2023 ACR/EULAR classification criteria in existing research cohorts: an international study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of the updated ACR/EULAR APS classification criteria on two large research cohorts. METHODS: Consecutive patients who tested persistently positive for at least one aPL in the last three years were enrolled. The first APS Sydney index event was considered and computed for the comparison between Sydney and 2023 APS criteria. When computing the 2023 APS criteria, additional manifestations were also considered. RESULTS: The cohort comprised 249 patients (185 with APS and 64 aPL carriers according to Sydney criteria). The 185 patients had as first index event venous thrombosis in 55 cases (29.8%), arterial thrombosis in 63 (34%) and pregnancy morbidity in 67 (36.2%). When applying the updated criteria, 90 subjects (48.7%) failed to reach the composite score of the new criteria. The percentage of thrombotic APS per Sydney criteria decreased from 47.3% to 34.9% because of high cardiovascular risk in 23 cases, IgM aPL profile in six cases and in two patients for both reasons. Patients with pregnancy morbidity decreased from 26.9% to 3.2% (39 cases of recurrent early pregnancy loss and 20 of fetal losses). Consequently, the percentage of aPL carriers increased from 26% to 61%. When looking at the disease evolution at follow-up, 32 additional patients out of 90 (35.6%) fulfilled the new APS criteria, after developing additional clinical manifestation following index event. CONCLUSION: When applying the new APS criteria to our research cohorts, not-negligible differences exist in patients' classification. A multidisciplinary approach will be mandatory to assess the impact of the new criteria on research and, ultimately, patients' care.

Development of standard definitions and grading for Maternal and Fetal Adverse Event Terminology.

OBJECTIVE: Adverse event (AE) monitoring is central to assessing therapeutic safety. The lack of a comprehensive framework to define and grade maternal and fetal AEs in pregnancy trials severely limits understanding risks in pregnant women. We created AE terminology to improve safety monitoring for developing pregnancy drugs, devices and interventions. METHOD: Existing severity grading for pregnant AEs and definitions/indicators of 'severe' and 'life-threatening' conditions relevant to maternal and fetal clinical trials were identified through a literature search. An international multidisciplinary group identified and filled gaps in definitions and severity grading using Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) terms and severity grading criteria based on Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Event (CTCAE) generic structure. The draft criteria underwent two rounds of a modified Delphi process with international fetal therapy, obstetric, neonatal, industry experts, patients and patient representatives. RESULTS: Fetal AEs were defined as being diagnosable in utero with potential to harm the fetus, and were integrated into MedDRA. AE severity was graded independently for the pregnant woman and her fetus. Maternal (n = 12) and fetal (n = 19) AE definitions and severity grading criteria were developed and ratified by consensus. CONCLUSIONS: This Maternal and Fetal AE Terminology version 1.0 allows systematic consistent AE assessment in pregnancy trials to improve safety.

Systematic classification of maternal and fetal intervention-related complications following open fetal myelomeningocele repair - results from a large prospective cohort.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically categorise all maternal and fetal intervention-related complications after open fetal myelomeningocele (fMMC) repair of the first 124 cases operated at the Zurich Centre for Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy. DESIGN: A prospective cohort study. SETTING: Single centre. POPULATION: Mothers and fetuses after fMMC repair. METHODS: Between 2010 and 2019, we collected and entered all maternal complications following fMMC repair into the Clavien-Dindo classification. For fetal complications, a classification system based on the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities terminology of Adverse Events was used including the preterm definitions of the World Health Organization. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Systematic classification of maternal and fetal complications following fMMC repair. RESULTS: Gestational ages at surgery and birth were 25.0 ± 0.8 and 35.4 ± 2.0 weeks, respectively. In 17% of all cases, no maternal complications occurred. Maternal intervention-related complications were observed as follows: 69% grade 1, 36% grade 2, 25% grade 3, 6% grade 4 and 0% grade 5. In 34%, no fetal complications were noted; however, 43% of the fetuses developed a grade 1, 14% a grade 2, 8% a grade 3, 2% a grade 4 and 2% a grade 5 complication. CONCLUSION: This study raises awareness of complications following open fMMC repair; 6% of mothers and 2% of fetuses experienced a severe complication (grade 4) and perinatal death rate of 2% was observed (grade 5). These data are useful for prenatal counselling, they help to improve the system of fetal surgical care, and they allow benchmarking with other centres as well as comparison with fetoscopic approaches. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Systematic classification of all maternal and fetal intervention-related complications following open fMMC repair.

Fetal growth restriction as the initial finding of preeclampsia is a clinical predictor of maternal and neonatal prognoses: a single-center retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia (PE) is a hypertensive disorder specific to pregnancy that can cause severe maternal-neonatal complications. The International Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy revised the PE criteria in 2018; a PE diagnosis can be established in the absence of proteinuria when organ or uteroplacental dysfunction occurs. The initial findings of PE (IFsPE) at the first diagnosis can vary considerably across patients. However, the impacts of different IFsPE on patient prognoses have not been reported. Thus, we investigate the predictors of pregnancy complications and adverse pregnancy outcomes based on IFsPE according to the new criteria. METHODS: This retrospective study included 3729 women who delivered at our hospital between 2015 and 2019. All women were reclassified based on the new PE criteria and divided into three groups based on the IFsPE: Classification 1 (C-1), proteinuria (classical criteria); Classification 2 (C-2), damage to other maternal organs; and Classification 3 (C-3), uteroplacental dysfunction. Pregnancy complications and adverse pregnancy outcomes were assessed and compared among the three groups. RESULTS: In total, 104 women with PE were included. Of those, 42 (40.4%), 28 (26.9%), and 34 (32.7%) were assigned to C-1, C-2, and C-3 groups, respectively. No significant differences in maternal characteristics were detected among the three groups, except for gestational age at PE diagnosis (C-1, 35.5 ± 3.0 weeks; C-2, 35.2 ± 3.6 weeks; C-3, 31.6 ± 4.6 weeks, p <  0.01). The rates of premature birth at < 37 weeks of gestation, fetal growth restriction (FGR), and neonatal acidosis were significantly higher in the C-3 group compared to the C-1 and C-2 groups. Additionally, the composite adverse pregnancy outcomes of the C-3 group compared with C-1 and C-2 represented a significantly higher number of patients. CONCLUSIONS: PE patients with uteroplacental dysfunction as IFsPE had the most unfavorable prognoses for premature birth, FGR, acidosis, and composite adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Adenomyosis and infertility: the role of the junctional zone.

OBJECTIVE: Adenomyosis is a benign uterine disorder characterized by the invasion of the endometrium within the myometrium, starting from the junctional zone (JZ), the inner hormone dependent layer of the myometrium that plays an important role in sperm transport, implantation and placentation. The resulting histological abnormalities and functional defects may represent the pathogenic substrate for infertility and pregnancy complications. The objective of this paper is to review the literature to evaluate the correlation between inner myometrium alterations and infertility and to assess the role of JZ in the origin of adverse obstetric outcomes of both spontaneous and in vitro fertilization (IVF) pregnancies. METHODS: we searched Pubmed for all original and review articles in the English language from January1962 until December 2019, using the MeSH terms of 'adenomyosis', 'junctional zone', combined with 'infertility', 'obstetrical outcomes', 'spontaneous conception', 'in vitro fertilization' and 'classification'. The review was divided into three sections to assess this pathogenic correlation, evaluating also the importance of classification of the disease. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Absent or incomplete remodeling of the JZ can affect uterine peristalsis, alter vascular plasticity of the spiral arteries and activate inflammatory pathways, all related to adverse obstetric outcomes. Despite these observations, there is still limited evidence whether adenomyosis is a cause of infertility. However, it is reasonable to screen patients for adenomyosis, to consider pregnant women with diffuse adenomyosis at high risk of adverse obstetric outcomes, and to evaluate the importance of a noninvasive validated classification in the management of women with adenomyosis.

Use of the Robson Classification System to Assess Cesarean Delivery Rate in a Tertiary Hospital in the Basque Country.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the rate of cesarean delivery at Basurto University Hospital (Bilbao, Spain) between 2015 and 2017 and to determine the cause of an increase in this rate during 2017. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 6975 deliveries between 2015 and 2017, classifying women using the Robson classification. We analyzed extended perinatal mortality and perinatal outcomes during the study period and performed a comparative analysis of cesarean deliveries by year and Robson group. Comparisons were made with analysis of variance and χ2 or Fisher's exact tests. RESULTS: During the study period, 928 cesarean deliveries (13.3%) were performed. Extended perinatal mortality in this period was 7.0%. We detected an increase in the rate of cesarean delivery in 2017 in Group 1 women (P = 0.0224), with significant differences in the homogeneity of the distribution of cesarean deliveries performed for fetal distress between years in this group (P = 0.0093). Auditing the cases of cesareans performed for fetal distress in Group 1 in 2017, we found that the indication was appropriate in all cases, but in 39.4%, the management of uterine contractions during labour was considered suboptimal. CONCLUSION: Classifying cesarean deliveries using the Robson classification allows us to compare cesarean rates in different years and analyze any increases in these rates. Increases are sometimes attributed to changes in the obstetric population, but when investigated may be found to be related to potentially correctable problems. It is not necessary to have a high rate of cesarean delivery to warrant internal audit.

Implications of the vaginal microbiome and potential restorative strategies on maternal health: a narrative review.

The vaginal microbiome undergoes dramatic shifts before and throughout pregnancy. Although the genetic and environmental factors that regulate the vaginal microbiome have yet to be fully elucidated, high-throughput sequencing has provided an unprecedented opportunity to interrogate the vaginal microbiome as a potential source of next-generation therapeutics. Accumulating data demonstrates that vaginal health during pregnancy includes commensal bacteria such as Lactobacillus that serve to reduce pH and prevent pathogenic invasion. Vaginal microbes have been studied as contributors to several conditions occurring before and during pregnancy, and an emerging topic in women's health is finding ways to alter and restore the vaginal microbiome. Among these restorations, perhaps the most significant effect could be preterm labor (PTL) prevention. Since bacterial vaginosis (BV) is known to increase risk of PTL, and vaginal and oral probiotics are effective as supplemental treatments for BV prevention, a potential therapeutic benefit exists for pregnant women at risk of PTL. A new method of restoration, vaginal microbiome transplants (VMTs) involves transfer of one women's cervicovaginal secretions to another. New studies investigating recurrent BV will determine if VMTs can safely establish a healthy Lactobacillus-dominant vaginal microbiome. In most cases, caution must be taken in attributing a disease state and vaginal dysbiosis with a causal relationship, since the underlying reason for dysbiosis is usually unknown. This review focuses on the impact of vaginal microflora on maternal outcomes before and during pregnancy, including PTL, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and infertility. It then reviews the clinical evidence focused on vaginal restoration strategies, including VMTs.

Severe maternal morbidity surveillance: Monitoring pregnant women at high risk for prolonged hospitalisation and death.

BACKGROUND: There is no international consensus on the definition and components of severe maternal morbidity (SMM). OBJECTIVES: To propose a comprehensive definition of SMM, to create an empirically justified list of SMM types and subtypes, and to use this to examine SMM in Canada. METHODS: Severe maternal morbidity was defined as a set of heterogeneous maternal conditions known to be associated with severe illness and with prolonged hospitalisation or high case fatality. Candidate SMM types/subtypes were evaluated using information on all hospital deliveries in Canada (excluding Quebec), 2006-2015. SMM rates for 2012-2016 were quantified as a composite and as SMM types/subtypes. Rate ratios and population attributable fractions (PAF) associated with overall and specific SMM types/subtypes were estimated in relation to length of hospital stay (LOS > 7 days) and case fatality. RESULTS: There were 22 799 cases of SMM subtypes (among 1 418 545 deliveries) that were associated with a prolonged LOS or high case fatality. Between 2012 and 2016, the composite SMM rate was 16.1 (95% confidence interval [CI] 15.9, 16.3) per 1000 deliveries. Severe pre-eclampsia and HELLP syndrome (514.6 per 100 000 deliveries), and severe postpartum haemorrhage (433.2 per 100 000 deliveries) were the most common SMM types, while case fatality rates among SMM subtypes were highest among women who had cardiac arrest and resuscitation (241.1 per 1000), hepatic failure (147.1 per 1000), dialysis (67.6 per 1000), and cerebrovascular accident/stroke (51.0 per 1000). The PAF for prolonged hospital stay related to SMM was 17.8% (95% CI 17.3, 18.3), while the PAF for maternal death associated with SMM was 88.0% (95% CI 74.6, 94.4). CONCLUSIONS: The proposed definition of SMM and associated list of SMM subtypes could be used for standardised SMM surveillance, with rate ratios and PAFs associated with specific SMM types/subtypes serving to inform clinical practice and public health policy.

Estimating the obstetric co-morbidity burden using administrative data: The impact of the pregnancy-related assessment window.

BACKGROUND: Despite increased research using large administrative databases to identify determinants of maternal morbidity and mortality, the extent to which these databases capture obstetric co-morbidities is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact that the time window used to assess obstetric co-morbidities has on the completeness of ascertainment of those co-morbidities. METHODS: We conducted a five-year analysis of inpatient hospitalisations of pregnant women from 2010-2014 using the Nationwide Readmissions Database. For each woman, using discharge diagnoses, we identified 24 conditions used to create the Obstetric Comorbidity Index. Using various assessment windows for capturing obstetric co-morbidities, including the delivery hospitalisation only and all weekly windows from 7 to 280 days, we calculated the frequency and rate of each co-morbidity and the degree of underascertainment of the co-morbidity. Under each scenario, and for each co-morbidity, we also calculated the all-cause, 30-day readmission rate. RESULTS: There were over 3 million delivery hospitalisations from 2010 to 2014 included in this analysis. Compared with a full 280-day window, assessment of obstetric co-morbidities using only diagnoses made during the delivery hospitalisation would result in failing to identify over 35% of cases of chronic renal disease, 28.5% cases in which alcohol abuse was documented during pregnancy, and 23.1% of women with pulmonary hypertension. For seven other co-morbidities, at least 1 in 20 women with that condition would have been missed with exclusive reliance on the delivery hospitalisation for co-morbidity diagnoses. Not only would reliance on delivery hospitalisations have resulted in missed cases of co-morbidities, but for many conditions, estimates of readmission rates for women with obstetric co-morbidities would have been underestimated. CONCLUSIONS: An increasing proportion of maternal and child health research is based on large administrative databases. This study provides data that facilitate the assessment of the degree to which important obstetric co-morbidities may be underascertained when using these databases.

Monitoring severe acute maternal morbidity across Europe: A feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: Monitoring severe acute maternal morbidity (SAMM) appears essential for optimising care and informing health care policies, especially given changes in obstetric practices and mother profiles. International comparisons can identify areas where improvement is needed, but the comparability of indicators must be evaluated. OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility of monitoring SAMM using common definitions from hospital discharge databases across Europe. METHODS: We used hospital discharge data in eight countries (2 826 868 deliveries) to identify women with SAMM among all hospitalisations of women of reproductive age admitted for antenatal or delivery care. Five SAMM indicators were investigated: eclampsia, septicaemia, hysterectomy, hysterectomy associated with a diagnosis of obstetric haemorrhage, and red blood cell (RBC) transfusion associated with a diagnosis of obstetric haemorrhage. Between-country variation was described, by the ratio of the highest to lowest rates, while external validation was assessed by comparing with population-based studies on maternal morbidity. RESULTS: Ratios for hysterectomy and red blood cell (RBC) transfusion in the context of obstetric haemorrhage were 1:2.1 and 1:3.5, respectively. High values of hysterectomy and low values of transfusion were both consistent with high maternal mortality from haemorrhage (France, Italy, Portugal). Ratios across countries were relatively low for eclampsia (1:3.4) but very high for septicaemia (1:22.5). Compared to population-based morbidity estimates, eclampsia was over-reported in hospital databases whereas the two indicators of severe haemorrhage had good external validity. CONCLUSIONS: In association with diagnosis codes indicating obstetric haemorrhage, hysterectomy and RBC transfusion appear to be good candidates for surveillance of maternal morbidity in Europe.

Cause of intrauterine and neonatal death in twin pregnancies (CoDiT): development of a novel classification system.

OBJECTIVE: Twin pregnancies have a significantly higher perinatal mortality than singleton pregnancies. Current classification systems for perinatal death lack twin-specific categories, potentially leading to loss of important information regarding cause of death. We introduce and test a classification system designed to assign a cause of death in twin pregnancies (CoDiT). DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional study. SETTING: Tertiary maternity unit in England with a perinatal pathology service. POPULATION: Twin pregnancies in the West Midlands affected by fetal or neonatal demise of one or both twins between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2016 in which postmortem examination was undertaken. METHODS: A multidisciplinary panel designed CoDiT by adapting the most appropriate elements of singleton classification systems. The system was tested by assigning cause of death in 265 fetal and neonatal deaths from 144 twin pregnancies. Cause of death was validated by another obstetrician blinded to the original classification. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Inter-rater, intra-rater, inter-disciplinary agreement and cause of death. RESULTS: Cohen's Kappa demonstrated 'strong' (>0.8) inter-rater, intra-rater and inter-disciplinary agreement (95% CI 0.70-0.91). The commonest cause of death irrespective of chorionicity was the placenta; twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) was the commonest placental cause in monochorionic twins and acute chorioamnionitis in dichorionic twins. CONCLUSIONS: This novel classification system records causes of death in twin pregnancies from postmortem reports with high inter-user agreement. We highlight differences in aetiology of death between monochorionic and dichorionic twins. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: New classification system for #twin cause of death 'CoDiT' shows high rater agreement.

Intraoperative Fetal Monitoring for Nonobstetric Surgery.

Necessary nonobstetric surgical procedures should not be withheld from pregnant women for fear of risks to the women and their pregnancies; however, careful preoperative planning should be undertaken to mitigate risks that may be present. Fetal monitoring recommendations will be dependent on the woman's preferences, gestational age of the pregnancy, and situational-specific risks (including anticipated risk of cardiovascular instability). Some fetal heart rate changes (lower baseline, less variability) can be anticipated, depending on anesthetic agents utilized during the procedure, and should not routinely prompt delivery.

Anesthesia for Nonobstetric Surgery in Pregnancy.

Nonobstetric surgery during pregnancy occurs in 1% to 2% of pregnant women. Physiologic changes during pregnancy may have an impact when anesthesia is needed. Anesthetic agents commonly used during pregnancy are not associated with teratogenic effects in clinical doses. Surgery-related risks of miscarriage and prematurity need to be elucidated with well-designed studies. Recommended practices include individualized use of intraoperative fetal monitoring and multidisciplinary planning to address the timing and type of surgery, anesthetic technique, pain management, and thromboprophylaxis. Emergency procedures should be performed immediately and elective surgery should be deferred during pregnancy.

Incidence, causes and correlates of maternal near-miss morbidity: a multi-centre cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the incidence and factors associated with maternal near-miss. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study with an embedded case-control study. SETTING: Three tertiary referral hospitals in southern Ghana. POPULATION: All women admitted to study facilities with pregnancy-related complications or for birth. METHODS: An adapted version of the WHO Maternal Near Miss Screening Tool was used to identify maternal near-miss cases. These were compared with unmatched controls (uncomplicated deliveries) in a ratio of 1:2. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence of maternal near-miss, maternal near-miss to maternal mortality ratio, and cause of and factors associated with maternal near-miss. RESULTS: Out of 8433 live births, 288 maternal near-miss cases and 62 maternal deaths were identified. In all, 454 healthy controls were recruited for comparison. Maternal near-miss and maternal death incidence ratios were 34.2 (95% CI 30.2-38.1) and 7.4 (95% CI 5.5-9.2) per 1000 live births, respectively with a maternal near-miss to mortality ratio of 4.6:1. Cause of near-miss was pre-eclampsia/eclampsia (41.0%), haemorrhage (12.2%), maternal sepsis (11.1%) and ruptured uterus (4.2%). A major factor associated with maternal near-miss was maternal fever within the 7 days before birth (OR 5.95, 95%CI 3.754-9.424). Spontaneous onset of labour was protective against near-miss (OR 0.09 95% CI 0.057-0.141). CONCLUSION: For every maternal death, there were nearly five maternal near-misses. Women having a fever in the 7 days before delivery were six times more likely to experience a near-miss than women not having fever. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Maternal near-miss exceeds maternal death by 5:1, with the leading cause of maternal near-miss was pre-eclampsia/eclampsia.

A Prediction Model for Severe Maternal Morbidity in Laboring Patients at Term.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the factors associated with severe maternal morbidity in a modern cohort of women laboring at term and to create a prediction model. STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective cohort study of all term, laboring patients with live births at a single tertiary care center from 2004 to 2014. The primary outcome was composite maternal morbidity including organ failure, amniotic fluid embolism, anesthesia complications, sepsis, shock, thrombotic events, transfusion, or hysterectomy. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify independent risk factors. Antepartum, intrapartum, and combined risk scores were created and test characteristics were analyzed. RESULTS: Among 19,249 women delivering during the study period, 323 (1.68%) patients experienced severe morbidity, with blood transfusion the most common complication (286, 1.49%). Factors in the antepartum model included advanced maternal age, race, hypertension, nulliparity, history of cesarean delivery, smoking, and unfavorable Bishop score. Intrapartum factors included mode of delivery, use of cervical ripening agents or oxytocin, prolonged second stage, and macrosomia. The combined model had an area under the curve of 0.76 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.73, 0.79). CONCLUSION: This three-part risk scoring system can help clinicians counsel patients and guide clinical decision making for anticipating severe maternal morbidity and necessary resources.

Urinary incontinence in nulliparous women before and during pregnancy: prevalence, incidence, type, and risk factors.

INTRODUCTION: While many women report urinary incontinence (UI) during pregnancy, associations with pre-pregnancy urinary leakage remain under-explained. METHODS: We performed a multi-strand prospective cohort study with 860 nulliparous women recruited during pregnancy. RESULTS: Prevalence of any urinary leakage was 34.8% before and 38.7% during pregnancy. Prevalence of UI, leaking urine at least once per month, was 7.2% and 17.7% respectively. Mixed urinary incontinence (MUI) was reported by 59.7% of women before and 58.8% during pregnancy, stress urinary incontinence (SUI) by 22.6% and 37.2%, and urge urinary incontinence (UUI) by 17.7% and 4.0%, respectively. SUI accounted for half (50.0%), MUI for less than half (44.2%), and UUI for 5.8% of new-onset UI in pregnancy. Pre-pregnancy UI was significantly associated with childhood enuresis [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 2.9, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.5-5.6, p = 0.001) and a body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2 (AOR 4.2, 95% CI 1.9-9.4, p <0.001). Women aged ≥35 years (AOR 2.8, 95% CI 1.4-5.9, p = 0.005), women whose pre-pregnancy BMI was 25-29.99 kg/m2 (AOR 2.0, 95% CI 1.2-3.5, p = 0.01), and women who leaked urine less than once per month (AOR 2.6, 95% CI 1.6-4.1, p  <0.005) were significantly more likely to report new-onset UI in pregnancy. CONCLUSION: Considerable proportions of nulliparous women leak urine before and during pregnancy, and most ignore symptoms. Healthcare professionals have several opportunities for promoting continence in all pregnant women, particularly in women with identifiable risk factors. If enquiry about UI, and offering advice on effective preventative and curative treatments, became routine in clinical practice, it is likely that some of these women could become or stay continent.

The first trimester aneuploidy biochemical markers in IVF/ICSI patients have no additional benefit compared to spontaneous conceptions in the prediction of pregnancy complications.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine if the levels of biochemical aneuploidy markers in in vitro fertilisation (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) pregnancies differ from those in spontaneous pregnancies and to verify if biochemical markers could predict pregnancy outcome in IVF/ICSI gestations. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study performed in a group of 551 patients who underwent a combined first trimester prenatal screening (ultrasound scan and serum markers). All patients were divided into two groups according to the mode of conception: IVF/ICSI pregnancies (study group) and spontaneous conceptions (control group). The concentrations of first trimester biochemical markers were presented as multiples of median (MoM) and were compared between the study and control groups. Analysed pregnancy complications included: preterm delivery (PTD), small for gestational age (SGA), gestational hypertension (GH), preeclampsia (PE) and gestational diabetes (GDM). RESULTS: The analysis was performed on 183 IVF/ICSI and 368 spontaneously conceived gestations, with complete data regarding obstetric outcome. There were no significant differences in the concentrations of biochemical markers between the analysed groups. Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) levels were lower in hypertensive than in normotensive patients, although the difference was not significant. Twenty-three patients had GDM (12.5%), 16 had GH or PE (8.7%), SGA was diagnosed in 18 (9.8%) and 25 delivered preterm (13.6%). CONCLUSIONS: The trend for lower PAPP-A MoM was visible in all affected patients, although the results did not reach statistical significance. The first trimester biochemical markers in assisted reproduction technique (ART) pregnancies do not seem to have additional effect on predicting the risk of pregnancy complications.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptom clusters differentially predict prenatal health behaviors in pregnant women.

OBJECTIVE: To date, most investigations of mental health in pregnant women have focused on depression or substance use. This study aimed to (a) delineate the relationships between symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and prenatal health behaviors and (b) explore whether the symptom clusters of ADHD differentially predict prenatal health behaviors (e.g., physical strain, healthy eating, prenatal vitamin use). METHOD: A total of 198 pregnant women (mean age = 27.94 years) completed measures of ADHD symptoms, prenatal health behaviors, and depression. RESULTS: Inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity/emotional lability all evidenced significant relationships with the prenatal health behaviors, each differentially predicting different prenatal health behaviors. CONCLUSION: As decreased engagement in adequate prenatal health behaviors puts both the mother and fetus at risk for negative birth outcomes, future research should work to develop a brief ADHD screen to be used in obstetric clinics and should investigate these relationships within a sample of women with a diagnosis of ADHD.

Maternal Mortality and Morbidity in the United States: Classification, Causes, Preventability, and Critical Care Obstetric Implications.

The United States has experienced a steady rise in pregnancy-related deaths over the last 3 decades. The rate of severe maternal morbidity has also increased. It is estimated that approximately 50% of maternal deaths are preventable. National, multidisciplinary, collaborative efforts are required to effectively address this problem. The complex nature of certain conditions and the concomitant risk of significant maternal morbidity and mortality have yielded a subset of women who require obstetric critical care. Institutions and clinicians face challenges as they identify a framework within which to provide this specialized level of care. Systematic, multidisciplinary review of maternal morbidity and mortality events continues to generate meaningful data and recommendations for improvement. The purpose of this article was to describe important concepts related to maternal mortality including the classification and leading causes of maternal death in the United States. The preventability of maternal mortality is also explored including evidence-based best practices and strategies.

Mothers at Risk: Factors Affecting Maternal Postpartum Length of Stay.

Perinatal complications linked to maternal comorbidities contribute to increased healthcare utilization through an extended postpartum length of stay (LOS). Understanding factors influencing postpartum LOS may minimize the adverse effects associated with comorbidities and complications. The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors with the greatest odds of increasing postpartum LOS. Linked 2008-2009 hospital discharge and birth certificate data were used to examine comorbidities and complication codes in 1 015 424 births. The overall rate for an extended LOS (vaginal: >5 days/cesarean: >6 days) was 3.63 per 1000 live births. Complications were present in 17% of pregnancies; multiple complications were seen in 1%. Chronic hypertension was associated with an extended stay for both vaginal and cesarean births (odds ratio [OR] = 5.89 [95% CI, 4.39-7.88]; OR = 3.57 [95% CI, 3.05-4.17], respectively). Puerperal infections (OR = 6.86 [95% CI, 5.73-8.21]), eclampsia (OR = 17.07 [95% CI, 13.76-21.17]), and transfusions (OR = 11.66 [95% CI, 9.20-14.75]) occurred most frequently and conferred the highest odds of an extended stay for vaginal births. Cerebrovascular conditions (OR = 15.32 [95% CI, 11.90-19.60]) and infection (OR = 15.35 [95% CI, 10.11-23.32]) conferred the highest odds of an extended LOS for cesarean births. The earlier risk factors are recognized, the sooner processes can be initiated to optimize organizational preparation, thus decreasing adverse maternal outcomes and extended hospital stays.