Associations between anxiety, sleep, and blood pressure parameters in pregnancy: a prospective pilot cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The potential effect modification of sleep on the relationship between anxiety and elevated blood pressure (BP) in pregnancy is understudied. We evaluated the relationship between anxiety, insomnia, and short sleep duration, as well as any interaction effects between these variables, on BP during pregnancy. METHODS: This was a prospective pilot cohort of pregnant people between 23 to 36 weeks' gestation at a single institution between 2021 and 2022. Standardized questionnaires were used to measure clinical insomnia and anxiety. Objective sleep duration was measured using a wrist-worn actigraphy device. Primary outcomes were systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP), and mean (MAP) non-invasive BP measurements. Separate sequential multivariable linear regression models fit with generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to separately assess associations between anxiety (independent variable) and each BP parameter (dependent variables), after adjusting for potential confounders (Model 1). Additional analyses were conducted adding insomnia and the interaction between anxiety and insomnia as independent variables (Model 2), and adding short sleep duration and the interaction between anxiety and short sleep duration as independent variables (Model 3), to evaluate any moderating effects on BP parameters. RESULTS: Among the 60 participants who completed the study, 15 (25%) screened positive for anxiety, 11 (18%) had subjective insomnia, and 34 (59%) had objective short sleep duration. In Model 1, increased anxiety was not associated with increases in any BP parameters. When subjective insomnia was included in Model 2, increased DBP and MAP was significantly associated with anxiety (DBP: ß 6.1, p = 0.01, MAP: ß 6.2 p < 0.01). When short sleep was included in Model 3, all BP parameters were significantly associated with anxiety (SBP: ß 9.6, p = 0.01, DBP: ß 8.1, p < 0.001, and MAP: ß 8.8, p < 0.001). No moderating effects were detected between insomnia and anxiety (p interactions: SBP 0.80, DBP 0.60, MAP 0.32) or between short sleep duration and anxiety (p interactions: SBP 0.12, DBP 0.24, MAP 0.13) on BP. CONCLUSIONS: When including either subjective insomnia or objective short sleep duration, pregnant people with anxiety had 5.1-9.6 mmHg higher SBP, 6.1-8.1 mmHg higher DBP, and 6.2-8.8 mmHg higher MAP than people without anxiety.

Understanding the distinction between cleft lip and cleft palate: a critical step for successful prenatal detection.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Orofacial clefts (OCs) are among the most common congenital anomalies, however, prenatal detection of cleft palate without cleft lip (CP) remains low. CP is associated with a higher risk of associated structural anomalies, recurrence risk and genetic aberrations. There is opportunity to optimize prenatal diagnosis, counseling and diagnostic genetic testing for OCs. RECENT FINDINGS: Improving prenatal diagnosis of CP requires understanding that embryologically, the secondary palate develops from the 6th to the 10th week and fuses with the primary palate by the 12th week. Multiple first, second and third trimester 2D ultrasonographic markers for OCs have been described including the maxillary gap, frontal space, maxilla-nasion-mandible angle, retronasal triangle, palatino-maxillary diameter, equal sign, nonvisualization or gap in the soft to hard palate interface and loss of the superimposed line. We discuss the technique, evidence and limitations of each. SUMMARY: Prenatal detection of OC can be optimized by employing 2D sonographic markers. Prenatal detection of CP may be improved by recognizing its high association with retrognathia/micrognathia.

Impact of a Potential 20-Week Abortion Ban on Likelihood of Completing Required Views in Second-Trimester Fetal Anatomy Ultrasound.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to quantify the likelihood of assessing all mandated fetal views during the second-trimester anatomy ultrasound prior to the proposed federal 20-week abortion ban. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study of a random sample of 1,983 patients undergoing anatomy ultrasound in 2017 at a tertiary referral center. The difference in proportion of incomplete anatomic surveys prior compared with after 20-week gestation was analyzed using X 2 and adjusted logistic regression; difference in mean days elapsed from anomaly diagnosis to termination tested using t-tests and survival analysis. RESULTS: Incomplete views were more likely with initial ultrasound before 20 weeks (adjusted relative risk: 1.70; 95% confidence interval: 1.50-1.94); 43.5% versus 26.1% were incomplete before and after 20 weeks, respectively. Fetal structural anomalies were identified in 6.4% (n = 127/1,983) scans, with 38.0% (n = 49) identified at follow-up after initial scan was incomplete. 22.8% (n = 29) with an anomaly terminated. CONCLUSIONS: A complete assessment of fetal views during an anatomy ultrasound prior to 20-week gestation is often not technically feasible. Legislation limiting abortion to this gestational age would greatly impact patient's ability to make informed choices about their pregnancies. KEY POINTS: · It is often not technically possible to complete anatomy ultrasound prior to 20-week gestation.. · Often, anomalies are missed during early, incomplete anatomy ultrasounds.. · After the diagnosis of a structural anomaly, one in five chose to terminate the pregnancy..

Prenatally Diagnosed Cases of Binder Phenotype Complicated by Respiratory Distress in the Immediate Postnatal Period.

Binder phenotype, or maxillonasal dysostosis, is a distinctive pattern of facial development characterized by a short nose with a flat nasal bridge, an acute nasolabial angle, a short columella, a convex upper lip, and class III malocclusion. We report 3 cases of prenatally diagnosed Binder phenotype associated with perinatal respiratory impairment.

Randomized, Double-Blinded Trial of Magnesium Sulfate Tocolysis versus Intravenous Normal Saline for Preterm Nonsevere Placental Abruption.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of magnesium sulfate in the resolution of vaginal bleeding and contractions in nonsevere placental abruption. Study Design Thirty women between 24 and 34 weeks of gestation diagnosed with nonsevere placental abruption were randomized to receive magnesium sulfate tocolysis or normal saline infusion. The primary outcome was the proportion of women undelivered at 48 hours with resolution of vaginal bleeding and uterine contractions. Maternal and neonatal outcomes were also compared. Results Fifteen (50%) women received magnesium sulfate tocolysis and 15 (50%) received intravenous saline. There was no difference in the number of women who were undelivered at 48 hours with resolution of vaginal bleeding and contractions in the magnesium sulfate (80.0%) and saline (66.7%; p-value = 0.68) groups. There were no differences between groups in the gestational age at randomization, time to uterine quiescence, time on study drug, length of hospitalization, days from randomization to delivery, incidence of side effects, or admissions to the neonatal intensive care unit. Conclusions Magnesium sulfate tocolysis did not provide a significant difference in pregnancy prolongation in the management of preterm nonsevere placental abruption. Recruitment goals were not met due to the introduction of the use of magnesium sulfate for neuroprotection.

Obstetric ultrasound quality improvement initiative-utilization of a quality assurance process and standardized checklists.

OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to assess whether mandated completion of an electronic checklist and a quality assurance (QA) process improved obstetric (OB) ultrasound image documentation. STUDY DESIGN: A checklist of mandated images based on the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine guidelines was created. A baseline QA assessment was performed with a lead senior sonographer reviewing eight random OB examinations for each sonographer. An electronic checklist was then instituted for all OB examinations on each ultrasound machine. It was mandated that each anatomical structure be checked off during real-time image acquisition. A repeat QA assessment of each sonographer was then performed quarterly. RESULTS: Baseline assessments were performed between September 2011 and November 2011. Out of the 110 examinations analyzed, only 49% were deemed "complete" with none of the sonographers having a 100% complete examination rate. Following institution of the mandated electronic checklist, a repeat assessment revealed an 81% complete examination rate for the next quarter, and 90% were complete at the end of a year. All sonographers improved their image acquisition regardless of baseline skill level at the initial QA. CONCLUSION: A QA process and a mandated standardized electronic checklist improved the image documentation.

Evaluation of Sleep in Pregnant Inpatients Compared With Outpatients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether antepartum hospitalization was associated with differences in sleep duration or disrupted sleep patterns. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study with enrollment of pregnant people aged 18-55 years with singleton gestations at 16 weeks of gestation or more between 2021 and 2022. Each enrolled antepartum patient was matched by gestational age to outpatients recruited from obstetric clinics at the same institution. Participants responded to the ISI (Insomnia Severity Index) and wore actigraph accelerometer watches for up to 7 days. The primary outcome was total sleep duration per 24 hours. Secondary outcomes included sleep efficiency (time asleep/time in bed), ISI score, clinical insomnia (ISI score higher than 15), short sleep duration (less than 300 minutes/24 hours), wakefulness after sleep onset, number of awakenings, and sleep fragmentation index. Outcomes were evaluated with multivariable generalized estimating equations adjusted for body mass index (BMI), sleep aid use, and insurance type, accounting for gestational age correlations. An interaction term assessed the joint effects of time and inpatient status. RESULTS: Overall 58 participants were included: 18 inpatients and 40 outpatients. Inpatients had significantly lower total sleep duration than outpatients (mean 4.4 hours [SD 1.6 hours] inpatient vs 5.2 hours [SD 1.5 hours] outpatient, adjusted ß=-1.1, 95% CI, -1.8 to -0.3, P =.01). Awakenings (10.1 inpatient vs 13.8, P =.01) and wakefulness after sleep onset (28.3 inpatient vs 35.5 outpatient, P =.03) were lower among inpatients. There were no differences in the other sleep outcomes, and no interaction was detected for time in the study and inpatient status. Inpatients were more likely to use sleep aids (39.9% vs 12.5%, P =.03). CONCLUSION: Hospitalized pregnant patients slept about 1 hour/day less than outpatients. Fewer awakenings and reduced wakefulness after sleep onset among inpatients may reflect increased use of sleep aids in hospitalized patients.

Physical activity among pregnant inpatients and outpatients and associations with anxiety.

OBJECTIVE: Physical activity is linked to lower anxiety, but little is known about the association during pregnancy. This is especially important for antepartum inpatients, who are known to have increased anxiety yet may not be able to achieve target levels of physical activity during hospitalization. We compared physical activity metrics between pregnant inpatients and outpatients and explored correlations with anxiety. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a prospective cohort between 2021 and 2022 of pregnant people aged 18-55 years carrying singleton gestations ≥ 16 weeks. Three exposure groups were matched for gestational age: 1) outpatients from general obstetric clinics; 2) outpatients from high-risk Maternal-Fetal Medicine obstetric clinics; and 3) antepartum inpatients. Participants wore Actigraph GT9X Link accelerometer watches for up to 7 days to measure physical activity. The primary outcome was mean daily step count. Secondary outcomes were metabolic equivalent tasks (METs), hourly kilocalories (kcals), moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) bursts, and anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory [STAI]). Step counts were compared using multivariable generalized estimating equations adjusting for maternal age, body-mass index, and insurance type as a socioeconomic construct, accounting for within-group clustering by gestational age. Spearman correlations were used to correlate anxiety scores with step counts. RESULTS: 58 participants were analyzed. Compared to outpatients, inpatients had significantly lower mean daily steps (primary outcome, adjusted beta -2185, 95 % confidence interval [CI] -3146, -1224, p < 0.01), METs (adjusted beta -0.18, 95 % CI -0.23, -0.13, p < 0.01), MVPAs (adjusted beta -38.2, 95 % CI -52.3, -24.1, p < 0.01), and kcals (adjusted beta -222.9, 95 % CI -438.0, -7.8, p = 0.04). Over the course of the week, steps progressively decreased for inpatients (p-interaction 0.01) but not for either of the outpatient groups. Among the entire cohort, lower step counts correlated with higher anxiety scores (r = 0.30, p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: We present antenatal population norms and variance for step counts, metabolic equivalent tasks, moderate to vigorous physical activity bursts, and kcals, as well as correlations with anxiety. Antepartum inpatients had significantly lower physical activity than outpatients, and lower step counts correlated with higher anxiety levels. These results highlight the need for physical activity interventions, particularly for hospitalized pregnant people.

Conservatively managed fetal goiter: an alternative to in utero therapy.

Fetal goiter may arise from a variety of etiologies including iodine deficiency, overtreatment of maternal Graves' disease, inappropriate maternal thyroid replacement and, rarely, congenital hypothyroidism. Fetal goiter is often associated with a retroflexed neck and polyhydramnios, raising concerns regarding airway obstruction in such cases. Prior reports have advocated for cordocentesis and intra-amniotic thyroid hormone therapy in order to confirm the diagnosis of fetal thyroid dysfunction, reduce the size of the fetal goiter, reduce polyhydramnios, aid with the assistance of maternal thyroid hormone therapy and reduce fetal malpresentation. We report two cases of conservatively managed fetal goiter, one resulting in a vaginal delivery, and no evidence of postnatal respiratory distress despite the presence of polyhydramnios and a retroflexed neck on prenatal ultrasound.

Prepregnancy body mass index and gestational diabetes mellitus across Asian and Pacific Islander subgroups in California.

BACKGROUND: The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends early screening for gestational diabetes mellitus among pregnant Asian people with a prepregnancy body mass index ≥23.0 kg/m2, in contrast with the recommended screening at a body mass index ≥25 kg/m2 for other races and ethnicities. However, there is significant heterogeneity within Asian and Pacific Islander populations, and gestational diabetes mellitus and its association with body mass index among Asian and Pacific Islander subgroups may not be uniform across all groups. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze the association between body mass index and gestational diabetes mellitus among Asian and Pacific Islander subgroups in California, specifically gestational diabetes mellitus rates among those with a body mass index above vs below 23 kg/m2, which is the cutoff point for the designation of being overweight among Asians populations. STUDY DESIGN: Using a linked delivery hospitalization discharge and vital records database, we identified patients who gave birth in California between 2007 and 2017 and who self-reported to be 1 of 13 Asian and Pacific Islander subgroups, which was collected from birth and fetal death certificates. In each subgroup, we evaluated the association between body mass index and gestational diabetes mellitus using multivariable logistic regression models adjusted for age, education, parity, payment method, the trimester in which prenatal care was initiated, and nativity. We fit body mass index nonlinearly with splines and categorized body mass index as being above or below 23 kg/m2. Predicted probabilities of gestational diabetes mellitus with 95% confidence intervals were calculated across body mass index values using the nonlinear regression models. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus was 14.3% (83,400/584,032), ranging between 8.4% and 17.1% across subgroups. The highest prevalence was among Indian (17.1%), Filipino (16.7%), and Vietnamese (15.5%) subgroups. In these subgroups, gestational diabetes mellitus was diagnosed in 10% to 13% of those with a body mass index <23.0 kg/m2 and in 22% of those with a body mass index ≥23 kg/m2. Gestational diabetes mellitus was least common among Korean (8.4%), Japanese (9.0%), and Samoan (9.8%) subgroups with a gestational diabetes mellitus rate of 5% to 7% among those with a body mass index <23.0 kg/m2 and in 10% to 15% among those with a body mass index ≥23 kg/m2. Although Samoan patients had the highest rate of obesity, defined as body mass index ≥30 kg/m2 (57.4%), they had the third lowest prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus. Conversely, Vietnamese patients had the second lowest rate of obesity (2.4%) but the highest rate of gestational diabetes mellitus at a body mass index of ≥23 kg/m2 (22.3%). CONCLUSION: Gestational diabetes mellitus and its association with body mass index varied among Asian subgroups but increased as body mass index increased. Subgroups with the lowest prevalence of obesity trended toward a higher prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus and those with a higher prevalence of obesity trended toward a lower prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus.

Frequency of cerclage in consecutive pregnancies of women with history of preterm birth.

BACKGROUND: Serial cervical length screening is performed in women with a history of preterm birth to determine indication for cerclage placement. Our aim is to evaluate the frequency of cerclage placement in consecutive pregnancies with preterm birth history to determine whether performing serial cervical length screening for women with a history of late (34-36 6/7 weeks) spontaneous preterm birth (SPTB) should be reconsidered. METHODS: Retrospective evaluation of cerclage frequency and gestational age of delivery for consecutive singleton births for 69,671 women whose first birth was a SPTB. RESULTS: History of late SPTB was associated with a lower frequency of cerclage than history of early SPTB (0.83% vs 4.88%, OR 0.16, 95% CI 0.14-0.18). Rates of recurrent SPTB were lower for women with history of late SPTB than those with history of early SPTB (13.45%, 3.74% early, 9.71% late vs 20.69%, 9.12% early, 11.57% late). CONCLUSION: Women with a history of late PTB have a lower risk of recurrent PTB than those with a history of early PTB but constitute most of those undergoing serial cervical length screening for potential cerclage placement. Practice guidelines for screening women with a history of late PTB should be re-evaluated.

An exploratory analysis of leukocyte telomere length among pregnant and non-pregnant people.

Background: Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is a biomarker that is affected by older age, psychosocial stress, and medical comorbidities. Despite the relevance of these factors to obstetric practice, little is known about LTL in pregnancy. Our study explored longitudinal LTL dynamics in pregnant and non-pregnant people. Objective: This pilot study compares changes in LTL between pregnant and non-pregnant people over time, explores potential correlations between LTL and mental health measures, and investigates associations between short first-trimester LTL and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Study design: This was a prospective pilot cohort study of nulliparous pregnant and non-pregnant people between ages 18 and 50 who presented for care at a single institution from January to November 2020. Pregnant people were enrolled between 10 and 14 weeks gestation. Participants had two blood samples drawn for LTL; the first on the day of enrollment and the second on postpartum day 1 (pregnant cohort) or 7 months later (non-pregnant cohort). LTL was measured using quantitative PCR. The primary outcome was the difference between pregnant and non-pregnant people in LTL change between the two timepoints (basepair difference per 30-day period). Secondary outcomes included differences in responses to the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and a survey about stress related to COVID-19. Differences in LTL were tested using t-tests and linear regression models, both crude and adjusted for age. A subgroup analysis was conducted within the pregnant cohort to examine whether shorter first-trimester LTL was associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. We conducted t-tests to compare LTL between people with and without each categorical outcome and computed Pearson correlation coefficients between LTL and continuous outcomes such as gestational age at delivery. Results: 46 pregnant and 30 non-pregnant people were enrolled; 44 pregnant and 18 non-pregnant people completed all LTL assessments. There were no between-group differences in LTL change (-4.2 ± 22.2 bp per 30 days pregnant versus -6.4 ± 11.2 bp per 30 days non-pregnant, adjusted beta 2.1, 95% CI -9.0-13.2, p = 0.60). The prevalence of depression and pandemic-related stress were both low overall. The two groups did not differ in PHQ-9 scores, and no correlations were significant between LTL and PHQ-9 scores. Among the 44 pregnant people, shorter first-trimester LTL was significantly correlated with earlier gestational age at delivery (r = 0.35, p = 0.02). Conclusion: In this exploratory pilot cohort of reproductive-aged people with low levels of psychological stress, we described baseline changes in LTL over time in pregnant and non-pregnant participants. We found a correlation between shorter first-trimester LTL and earlier gestational age at delivery, which warrants further investigation in a larger cohort.

Attention-guided deep learning for gestational age prediction using fetal brain MRI.

Magnetic resonance imaging offers unrivaled visualization of the fetal brain, forming the basis for establishing age-specific morphologic milestones. However, gauging age-appropriate neural development remains a difficult task due to the constantly changing appearance of the fetal brain, variable image quality, and frequent motion artifacts. Here we present an end-to-end, attention-guided deep learning model that predicts gestational age with R2 score of 0.945, mean absolute error of 6.7 days, and concordance correlation coefficient of 0.970. The convolutional neural network was trained on a heterogeneous dataset of 741 developmentally normal fetal brain images ranging from 19 to 39 weeks in gestational age. We also demonstrate model performance and generalizability using independent datasets from four academic institutions across the U.S. and Turkey with R2 scores of 0.81-0.90 after minimal fine-tuning. The proposed regression algorithm provides an automated machine-enabled tool with the potential to better characterize in utero neurodevelopment and guide real-time gestational age estimation after the first trimester.

Chorionic villus sampling: technique and training.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Over the past decade, first trimester screening has become the gold standard prenatal screening modality in the developed world. This shift toward earlier screening would not be possible without the availability of early diagnosis, namely, chorionic villus sampling (CVS). The purpose of this review is to highlight recent updates related to CVS technique, potential complications, and training. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent data highlight the importance of operator experience in reducing CVS-related complications and argues for the 'centralization' of CVS in experienced centers. On the other hand, despite over 30 years of clinical practice, there is still no consensus regarding optimal CVS technique and some variation exists between CVS providers. Moreover, there is a deficiency in adequate infrastructure geared toward the training and certification of future CVS providers. SUMMARY: CVS is the gold standard method of first trimester prenatal diagnosis. Recent data suggest that CVS loss rates are lower than what was previously reported and are lowest in centers that perform a large number of procedures. The 'centralization' of this specialized procedure also offers the perfect opportunity for the safe, ongoing training of future CVS providers.

Microfluidic digital PCR enables rapid prenatal diagnosis of fetal aneuploidy.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that digital polymerase chain reaction (PCR) enables rapid, allele independent molecular detection of fetal aneuploidy. STUDY DESIGN: Twenty-four amniocentesis and 16 chorionic villus samples were used for microfluidic digital PCR analysis. Three thousand and sixty PCR reactions were performed for each of the target chromosomes (X, Y, 13, 18, and 21), and the number of single molecule amplifications was compared to a reference. The difference between target and reference chromosome counts was used to determine the ploidy of each of the target chromosomes. RESULTS: Digital PCR accurately identified all cases of fetal trisomy (3 cases of trisomy 21, 3 cases of trisomy 18, and 2 cases of triosmy 13) in the 40 specimens analyzed. The remaining specimens were determined to have normal ploidy for the chromosomes tested. CONCLUSION: Microfluidic digital PCR allows detection of fetal chromosomal aneuploidy utilizing uncultured amniocytes and chorionic villus tissue in less than 6 hours.

Fetofetal Transfusion Syndrome in Monochorionic-Triamniotic Triplets Treated with Fetoscopic Laser Ablation: Report of Two Cases and A Systematic Review.

Objective This study aims to determine the clinical outcomes of monochorionic-triamniotic (MT) pregnancies complicated by severe fetofetal transfusion undergoing laser photocoagulation. Study Design We report two cases of MT triplets complicated by fetofetal transfusion syndrome (FFTS) and a systematic review classifying cases into different subtypes: MT with two donors and one recipient, MT with one donor and two recipients, MT with one donor, one recipient, and one unaffected triplet. The number of neonatal survivors was analyzed based on this classification as well as Quintero staging. Results A total of 26 cases of MT triples complicated by FFTS were analyzed. In 56% of the cases, the FFTS involved all three triplets, 50% of whom had an additional donor and 50% an additional recipient. Among the 24 cases that survived beyond 1 week after the procedure, the average gestational age of delivery was 29.6 weeks, and the average interval from procedure to delivery was 10.1 weeks. The overall neonatal survival rate was 71.7%, with demises occurring equally between donor and recipient triplets. Overall neonatal survival including survival of at least two fetuses occurred with equal frequency between the different groups. Conclusion Significant neonatal survival can be achieved in most cases of MT triplets with FFTS.