Anaemia in the first trimester and poor physiological plasma expansion during pregnancy negatively impact foetal weight and newborn anthropometrics: An observational cohort study in Tanzania.

OBJECTIVES: Anaemia during pregnancy is a major health challenge affecting pregnancy outcome worldwide. The objectives of this study were to investigate the impact of severe-moderate anaemia in the first trimester, as well as changes in haemoglobin during pregnancy among non-anaemic women, on foetal weight, placental blood flow and newborn anthropometrics. METHODS: In a prospective cohort study, 346 women residing in rural Tanzania were followed throughout pregnancy with serial ultrasound and newborn anthropometrics assessed within 24 h of delivery. Associations between placental blood flow, foetal weight and newborn anthropometrics with either first trimester severe-moderate anaemia (haemoglobin≤9.5 g/dL) or changes in haemoglobin from the first to the third trimester among non-anaemic women, were assessed by mixed model regression and multiple linear regression, adjusting for maternal and foetal co-variables. Foetal weights and birthweight were converted to z-scores using a population based sex-specific weight reference. RESULTS: Severe-moderate anaemia in the first trimester was associated with significantly reduced foetal weight z-scores (adjusted mean difference (aMD) -0.44 (95% CI -0.81, -0.07)) and newborn anthropometric indices (birth weight z-score aMD -0.55 (-0.9, -0.13), abdominal circumference aMD -11 mm (95% CI -20, -3)). There were no association between first trimester severe-moderate anaemia and placental blood flow. Among women who were non-anaemic in the first trimester, women with the least reduction in haemoglobin (Δ ≥ -0.3 g/dL) delivered significantly smaller newborns (birthweight z-score aMD -0.55 (-0.91, -0.20), abdominal circumference aMD -10 mm (95% CI -17, -3), compared to women with the greatest reduction (Δ haemoglobin ≤ -1.4 g/dL)). CONCLUSIONS: Severe-moderate anaemia in early pregnancy was associated with smaller newborn anthropometrics which was reflected in smaller mean foetal weights in the second and third trimester. Furthermore, among women who were non-anaemic in the first trimester, there was an association between smaller newborn anthropometrics and limited haemoglobin decrease during pregnancy, possibly reflecting insufficient plasma expansion.

Cancer in pregnancy - The obstetrical management.

Cancer in pregnancy, defined as a cancer diagnosed during pregnancy, is a rare but severe condition presenting both clinical and ethical challenges. During the last two decades a paradigm shift has occurred towards recommending similar staging and treatment regimens of pregnant and non-pregnant cancer patients. This strategy is a result of an increasing number of reassuring reports on chemotherapy treatment in pregnancy after the first trimester. The management of cancer in pregnancy should be managed in a multidisciplinary team where staging, oncological treatment, social and mental care, timing of delivery, and follow-up of the infant should be planned. Due to the rarity, centralization is recommended to allow experience accumulation. Furthermore, national and international advisory boards are supportive when there is a lack of expertise.

Preconceptional factors associated with haemoglobin concentration in early pregnancy: a community-based cohort study in rural northeastern Tanzania.

OBJECTIVE: Maternal anaemia in early pregnancy is associated with poor pregnancy outcomes. Furthermore, preconceptional health can influence the health during pregnancy. The aim of this study was to investigate which preconceptional factors were associated with haemoglobin (Hb) concentration in early pregnancy. METHODS: In Tanzania, 226 women were followed at preconception and during early pregnancy. Red blood cell (RBC) morphology, serum micronutrient concentration, demographic characteristics and health status were assessed in preconception and in early pregnancy. The association between preconceptional factors and Hb concentration in early pregnancy was investigated using simple and multiple linear regression analyses stratified by preconceptional anaemia status. RESULTS: Mean Hb was 123 and 119 g/l before conception and during early pregnancy (median gestational age 53 days) respectively. Preconceptional mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) (adjusted coefficient (AC) 0.35 95% CI 0.9-0.61) and preconceptional Hb concentration (AC 0.45 95% CI 0.36-0.54) were positively associated with early pregnancy Hb concentration, whereas preconceptional microcytic hypochromic RBC morphology (AC -6.00 95% CI -9.56 to -2.44) was negatively associated with early pregnancy Hb concentration. In addition, treatment of preconceptional malaria was positively associated with early pregnancy Hb concentration (AC 6.45 95% CI 0.74-12.2) among women with preconceptional anaemia. In contrast, among preconceptional non-anaemic women, only preconceptional Hb concentration and medium socio-economic status was positively associated with early pregnancy Hb concentration. CONCLUSIONS: Mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) and Hb measurements in preconception can help to detect women at increased risk of low Hb concentration in early pregnancy.

OBJECTIF: L'anémie maternelle en début de grossesse est associée à de mauvais résultats de grossesse. En outre, la santé préconceptionnelle peut influer sur la santé pendant la grossesse. Le but de cette étude était d'investiguer les facteurs préconceptionnels associés à la concentration d'hémoglobine (Hb) en début de grossesse. MÉTHODES: En Tanzanie, 226 femmes ont été suivies avant la conception et durant le début de la grossesse. La morphologie des globules rouges (GR), la concentration sérique en micronutriments, les caractéristiques démographiques et l'état de santé ont été évalués avant la conception et durant le début de la grossesse. L'association entre les facteurs préconceptionnels et la concentration d'Hb au début de la grossesse a été investiguée en utilisant des analyses de régression linéaire simples et multiples stratifiées selon le statut d'anémie préconceptionnelle. RÉSULTATS: Les concentrations moyennes d'Hb étaient respectivement de 123 g/L et de 119 g/L avant la conception et en début de grossesse (âge gestationnel médian: 53 jours). Le périmètre brachial (PB) préconceptionnel (coefficient ajusté (AC): 0.35; IC 95%: 0.9 à 0.61) et la concentration préconceptionnelle d'Hb (AC: 0.45; IC 95%: 0.36 à 0.54) étaient positivement associés à la concentration d'Hb au début de la grossesse, alors que la morphologie hypochrome microcytaire des GR préconceptionnelle (AC: −6.00; IC 95%: −9.56 à −2.44) était négativement associée à la concentration d'Hb en début de grossesse. De plus, le traitement du paludisme préconceptionnel était positivement associé à la concentration d'Hb au début de la grossesse (AC: 6.45; IC 95%: 0.74 à 12.2) chez les femmes souffrant d'anémie préconceptionnelle. En revanche, chez les femmes non anémiques en préconception, seule la concentration d'Hb préconceptionnelle et le statut socioéconomique moyen présentaient une association positive avec la concentration d'Hb en début de grossesse. CONCLUSIONS: Les mesures du PB et de la concentration d'Hb avant la conception peuvent aider à détecter les femmes à risque accru de faible concentration d'HB en début de grossesse.

Anthropometric measurements can identify small for gestational age newborns: a cohort study in rural Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Small-for-gestational-age (SGA) is associated with increased neonatal mortality and morbidity. In low and middle income countries an accurate gestational age is often not known, making the identification of SGA newborns difficult. Measuring foot length, chest circumference and mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) of the newborn have previously been shown to be reasonable methods for detecting low birth weight (< 2500 g) and prematurity (gestational age <  37 weeks). The aim of this study was to investigate if the three anthropometric measurements could also correctly identify SGA newborns. METHODS: In the current study from a rural area of northeastern Tanzania, 376 live newborns had foot length, chest circumference, and MUAC measured within 24 h of birth. Gestational age was estimated by transabdominal ultrasound in early pregnancy and SGA was diagnosed using a sex-specific weight reference chart previously developed in the study area. Receiver operating characteristic curves were generated for each of the anthropometric measurements and the area under the curve (AUC) compared. Operational cutoffs for foot length, chest circumference, and MUAC were defined while balancing as high as possible sensitivity and specificity for identifying SGA. Positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV) were then calculated. RESULTS: Of the 376 newborns, 68 (18.4%) were SGA. The AUC for detecting SGA was 0.78 for foot length, 0.88 for chest circumference, and 0.85 for MUAC. Operational cut-offs to detect SGA newborns were defined as ≤7.7 cm for foot length, ≤31.6 cm for chest circumference and ≤ 10.1 cm for MUAC. Foot length had 74% sensitivity, 69% specificity, PPV of 0.35 and NPV of 0.92 for identifying SGA. Chest circumference had 79% sensitivity, 81% specificity, PPV of 0.49 and NPV of 0.95 for identifying SGA. Finally, MUAC had 76% sensitivity, 77% specificity, PPV of 0.43 and NPV of 0.94 for identifying SGA. CONCLUSION: In a setting with limited availability of an accurate gestational age, all three methods had a high NPV and could be used to rule out the newborn as being SGA. Overall, chest circumference was the best method to identify SGA newborns, whereas foot length and MUAC had lower detection ability. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov ( NCT02191683 ). Registered 2 July 2014.

Plasmodium falciparum Infection Early in Pregnancy has Profound Consequences for Fetal Growth.

Malaria during pregnancy constitutes a large health problem in areas of endemicity. The World Health Organization recommends that interventions are initiated at the first antenatal visit, and these improve pregnancy outcomes. This study evaluated fetal growth by ultrasonography and birth outcomes in women who were infected prior to the first antenatal visit (gestational age, <120 days) and not later in pregnancy. Compared with uninfected controls, women with early Plasmodium falciparum exposure had retarded intrauterine growth between gestational ages of 212 and 253 days (difference between means, 107 g [95% confidence interval {CI}, 26-188]; P = .0099) and a shorter pregnancy duration (difference between means, 6.6 days [95% CI, 1.0-112.5]; P = .0087). The birth weight (difference between means, 221 g [95% CI, 6-436]; P = .044) and the placental weight (difference between means, 84 g [95% CI, 18-150]; P = .013) at term were also reduced. The study suggests that early exposure to P. falciparum, which is not targeted for prevention by current control strategies, has a profound impact on fetal growth, pregnancy duration, and placental weight at term.

Labour management guidelines for a Tanzanian referral hospital: The participatory development process and birth attendants' perceptions.

BACKGROUND: While international guidelines for intrapartum care appear to have increased rapidly since 2000, literature suggests that it has only in few instances been matched with reviews of local modifications, use, and impact at the targeted low resource facilities. At a Tanzanian referral hospital, this paper describes the development process of locally achievable, partograph-associated, and peer-reviewed labour management guidelines, and it presents an assessment of professional birth attendants' perceptions. METHODS: Part 1: Modification of evidence-based international guidelines through repeated evaluation cycles by local staff and seven external specialists in midwifery/obstetrics. Part 2: Questionnaire evaluation 12 months post-implementation of perceptions and use among professional birth attendants. RESULTS: Part 1: After the development process, including three rounds of evaluation by staff and two external peer-review cycles, there were no major concerns with the guidelines internally nor externally. Thereby, international recommendations were condensed to the eight-paged 'PartoMa guidelines ©'. This pocket booklet includes routine assessments, supportive care, and management of common abnormalities in foetal heart rate, labour progress, and maternal condition. It uses colour codes indicating urgency. Compared to international guidelines, reductions were made in frequency of assessments, information load, and ambiguity. Part 2: Response rate of 84% (n = 84). The majority of staff (93%) agreed that the guidelines helped to improve care. They found the guidelines achievable (89%), and the graphics worked well (90%). Doctors more often than nurse-midwives (89% versus 74%) responded to use the guidelines daily. CONCLUSIONS: The PartoMa guidelines ensure readily available, locally achievable, and acceptable support for intrapartum surveillance, triage, and management. This is a crucial example of adapting evidence-based international recommendations to local reality. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This paper describes the intervention of the PartoMa trial, which is registered on ClinicalTrials.org ( NCT02318420 , 4th November 2014).

Stillbirths and quality of care during labour at the low resource referral hospital of Zanzibar: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: To study determinants of stillbirths as indicators of quality of care during labour in an East African low resource referral hospital. METHODS: A criterion-based unmatched unblinded case-control study of singleton stillbirths with birthweight ≥2000 g (n = 139), compared to controls with birthweight ≥2000 g and Apgar score ≥7 (n = 249). RESULTS: The overall facility-based stillbirth rate was 59 per 1000 total births, of which 25 % was not reported in the hospital's registers. The majority of singletons had birthweight ≥2000 g (n = 139; 79 %), and foetal heart rate was present on admission in 72 (52 %) of these (intra-hospital stillbirths). Overall, poor quality of care during labour was the prevailing determinant of 71 (99 %) intra-hospital stillbirths, and median time from last foetal heart assessment till diagnosis of foetal death or delivery was 210 min. (interquartile range: 75-315 min.). Of intra-hospital stillbirths, 26 (36 %) received oxytocin augmentation (23 % among controls; odds ratio (OR) 1.86, 95 % confidential interval (CI) 1.06-3.27); 15 (58 %) on doubtful indication where either labour progress was normal or less dangerous interventions could have been effective, e.g. rupture of membranes. Substandard management of prolonged labour frequently led to unnecessary caesarean sections. The caesarean section rate among all stillbirths was 26 % (11 % among controls; OR 2.94, 95 % CI 1.68-5.14), and vacuum extraction was hardly ever done. Of women experiencing stillbirth, 27 (19 %) had severe hypertensive disorders (4 % among controls; OR 5.76, 95 % CI 2.70-12.31), but 18 (67 %) of these did not receive antihypertensives. An additional 33 (24 %) did not have blood pressure recorded during active labour. When compared to controls, stillbirths were characterized by longer admissions during labour. However, substandard care was prevalent in both cases and controls and caused potential risks for the entire population. Notably, women with foetal death on admission were in the biggest danger of neglect. CONCLUSIONS: Intrapartum management of women experiencing stillbirth was a simple yet strong indicator of quality of care. Substandard care led to perinatal as well as maternal risks, which furthermore were related to unnecessary complex, time consuming, and costly interventions. Improvement of obstetric care is warranted to end preventable birth-related deaths and disabilities. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This is the baseline analysis of the PartoMa trial, which is registered on ClinicalTrials.org ( NCT02318420 , 4th November 2014).

Only a minority of sex chromosome abnormalities are detected by a national prenatal screening program for Down syndrome.

STUDY QUESTION: How does a national prenatal screening program for Down syndrome (DS) perform in detecting sex chromosome abnormalities (SCAs)-Turner syndrome (TS), Klinefelter syndrome, 47,XXX and 47,XYY syndromes. SUMMARY ANSWER: The SCA detection rate resulting from DS screening was below 50% for all four groups of SCAs. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: The detection rates of SCAs are higher in countries with DS screening. TS is associated with greater nuchal translucency (NT) and lower pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A). However, specific detection rates of SCAs using prenatal DS screening have not been determined. No clear trend in PAPP-A, free beta human chorionic gonadotropin (ß-hCG) and NT has been found in the remaining SCAs. Several lines of inquiry suggest that it would be advantageous for individuals with SCA to be detected early in life, leading to prevention or treatment of accompanying conditions. There is limited information about pre- and perinatal status that distinguishes SCA embryogenesis from normal fetal development. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: A register-based case-control study from the Danish Central Cytogenetic Register (DCCR), cross-linked with the Danish Fetal Medicine Database (DFMD), was performed from 2008 to 2012. Groups of SCAs were compared with DS and then matched with non-SCA controls to assess differences between these groups in prenatal markers and birth outcomes. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: We included cases with prenatal and post-natal SCA karyotypes (n = 213), DS (n = 802) and 168 056 controls. We screened 275 037 individuals examined prenatally. We retrieved information regarding maternal age, NT, ß-hCG and PAPP-A, as well as details regarding maternal and newborn characteristics. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: The DS screening procedure detected 87 per 100 000 TS (42% of expected), 19 per 100 000 Klinefelter syndrome (13% of expected), 16 per 100 000 47,XXX (16% of cases) and 5 per 100 000 47,XYY (5% of expected) SCAs, with an overall detection rate of 27%. Compared with controls, all four SCA groups showed significantly higher NT and lower PAPP-A compared with controls (all P < 0.01) and similar to DS. The legal abortion rate was high for all four syndromes (47,XXX: 24%; 47,XYY: 29%; Klinefelter syndrome: 48%, TS: 84%). For SCA fetuses carried to term, only TS fetuses had consistently lower birthweights and placenta weights than non-SCA controls (both P = 0.0001). A few SCA cases localized in DCCR could not be found in DFMD (n = 16). LIMITATIONS, REASON FOR CAUTION: Controls were matched on sex of the fetus of cases, meaning that all electively aborted fetuses (before week 12) were excluded, possibly reducing the diversity in the control group. We were not able to localize all diagnosed cases of SCA and DS in DFMD. Although these cases were present in DCCR, we were not able to account for the discrepancy. In addition, we suspect that several SCA children have not been diagnosed yet and future post-natal diagnosis of these cases would reduce the diagnostic yield reported here even further. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: The prenatal detection rate is below 50% for all SCAs. The approach used for detecting DS cannot be extended to also include SCAs. In addition, all SCAs have low PAPP-A and increased NT, thus probably reflecting an abnormal embryogenesis. Growth retardation of TS fetuses is if anything more pronounced than previously reported, both when evaluating fetus and placenta. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS: This study received support from Aarhus University and the Novo Nordisk Foundation. The authors have no competing interests that may be relevant to the study.

Informed consent in medical decision-making in commercial gestational surrogacy: a mixed methods study in New Delhi, India.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate ethical issues in informed consent for decisions regarding embryo transfer and fetal reduction in commercial gestational surrogacy. DESIGN: Mixed methods study employing observations, an interview-guide and semi-structured interviews. SETTING: Fertility clinics and agencies in Delhi, India, between December 2011 and December 2012. POPULATION: Doctors providing conceptive technologies to commissioning couples and carrying out surrogacy procedures; surrogate mothers; agents functioning as links for surrogacy. METHODS: Interviews using semi-structured interview guides were carried out among 20 doctors in 18 fertility clinics, five agents from four agencies and 14 surrogate mothers. Surrogate mothers were interviewed both individually and in the presence of doctors and agents. Data on socio-economic context and experiences among and between various actors in the surrogacy process were coded to identify categories of ethical concern. Numerical and grounded theory-oriented analyses were used. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Informed consent, number of embryos transferred, fetal reduction, conflict of interest among the involved parties. RESULTS: None of the 14 surrogate mothers were able to explain the risks involved in embryo transfer and fetal reduction. The majority of the doctors took unilateral decisions about embryo transfer and fetal reduction. The commissioning parents were usually only indirectly involved. In the qualitative analysis, difficulties in explaining procedures, autonomy, self-payment of fertility treatment and conflicts of interest were the main themes. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical procedural decisions were primarily made by the doctors. Surrogate mothers were not adequately informed. There is a need for regulation on decision-making procedures to safeguard the interests of surrogate mothers.

Surrogacy as fertility treatment in Denmark.

Gestational surrogacy, in which an infertile couple contracts with a woman to carry a foetus that the intended parents will raise, increases worldwide, and offers a route to parenthood for individuals and couples who otherwise have limited options. However, the situation in Denmark at present is that surrogacy with the help of healthcare professionals is illegal, and international adoption is no longer available. This review gives an overview of the legal situation of surrogacy in Denmark, the impact of the legislation, and medical issues to be aware of as healthcare professionals in the future.

New expert advice on cancer in pregnancy.

Cancer in pregnancy is rare, and most physicians lack knowledge in handling pregnant cancer patients. This review summarises the present knowledge on this condition. In the Netherlands, an Advisory Board on Cancer in Pregnancy was established in 2012. The board supports Dutch physicians' decisions in the management of pregnant patients with cancer. In 2021 the International Advisory Board on Cancer in Pregnancy was established, and in continuation, the Danish Advisory Board on Cancer in Pregnancy (DABCIP) has now been founded. DABCIP consists of 22 members from 13 different medical disciplines.

Advanced life support in obstetrics (ALSO) and post-partum hemorrhage: a prospective intervention study in Tanzania.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics (ALSO) training on staff performance and the incidences of post-partum hemorrhage (PPH) at a regional hospital in Tanzania. DESIGN: Prospective intervention study. SETTING: A regional, referral hospital. POPULATION: A total of 510 women delivered before and 505 after the intervention. METHODS: All high- and mid-level providers involved in childbirth at the hospital attended a two-day ALSO provider course. Staff management was observed and post-partum bleeding assessed at all vaginal deliveries for seven weeks before and seven weeks after the training. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: PPH (blood loss ≥500ml), severe PPH (blood loss ≥1000ml) and staff performance to prevent, detect and manage PPH. RESULTS: The incidence of PPH was significantly reduced from 32.9 to 18.2%[RR 0.55 (95%CI: 0.44-0.69)], severe PPH from 9.2 to 4.3%[RR 0.47 (95%CI: 0.29-0.77)]. The active management of the third stage of labor was also significantly improved. There was a significant decrease in episiotomies. By visual estimation, staff identified one in 25 of the PPH cases before the ALSO training and one in five after the training. A significantly higher proportion of women with PPH had continuous uterine massage, oxytocin infusion and bimanual compression of the uterus after the training. CONCLUSIONS: A two-day ALSO training course can significantly improve staff performance and reduce the incidence of PPH, at least as evaluated by short-term effects.

User and provider perspectives on emergency obstetric care in a Tanzanian rural setting: a qualitative analysis of the three delays model in a field study.

The aim of this field study was to analyze the main dynamics and conflicts in attending and providing good quality delivery care in a local Tanzanian rural setting. The women and their relatives did not see the problems of pregnancy and birth in isolation but in relation to multiple other problems they were facing in the context of poverty. Local health professionals were aware of the poor quality of care at health facilities but were still blaming the community. The study describes the difficulties within the conceptual framework of the widely used "three delays model" to disentangle different perspectives and to identify a feasible strategy of action to improve access to timely and effective emergency obstetric care. There seems to be a need for a supplementary analytic model that more clearly has the health system as the central agent responsible for improving maternal health. A modified "actantial model is suggested for that purpose.

High Prevalence of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in Rural Tanzania-Diagnosis Mainly Based on Fasting Blood Glucose from Oral Glucose Tolerance Test.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with poor pregnancy outcomes and increased long-term risk of metabolic diseases for both mother and child. In Tanzania, GDM prevalence increased from 0% in 1991 to 19.5% in 2016. Anaemia has been proposed to precipitate the pathogenesis of GDM. We aimed to examine the prevalence of GDM in a rural area of Tanzania with a high prevalence of anaemia and to examine a potential association between haemoglobin concentration and blood glucose during pregnancy. The participants were included in a population-based preconception, pregnancy and birth cohort study. In total, 538 women were followed during pregnancy and scheduled for an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) at week 32-34 of gestation. Gestational diabetes mellitus was diagnosed according to the WHO 2013 guidelines. Out of 392 women screened, 39% (95% CI: 34.2-44.1) had GDM, the majority of whom (94.1%) were diagnosed based solely on the fasting blood sample from the OGTT. No associations were observed between haemoglobin or ferritin and glucose measurements during pregnancy. A very high prevalence of GDM was found in rural Tanzania. In view of the laborious, costly and inconvenient OGTT, alternative methods such as fasting blood glucose should be considered when screening for GDM in low- and middle-income countries.

FOETAL for NCD-FOetal Exposure and Epidemiological Transitions: the role of Anaemia in early Life for Non-Communicable Diseases in later life: a prospective preconception study in rural Tanzania.

PURPOSE: Low-income and middle-income countries such as Tanzania experience a high prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including anaemia. Studying if and how anaemia affects growth, placenta development, epigenetic patterns and newborns' risk of NCDs may provide approaches to prevent NCDs. PARTICIPANTS: The FOETALforNCD (FOetal Exposure and Epidemiological Transitions: the role of Anaemia in early Life for Non-Communicable Diseases in later life) Study is a population-based preconception, pregnancy and birth cohort study (n=1415, n=538, n=427, respectively), conducted in a rural region of North-East Tanzania. All participants were recruited prior to conception or early in pregnancy and followed throughout pregnancy as well as at birth. Data collection included: maternal blood, screening for NCDs and malaria, ultrasound in each trimester, neonatal anthropometry at birth and at 1 month of age, cord blood, placental and cord biopsies for stereology and epigenetic analyses. FINDINGS TO DATE: At preconception, the average age, body mass index and blood pressure of the women were 28 years, 23 kg/m2 and 117/75 mm Hg, respectively. In total, 458 (36.7%) women had anaemia (haemoglobin Hb <12 g/dL) and 34 (3.6%) women were HIV-positive at preconception. During pregnancy 359 (66.7%) women had anaemia of which 85 (15.8%) women had moderate-to-severe anaemia (Hb ≤9 g/dL) and 33 (6.1%) women had severe anaemia (Hb ≤8 g/dL). In total, 185 (34.4%) women were diagnosed with malaria during pregnancy. FUTURE PLANS: The project will provide new knowledge on how health, even before conception, might modify the risk of developing NCDs and how to promote better health during pregnancy. The present project ended data collection 1 month after giving birth, but follow-up is continuing through regular monitoring of growth and development and health events according to the National Road Map Strategic Plan in Tanzania. This data will link fetal adverse event to childhood development, and depending on further grant allocation, through a life course follow-up.

Leisure time physical activity during pregnancy and impact on gestational diabetes mellitus, pre-eclampsia, preterm delivery and birth weight: a review.

BACKGROUND: It has been questioned whether leisure time physical activity (LTPA) during pregnancy is beneficial or deleterious to pregnancy outcome, and whether a sedentary lifestyle during pregnancy has a negative impact on pregnancy. Answers to these questions are of general interest, since some young women are very physically active during leisure time, while others have a sedentary lifestyle. METHOD: In this review, we analysed the association between LTPA and the selected pregnancy outcomes, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), pre-eclampsia, preterm delivery, and birth weight. RESULTS: The prevailing literature clearly indicates that LTPA before and/or during pregnancy has a protective effect on the development of GDM and pre-eclampsia. Furthermore, LTPA does not seem to have a negative impact on the rate of preterm delivery or on birth weight. CONCLUSION: Thus, it seems relevant that health authorities recommend 30 min of daily physical activity to healthy pregnant women.

Reproductive Ethics in Commercial Surrogacy: Decision-Making in IVF Clinics in New Delhi, India.

As a neo-liberal economy, India has become one of the new health tourism destinations, with commercial gestational surrogacy as an expanding market. Yet the Indian Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Bill has been pending for five years, and the guidelines issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research are somewhat vague and contradictory, resulting in self-regulated practices of fertility clinics. This paper broadly looks at clinical ethics in reproduction in the practice of surrogacy and decision-making in various procedures. Through empirical research in New Delhi, the capital of India, from December 2011 to November 2012, issues of decision-making on embryo transfer, fetal reduction, and mode of delivery were identified. Interviews were carried out with doctors in eighteen ART clinics, agents from four agencies, and fourteen surrogates. In aiming to fulfil the commissioning parents' demands, doctors were willing to go to the greatest extent possible in their medical practice. Autonomy and decision-making regarding choice of the number of embryos to transfer and the mode of delivery lay neither with commissioning parents nor surrogate mothers but mostly with doctors. In order to ensure higher success rates, surrogates faced the risk of multiple pregnancy and fetal reduction with little information regarding the risks involved. In the globalized market of commercial surrogacy in India, and with clinics compromising on ethics, there is an urgent need for formulation of regulative law for the clinical practice and maintenance of principles of reproductive ethics in order to ensure that the interests of surrogate mothers are safeguarded.

[High-risk pregnancy in a woman with Marfan syndrome, a bicuspid aortic valve, and a dilated aortic sinus]. / Højrisikograviditet hos en kvinde med Marfans syndrom, bikuspid aortaklap og aortaektasi.

A 29-year-old woman with Marfan syndrome, a bicuspid aortic valve, and a dilated aortic sinus (5.2 cm) presented herself in clinic 14 weeks pregnant. She was advised to discontinue the pregnancy due to risk of dissection; however, she decided to continue. She was treated with labetalol (300 mg/day) to reduce blood pressure and was admitted for bed rest from week 30. Her aortic diameter was assessed by echocardiography every 2nd week and remained unchanged. She was treated with betamethason at week 26 and the child was born by a caesarean section in week 35. The post-operative course was uneventful.

Socioeconomic and physical distance to the maternity hospital as predictors for place of delivery: an observation study from Nepal.

BACKGROUND: Although the debate on the safety and women's right of choice to a home delivery vs. hospital delivery continues in the developed countries, an undesirable outcome of home delivery, such as high maternal and perinatal mortality, is documented in developing countries. The objective was to study whether socio-economic factors, distance to maternity hospital, ethnicity, type and size of family, obstetric history and antenatal care received in present pregnancy affected the choice between home and hospital delivery in a developing country. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was done during June, 2001 to January 2002 in an administratively and geographically well-defined territory with a population of 88,547, stretching from urban to adjacent rural part of Kathmandu and Dhading Districts of Nepal with maximum of 5 hrs of distance from Maternity hospital. There were no intermediate level of private or government hospital or maternity homes in the study area. Interviews were carried out on 308 women who delivered within 45 days of the date of the interview with a pre-tested structured questionnaire. RESULTS: A distance of more than one hour to the maternity hospital (OR = 7.9), low amenity score status (OR = 4.4), low education (OR = 2.9), multi-parity (OR = 2.4), and not seeking antenatal care in the present pregnancy (OR = 4.6) were statistically significantly associated with an increased risk of home delivery. Ethnicity, obstetric history, age of mother, ritual observance of menarche, type and size of family and who is head of household were not statistically significantly associated with the place of delivery. CONCLUSIONS: The socio-economic standing of the household was a stronger predictor of place of delivery compared to ethnicity, the internal family structure such as type and size of family, head of household, or observation of ritual days by the mother of an important event like menarche. The results suggested that mothers, who were in the low-socio-economic scale, delivered at home more frequently in a developing country like Nepal.