregnancy for the prediction of preeclampsia. METHODS: A prospective study including singleton pregnancy presenting at an antenatal clinic, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University from 2019-March 2020 was conducted...

OBJECTIVE: To explore the suitable regimens of induced termination of second-trimester pregnancy in women with prior cesareans. METHODS: A total of 204 s-trimester pregnant women with prior cesareans at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2019 to December 2020 were included in this retrospective study. Group A included pregnant women who were administered mifepristone with misoprostol, Group B included those administering mifepristone with misoprostol as well as a transcervical Cook double-balloon catheter, Group C included those receiving mifepristone with an intra-amniotic injection of ethacridine lactate, and Group D included those receiving mifepristone, transcervical Cook double-balloon catheter, and intra-amniotic injection of ethacridine lactate...

OBJECTIVE: Induced abortion could increase the risk of placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) in the next pregnancy. We aimed to explore the associations between characteristics of previous induced abortion and grades of current PAS. METHODS: A retrospective case-control study was performed in eligible pregnant women with PAS between January 2014 and June 2022. Data collected included demographics, obstetric characteristics, and information on previous induced abortion...

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the incidence and modifiable risk factors for Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in preterm infants born at ≤32 weeks of gestation weighing <1500 grams, at a private tertiary care hospital in Kenya. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Preterm infants born at ≤ 32 weeks' gestation and weighing <1500 grams admitted to NICU between 2009 and 2019, were recruited into the study...

BACKGROUND: Both young and advanced maternal age pregnancies have strong associations with adverse pregnancy outcomes; however, there is limited understanding of how these associations present in an urban environment in China. This study aimed to analyze the associations between maternal age and pregnancy outcomes among Chinese urban women. METHODS: We performed a population-based study consisting of 60,209 singleton pregnancies of primiparous women whose newborns were delivered after 20 weeks' gestation between January 2012 and December 2015 in urban areas of China...

Objective: Biallelic pathogenic variants in TOE1 cause pontocerebellar hypoplasia type 7 (PCH7), a rare neurological condition characterized by psychomotor retardation, spastic paraplegia, seizures, gonadal abnormalities and brain anomalies. Currently, only 14 postnatally diagnosed PCH7 patients have been described. However, the prenatal clinical profile of PCH7 has not yet been reported. Method: Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed to screen for causal variants. Results: We report the pedigree of a Chinese woman with two eventful pregnancies with fetuses that showed brain anomalies, including microcephaly, cerebral anomalies, enlarged ventricles, corpus callosum thinning, abnormal lateral fissure, underdeveloped insula and pons and brainstem hypoplasia...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.