Prediction of successful labor induction by evaluation of maternal symptoms at an early stage of the misoprostol induction protocol.

OBJECTIVE: This prospective observational study evaluated maternal symptoms and characteristics that predict successful labor induction with oral misoprostol. METHODS: A total of 244 consecutive women undergoing labor induction voluntarily completed a questionnaire about subjective sensations and pain scores during the induction protocol. Maternal and neonatal characteristics were collected retrospectively from patient files. On the first day of induction, oral misoprostol (50 µg) every 4 h up to three doses was used. RESULTS: A total of 46% of the parturients delivered or reached the active phase of labor 24 h after the initial dose of misoprostol (ID). In the whole study, 87% of the women delivered vaginally. In multivariable analysis, rupture of membranes, cervical dilatation before the initial dose, maternal sensation of painful contractions at 8 h after the initial dose, and gestational age, were found to be associated with successful labor induction. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal sensation of painful contractions 8 h after an ID is an independent predictive factor of successful labor induction (defined as delivery or active phase of labor 24 h after beginning of induction). Other independent predictive factors are rupture of membranes, cervical dilatation before the initial dose, and gestational age.

Fetal sex determination: obstetricians' attitudes in antenatal screening units in Finland.

AIM: To study obstetricians' attitudes in Finnish antenatal screening units concerning fetal sex determination without medical indication. METHODS: A structured questionnaire to all delivery units (n = 37) and the main outpatient screening units (n = 18) in the country. RESULTS: The majority of units made fetal sex determination without medical indication at patient's request during the second-trimester ultrasonographic screening. This examination was seen to have consequences for maternal-fetal attachment, but it was also considered medically useless and sometimes harmful. Only three out of the responding 32 units maintained quality control of the examination. A false diagnosis resulted extremely seldom in any litigation process. CONCLUSIONS: More precise guidelines are needed for fetal sex determination in healthcare organisation.

Good pregnancy outcome despite intrahepatic cholestasis.

OBJECTIVE: Pregnant women complaining of itching are screened for intrahepatic cholestasis (ICP) by laboratory tests in primary healthcare. Cases of ICP are referred to specialist care. In Finland, ICP occurs in 1% of pregnancies. The aim was to study the outcome of deliveries. Design. Retrospective study of ICP pregnancies. Data were collected from the hospital discharge register, patient records, and the labour register. SETTING: The region of Tampere University Hospital in Finland. SUBJECTS: Altogether 687 ICP cases from 1969 to 1988 and two controls for each. Main outcome measures. ICP patients were compared with controls in terms of mother's age, pregnancy multiplicity, weeks of gestation at delivery, frequency of induction and Caesarean section, length of ward period, child's weight, Apgar scores, and stillbirth. RESULTS: For ICP patients, the risk for hospital stay of 10 days or more was eightfold (OR 8.41), for gestational weeks less than 37 at delivery sevenfold (OR 7.02), for induction threefold (OR 3.26), for baby's low weight at birth almost twofold (OR 1.86), and for Caesarean section one and a half fold (OR 1.47). The possibility of the incidence of multiple pregnancy was two and a half fold (OR 2.49, 95%). ICP was not associated with mother's age, the baby's risk of stillbirth, or low Apgar scores. CONCLUSION: ICP mothers are found and taken care of appropriately, and thus ICP is only a minor risk for mothers and their children.

Sonographic diagnosis of postpartum pseudoaneurysms of the uterine artery: a report of 2 cases.

Two cases of post-partum uterine artery pseudoaneurysm are described, 1 after normal vaginal delivery and the other after Caesarean section. Both cases were complicated by heavy bleeding and treated with catheter embolization. A turbulent arterial-type velocity waveform with high peak velocity and forward end-diastolic flow was registered in the feeding vessel. The peak blood flow velocity was high in both cases. The resistance index in the uterine artery was lower in the affected side of the uterus. Three-dimensional angiosonography was used to calculate the volume of the lesion, demonstrate its shape, and identify the feeding vessel.

Transmembrane carbonic anhydrase isozymes IX and XII in the female mouse reproductive organs.

BACKGROUND: Carbonic anhydrase (CA) classically catalyses the reversible hydration of dissolved CO2 to form bicarbonate ions and protons. The twelve active CA isozymes are thought to regulate a variety of cellular functions including several processes in the reproductive systems. METHODS: The present study was designed to investigate the expression of transmembrane CAs, CA IX and XII, in the mouse uterus, ovary and placenta. The expression of CA IX and XII was examined by immunoperoxidase staining method and western blotting. CA II and XIII served as positive controls since they are known to be present in the mouse reproductive tract. RESULTS: The data of our study indicated that CA XII is expressed in the mouse endometrium. Only very faint signal was observed in the corpus luteum of the ovary and the placenta remained mainly negative. CA IX showed weak reaction in the endometrial epithelium, while it was completely absent in the ovary and placenta. CONCLUSION: The conservation of CA XII expression in both mouse and human endometrium suggests a role for this isozyme in reproductive physiology.

Myometrial inflammation in human delivery and its association with labor and infection.

The presence of inflammation in decidual and myometrial samples as defined by histopathologic examination and the association between the myometrial inflammation and different maternal infectious morbidity and labor-related clinical variables were evaluated in 648 consecutive women who underwent cesarean section at various gestational periods. Altogether, 1,205 histologic (559 decidual and 646 myometrial) samples were studied. In normal pregnancies, myometrial inflammatory lesions were detected rarely before parturition, indicating their abnormality in these cases. After ruptured fetal membranes with advanced cervical dilatation and in patients with clinical chorioamnionitis, myometrial samples commonly were infiltrated by leukocytes, up to moderate and marked densities. Moderate to marked myometrial inflammation showed no diagnostic value in high-risk term parturients for the prediction of postoperative endometritis. Our study is the first to show the frequency of myometrial inflammation in nonselected consecutive pregnant women and, thus, is important for better understanding the myometrial inflammatory response during human parturition.

Obstetric prognosis in sisters of preeclamptic women - implications for genetic linkage studies.

BACKGROUND: To investigate obstetric prognosis in sisters of preeclamptic women. METHODS: We identified consecutive 635 sib pairs from the Birth Registry data of Kuopio University Hospital who had their first delivery between January 1989 and December 1999 in our institution. Of these, in 530 pairs both sisters had non-preeclamptic pregnancies (the reference group), in 63 pairs one of the sisters had preeclampsia and the unaffected sisters were studied (study group I). In 42 pairs both sister's first delivery was affected (study group II). Pregnancy outcome measures in these groups were compared. RESULTS: Unaffected sisters of the index patients had uncompromised fetal growth in their pregnancies, and overall, as good obstetric outcomes as in the reference group. The data on affected sisters of the index patients showed an increased prematurity rate, and increased incidences of low birth weight and small-for-gestational age infants, as expected. CONCLUSION: Unaffected sisters of the index patients had no signs of utero-placental insufficiency and they were at low risk with regard to adverse obstetric outcome, whereas affected sisters were high-risk. Clinically, affected versus unaffected status appears to be clear-cut in first-degree relatives regardless of their genetic susceptibility and unaffected sisters do not need special antepartum surveillance.

Normalization of vasoactive changes in preeclampsia precedes clinical recovery.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to compare the serum levels of fibronectin, nitric oxide (NO), cyclic guanosine-monophosphate, endothelin-1, and 6-keto-prostaglandin-F 1alpha in women with and without preeclampsia before and after delivery. METHODS: We studied 20 singleton pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia, and 20 women undergoing elective cesarean delivery were selected as controls. The normalization of circulating concentrations of maternal plasma NO, cyclic guanosine-monophosphate, fibronectin, endothelin-1, thromboxane-B 2 and renin, and urinary 6-keto-prostaglandin-F 1alpha after delivery was evaluated. RESULTS: Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) in the puerperium of preeclamptic women remained high after discharge from hospital, and only circulating fibronectin levels were found to be elevated in affected women at the end of hospital stay 5 days after delivery. Normalization of the imbalance in vasoactive substances and renal impairment in preeclampsia occur more rapidly than the patient's clinical recovery, within 2-3 days postpartum. CONCLUSIONS: Slow normalization of circulating fibronectin concentrations reflects slow recovery of endothelial damage in preeclampsia, which may play a major role in maintaining high BP in the puerperium. Plasma levels of endothelin-1 declined to normal levels by the third postpartum day and the finding is consistent with the hypothesis that endothelin-1 is not the major vasoconstrictor in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia.

An evaluation of pelvic floor anatomy and function by MRI.

OBJECTIVE: In this experimental study, we wanted to evaluate the informative value of dynamic magnetic resonance imaging in pelvic floor anatomy during pelvic floor muscle contractions in asymptomatic women and women with urinary continence dysfunction. STUDY DESIGN: Eight outpatients with stress urinary symptoms and eight asymptomatic women were scanned with a 1.5 T GE Signa CV/i high-speed scanner with real time fluorescopic imaging possibilities. The static and dynamic anatomical status of the levator ani muscle was registered. RESULTS: In sagittal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images, the iliococcygeus muscle appeared as dome-shaped at rest. The thickness of the distal part of pubococcygeal muscle correlated significantly with EMG values during a maximal contraction. The most obvious defects seen in the pubococcygeal muscle were asymmetry in thickness and loss of fiber continuity. CONCLUSION: Functional and anatomic relationships in the pelvic floor can be demonstrated by the combined use of EMG and MRI, providing a better understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms behind stress incontinence in women.

A comparative study of the safety of 0.25% levobupivacaine and 0.25% racemic bupivacaine for paracervical block in the first stage of labor.

BACKGROUND: The objective of the study was to evaluate and compare the safety of levobupivacaine and racemic bupivacaine for paracervical block (PCB) in the first stage of labor after uncomplicated pregnancy. METHODS: Forty women in an open pilot study and 397 women in a double-blind randomized study received PCB for pain relief in the first stage of labor, either with 25 mg of levobupivacaine or with 25 mg of racemic bupivacaine. The incidence of cardiotocographic pathology was compared between the groups using Fisher's exact test. The 95% confidence intervals for the between-group difference were calculated by Newcombe's method. RESULTS: In the randomized double-blind study, the incidence of any pathological result in cardiotocography (CTG) was 10.4% in the levobupivacaine group and 12.8% in the racemic bupivacaine group. The incidence of fetal bradycardia in the groups was 2.6 and 3.8%, respectively. All the cardiotocographic changes were transient, and no operative intervention was indicated because of CTG. No difference in the analgesic effect between the drugs was found. Most of the parturients in the levobupivacaine group (97%) and in the racemic bupivacaine group (96%) had spontaneous vaginal delivery. Neonatal outcome was good in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: No difference in cardiotocographic pathology was found between PCB with levobupivacaine compared with PCB with racemic bupivacaine. The incidence of bradycardia was low. PCB was found to be a safe pain-relief method for low-risk parturients.

What determines the analgesic effect of paracervical block?

BACKGROUND: The objective of the study was to evaluate the analgesic effect of paracervical block (PCB) in labor pain relief and to discover the determinants associated with good analgesia. METHODS: In a prospective trial, 341 women received PCB for pain relief in the first stage of labor, with 10 ml of 0.25% levobupivacaine or racemic bupivacaine. All these pregnancies were uncomplicated and the progress of labor was normal. The analgesic effect of PCB was measured by using a visual analog scale (VAS). The factors associated with good pain relief (>50% decrease in the VAS score within 30 min) were analyzed statistically by Student's t-test or the Mann-Whitney test (continuous variables), Fisher's exact test (categorial variables) and after univariate analysis by logistic regression analysis. For pairwise comparisons, Wilcoxon's signed ranks test was used. RESULTS: Good pain relief was achieved in 47.2% of the cases. 12.3% of the parturients needed subsequent epidural or spinal analgesia. In logistic regression analysis, primiparity, a high pain score before PCB, and PCB given by a specialized obstetrician were found to affect the level of pain relief 30 min after PCB. CONCLUSIONS: The best pain relief after PCB was achieved among primiparas. Good pain relief was connected with a high pain score before PCB and an experienced obstetrician.

Good perinatal outcome in selective vaginal breech delivery at term.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: To compare perinatal outcome in groups of planned vaginal breech delivery, elective cesarean section with the fetus in breech presentation, and planned vaginal delivery with the fetus in cephalic presentation in a university hospital with a tradition of managing breech deliveries by the vaginal route. METHODS: A cohort study from a 7-year period 1995-2002, including 590 planned vaginal deliveries with a term (> 37 weeks) singleton fetus in breech presentation, 396 elective cesarean sections with a term singleton fetus in breech presentation, and 590 control women intending vaginal delivery with a singleton term fetus in cephalic presentation. RESULTS: The Apgar scores were lower in the group of planned vaginal breech delivery, but in other outcome measures there were no significant intergroup differences. The overall neonatal morbidity was small (1.2% vs. 0.5% vs. 0.3% in the respective study groups) if compared to a recently published randomized multicenter study. CONCLUSIONS: Selective vaginal breech deliveries may be safely undertaken in units having a tradition of vaginal breech deliveries.

Traumatic experience with vacuum extraction--influence of personal preparation, physiology, and treatment during labor.

OBJECTIVE: To assess pre-labor attitudes and post-labor experiences of the use of vacuum extraction during delivery. To seek associations between traumatic labor experience and personal preparation, physiology of labor and treatment during labor. METHODS: A total of 205 women filled in a questionnaire within five days of vacuum extraction delivery. The questionnaire was designed to distinguish the group of women having experienced their labor as traumatic from those not having such an experience. The association between explanatory variables grouped as background factors, physiological factors of labor and treatment-related factors in relation to traumatic experience status was studied by bivariate analysis by the chi-square test or Student's t-test. Logistic regression analysis was carried out to examine simultaneous effects of factors. In the first phase, each of the previously chosen groups was analyzed separately, and in the second, all risk factors thus emerging as significant were entered into the final model. RESULTS: Forty-two women (20%) regarded their childbirth experience as traumatic. Of the background factors, insufficient pre-labor training and a pre-labor desire for extra strong pain relief during the coming labor were significantly more common in the traumatic birth group. Of the physiological factors of labor, unsatisfactory pain relief and a difficult third stage of labor were associated with a traumatic birth experience. The treatment-related factors showed mutual correlation and were strongly associated with birth experience. After logistic regression analysis only four independent risk factors emerged as significant: insufficient support immediately after delivery, the experience of being poorly listened to during labor, insufficient doctor's support during the first stage of labor, and pre-labor training classes considered insufficient. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment-related factors were the most powerful predictors of an adverse birth experience after vacuum extraction delivery, exceeding those related to labor physiology. Thus, the role of treatment and care before, during and after vacuum extraction is emphasized.

Outcome after a high number (4-10) of repeated caesarean sections.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate outcomes in caesarean sections repeated several times. POPULATION: Sixty-four women had had four or more (up to 10) caesarean sections. METHODS: The outcomes of these operations N= 149, study group) were compared with other caesarean sections. RESULTS: A quarter of the women in the study group complained of low abdominal pains during the late pregnancy. A thin or fenestrated isthmic myometrial layer was observed in 55% of their operations. Abnormal placentation with an increased risk of major operative complications occurred more often in the study group. No differences in post-operative complications or perinatal outcome emerged between the groups. CONCLUSION: Thus, no definitive upper limit for the number of caesarean sections per individual woman can be given.

Antepartum findings and obstetric aspects in pregnancies followed by neonatal persistent hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia.

In this study we report antepartum and obstetric findings in cases of persistent hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia of infancy (PHHI). The study is retrospective and covers the years 1983 to 1994, when there were 9 infants treated for PHHI in the region of the University Hospital of Kuopio. One of the mothers had gestational diabetes mellitus and one had insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). There were signs of fetal distress in cardiotocography (CTG) in 3 of 9 cases prenatally and in 3 of 9 cases intrapartum (33%). There were 5 premature deliveries (56%) and 5 cesarean sections (56%) in this series. Five neonates (56%) were macrosomic and one delivery was complicated by shoulder dystocia. Three neonates (33%) had a 1-minute Apgar score of <6, but there were no cases at 5 minutes. In cases of fetal macrosomia without a maternal diabetic problem amniocentesis may be carried out after 34 weeks of gestation to assay amniotic fluid insulin, C-peptide and erythropoietin to reveal rare cases of PHHI where there may be problems of fetal hypoxemia similar to those in diabetic pregnancies.

Kinetics of a US contrast agent in benign and malignant adnexal tumors.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of a microbubble contrast agent on the power Doppler ultrasonographic (US) examination of adnexal tumors, with a special focus on the timing of the transit of the microbubble bolus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy patients who were suspected of having ovarian tumors were examined preoperatively with contrast material-enhanced US. Images obtained during a 5-minute examination were stored digitally, and the behavior of the contrast agent was evaluated objectively with measurement of the time-dependent image intensity at the region of interest with a computer program. A time-intensity curve in each case was derived and analyzed. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare intensity changes and tumor parameters in benign and malignant adnexal tumors. RESULTS: Both the baseline and maximum power Doppler intensities, as well as the absolute and relative (percent) rise in intensity, were significantly higher (P <.001) in malignant as compared with benign tumors. The arrival time was shorter (17.5 vs 22.5 seconds; P =.005) and the duration of contrast agent effect was longer (190.4 vs 103.6 seconds; P <.001) in malignant tumors than they were in benign tumors. The area under the time-intensity curve was significantly greater in malignant tumors compared with that in benign tumors (P <.001). CONCLUSION: After microbubble contrast agent injection, malignant and benign adnexal lesions behave differently in degree, onset, and duration of Doppler US enhancement.

Severe cardiotocographic pathology at labor: effect of acute intravenous tocolysis.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of acute tocolysis on severely pathological cardiotocographic (CTG) readings during the first stage of labor. Seventy-three consecutive parturients with full-term pregnancy were treated by acute tocolysis with a beta-mimetic agent after recognition of severe CTG abnormality in the first stage of labor. The main outcome measures were normalization or persistence of the CTG pattern after tocolysis. Risk factors with regard to CTG effect of tocolysis were also evaluated. In 67% of cases the CTG pattern normalized at a mean of 4 minutes after the beginning of intravenous tocolysis. No characteristic feature of the parturient, labor course, CTG abnormality, or the parameters of uterine contractive activity was found to be a predictive factor with regard to the CTG effect of tocolysis. No adverse effects of tocolytic therapy were found. Tocolysis with a beta-mimetic agent is an effective method to normalize the CTG pattern during the first stage of labor, even in cases without uterine hypertonicity.

Do objective urodynamic or clinical findings determine impact of urinary incontinence or its treatment on quality of life?

OBJECTIVES: To correlate the clinical and urodynamic parameters with two measures of incontinence-specific quality of life (QOL), to describe the changes in those measures after treatment, and to explore the factors determining these changes. METHODS: A total of 82 incontinent women (mean age 52 years, range 28 to 80) underwent urodynamics testing and a 48-hour pad test. They also completed the frequency/volume chart, estimated the degree of bother from urinary incontinence using the visual analog scale (VAS), and completed a validated QOL instrument--the Urinary Incontinence Severity Score (UISS). Sixty-nine women were re-evaluated 13 months (range 6 to 21) after treatment. RESULTS: A greater degree of disability from urinary incontinence as measured by the VAS correlated with a lower maximal urethral closure pressure (r = -0.29, P <0.01), greater detrusor pressure (r = 0.30, P <0.05), and amount of urine leakage (r = 0.46, P <0.001). The UISS correlated poorly with the urodynamic and frequency/volume chart findings. A greater amount of urine leakage was the best predictor of QOL impairment as measured by the UISS (beta 0.25; P = 0.034). The change in urine leakage best predicted the change in the UISS (beta 0.30; P = 0.024) and the change in the VAS (beta 0.48; P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The response to the question "How bothered are you by incontinence at this moment?" best reflects the severity of urinary incontinence measured objectively. Urodynamic parameters correlated poorly with incontinence-specific QOL measure. Of the clinical objective measures of the severity of urinary incontinence, the amount of leakage in the pad test was the best, although modest, predictor of QOL impairment. The change in urine leakage best predicted the change in QOL scores and VAS 1 year after beginning treatment.