What about the mothers? An analysis of maternal mortality and morbidity in perinatal health surveillance systems in Europe.

OBJECTIVE: To assess capacity to develop routine monitoring of maternal health in the European Union using indicators of maternal mortality and severe morbidity. DESIGN: Analysis of aggregate data from routine statistical systems compiled by the EURO-PERISTAT project and comparison with data from national enquiries. SETTING: Twenty-five countries in the European Union and Norway. POPULATION: Women giving birth in participating countries in 2003 and 2004. METHODS: Application of a common collection of data by selecting specific International Classification of Disease codes from the 'Pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium' chapter. External validity was assessed by reviewing the results of national confidential enquiries and linkage studies. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Maternal mortality ratio, with distribution of specific obstetric causes, and severe acute maternal morbidity, which included: eclampsia, surgery and blood transfusion for obstetric haemorrhage, and intensive-care unit admission. RESULTS: In 22 countries that provided data, the maternal mortality ratio was 6.3 per 100,000 live births overall and ranged from 0 to 29.6. Under-ascertainment was evident from comparisons with studies that use enhanced identification of deaths. Furthermore, routine cause of death registration systems in countries with specific systems for audit reported higher maternal mortality ratio than those in countries without audits. For severe acute maternal morbidity, 16 countries provided data about at least one category of morbidity, and only three provided data for all categories. Reported values ranged widely (from 0.2 to 1.6 women with eclampsia per 1000 women giving birth and from 0.2 to 1.0 hysterectomies per 1000 women). CONCLUSIONS: Currently available data on maternal mortality and morbidity are insufficient for monitoring trends over time in Europe and for comparison between countries. Confidential enquiries into maternal deaths are recommended.

Seasonal variations in acute toxoplasmosis in pregnant women in Slovenia.

Between December 1999 and December 2004, 40 081 pregnant women were examined for toxoplasmosis with Toxo-IgG, Toxo-IgM enzyme immunoassay. Women with positive results were then retested with the Toxo-IgG avidity assay for recent toxoplasmosis. Recent acute toxoplasmosis in pregnant women was found to be significantly more frequent (p < 0.01) during winter than summer. The incidence of acute toxoplasmosis during winter-spring was also significantly more frequent (p < 0.025) than summer-autumn. This phenomenon should be taken into account when formulating preventive measures for toxoplasmosis, especially for pregnant women.

Tissue-type plasminogen activator after venous occlusion in pregnancy and puerperium.

Pregnancy is associated with depressed fibrinolysis as judged from the decreased fibrinolytic response to venous occlusion. In order to elucidate if this decreased response is due to an increase in plasminogen activator inhibitors 1 and 2 (PAI-1, PAI-2), and/or to decreased release of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) antigen during venous occlusion, 36 women (18 women with normal pregnancy and 18 with gestational hypertension without proteinuria) were followed during pregnancy and puerperium. In each women a 20 min venous occlusion was performed in the second and in the third trimester of pregnancy and 3 days after delivery. The increase in t-PA antigen after venous occlusion relative to basal value was in the second trimester of pregnancy on average 3.7 fold, in the third trimester 4.4 fold, and so not reduced compared to non-pregnant women (3.7 fold increase). After delivery the increase in t-PA antigen was significantly enhanced (8.5 fold, p < 0.005). The fibrinolytic response to venous occlusion measured by euglobulin and t-PA activity was significantly decreased in the third trimester compared to non-pregnant values (both p < 0.005) and returned to somewhat higher (euglobulin clot lysis) or significantly higher (t-PA activity, p < 0.01) values 3 days after delivery. Decreased euglobulin and t-PA activity after venous occlusion in the third trimester coincided with significant increases in basal PAI activity, PAI-1 antigen and PAI-2 antigen (2.9, 2.5 and > 30 fold increase relative to non-pregnant values, respectively, all p < 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Rupture of the membranes and postpartum infection.

The greatest risk of preterm prelabour rupture of membranes (PPROM) is preterm delivery. According to the Perinatal Information System of Slovenia there were 5.92% preterm deliveries in 1994. We studied 809 deliveries of less than 34 weeks of gestation in the Ljubljana Maternity, from 1992 to 1994; 33.7% of these started with PPROM. Risk factors for PPROM were conization, cerclage and use of antibiotics for any reason in current pregnancy. Amnionitis and febrile illness during labour increased with longer duration of PPROM but maternal postpartum infections did not. In neonates, more cases of lower Apgar scores after 1 and 5 min and more cases of suspected sepsis were found with the increased duration of PPROM. In Slovenia, with good facilities for transport in utero and good neonatal care, after PPROM it is best to transport the pregnant women to the third level center and then wait until labour starts or to recur to prompt delivery when maternal or fetal signs so require. From 1987 to 1993 there were 159264 deliveries in gestations equal to or over 34 weeks; 20.8% started with PROM. In our observational study we found the best results when labour was induced. There are, however, many disagreements about the management of (P)PROM.

Patent foramen ovale as a potential cause of paradoxical embolism in the postpartum period.

We report a case of previously healthy woman who suffered cerebral embolism after delivery. Echocardiography with contrast medium confirmed the patent foramen ovale (PFO). PFO may be a mechanism of paradoxical embolism causing a transient ischemic attack or stroke.

Induction of abortion in the second trimester of pregnancy by intramuscular 15-methyl prostaglandin F 2 alpha (Prostin 15M).

40 patients, pregnant clinically from 12 to 24 weeks in whom pregnancy termination for medical or medicosocial reasons was indicated, were given 250 micrograms Prostin 15M (15 methyl prostaglandin F 2 alpha, Upjohn) intramuscularly every three hours in total dose from 500 micrograms to 3000 micrograms. The Committee for Medical Ethics of the Committee for Medical and Social Security of SRS approved the study to be performed at the University Gynecological Hospital of Ljubljana using the drug and following the protocol of Upjohn (Tehnoservis). 36 patients (90%) aborted within 48 hours after the first injection (mean interval was 15.43 hours). In three out of 40 patients (7.5%) the abortion was complete, in 34 (85.0%) it was incomplete. In two patients, dilatation of cervical canal was complete, but the expected abortion did not take place. One patient aborted in 52 hours and 10 minutes. Only in a single case induction of abortion was completely unsuccessful. The drug is considered effective for induction of abortion in the second trimester of pregnancy.

Treatment of ectopic pregnancy with prostaglandin E2.

In 10 patients the treatment of ectopic pregnancy consisted of the use of 0.75 to 2.25 mg of prostaglandin E2 (Prostin E2, 1 mg/ml, Upjohn). In 8 patients PGE2 was injected in the tubal wall under laparoscopic control, in 2 under the control of vaginal ultrasound probe. The effect of the treatment was controlled by serial determinations of serum beta HCG. In 8 patients with PGE2 injected laparoscopically, negativization of beta HCG took place in 14 +/- 8 days which meant successful treatment of ectopic pregnancy. For persistently elevated beta HCG concentrations in both patients with PGE2 applied under the ultrasound control, laparotomy had to be performed.

Use of Non-invasive Uterine Electromyography in the Diagnosis of Preterm Labour.

Predictive values of methods currently used in the clinics to diagnose preterm labour are low. This leads to missed opportunities to improve neonatal outcomes and, on the other hand, to unnecessary hospitalizations and treatments. In addition, research of new and potentially more effective preterm labour treatments is hindered by the inability to include only patients in true preterm labour into studies. Uterine electromyography (EMG) detects changes in cell excitability and coupling required for labour and has higher predictive values for preterm delivery than currently available methods. This methodology could also provide a better means to evaluate various therapeutic interventions for preterm labour. Our manuscript presents a review of uterine EMG studies examining the potential clinical value that this technology possesses over what is available to physicians currently. We also evaluated the impact that uterine EMG could have on investigation of preterm labour treatments by calculating sample sizes for studies using EMG vs. current methods to enrol women. Besides helping clinicians to make safer and more cost-effective decisions when managing patients with preterm contractions, implementation of uterine EMG for diagnosis of preterm labour would also greatly reduce sample sizes required for studies of treatments.

A comparison of various linear and non-linear signal processing techniques to separate uterine EMG records of term and pre-term delivery groups.

Various linear and non-linear signal-processing techniques were applied to three-channel uterine EMG records to separate term and pre-term deliveries. The linear techniques were root mean square value, peak and median frequency of the signal power spectrum and autocorrelation zero crossing; while the selected non-linear techniques were estimation of the maximal Lyapunov exponent, correlation dimension and calculating sample entropy. In total, 300 records were grouped into four groups according to the time of recording (before or after the 26th week of gestation) and according to the total length of gestation (term delivery records--pregnancy duration >or=37 weeks and pre-term delivery records--pregnancy duration <37 weeks). The following preprocessing band-pass Butterworth filters were tested: 0.08-4, 0.3-4, and 0.3-3 Hz. With the 0.3-3 Hz filter, the median frequency indicated a statistical difference between those term and pre-term delivery records recorded before the 26th week (p = 0.03), and between all term and all pre-term delivery records (p = 0.012). With the same filter, the sample entropy indicated statistical differences between those term and pre-term delivery records recorded before the 26th week (p = 0.035), and between all term and all pre-term delivery records (p = 0.011). Both techniques also showed noticeable differences between term delivery records recorded before and after the 26th week (p

Predicting preterm delivery and lowering very preterm delivery rate.

The chances and quality of survival depend on gestational age at birth. Why has PTD not decreased during the last decade, in spite of all the known risk factors? Perinatal data bases tend to include biomedical risk factors and are assembled and analysed retrospectively. These data should form the basis for prediction, and risk factors such as stress, anxiety, inflammation (leading to elevated CRH with its role in PTD), short cervix etc, should be added when assessed prospectively. The goal is preconception and early prediction in pregnancy. Only with the implementation of efficient intervention will we lengthen pregnancies and lower the VPTD rate. More articles about the PTD and complications of preterm births should be published in the lay press. There is no room for pessimism: if everybody involved would do just a little in the right direction, the result would be enormous. Constant auditing of interventions is necessary. The most difficult to "cure" and most likely to relapse are stress, anxiety and social factors, and discrimination in obtaining basic health care. Long forgotten lessons of compassion with pregnant women have not yet been acknowledged as proven to change VPTD into PTD, but are available at no cost world wide.

Serological screening for toxoplasmosis in pregnancy in Slovenia.

In the period from 1981 to 1994, serological screening for toxoplasmosis was carried out in 20,953 pregnant women in Slovenia. Seropositivity among pregnant women was found to have decreased from 52% in the 1980s to 37% in the recent period, 1991-94, while during the same period the incidence of suspected primary infections acquired in pregnancy rose from 0.33% to 0.75%. These latest figures ought to promote an informed debate on the possible need for obligatory serological screening of pregnant women in Slovenia for toxoplasmosis.

Incidence of congenital toxoplasmosis in the Republic of Slovenia.

Over a 12-month period, 3959 pregnant women were systematically tested with the Sabin-Feldman dye test in order to assess the incidence of congenital toxoplasmosis in Slovenia. The results suggest that this is approximately 3/1000 live births. This relatively high incidence of congenital toxoplasmosis in Slovenia may make the costing of preventive screening programmes justifiable.