The Sexual and Parenting Rights of People with Physical and Psychical Disabilities: Attitudes of Italians and Socio-Demographic Factors Involved in Recognition and Denial.

The sexual and parenting rights (SPRs) of people with disabilities (PwDs) are under-recognized. Sociodemographic factors may influence attitudes towards them. The aims of this study were: (1) to analyze the levels of agreement of a sample of Italian people with some SPRs of PwDs; (2) to inquire if the SPRs of people with psychical disabilities (PwPSYDs) were less recognized than those with physical disabilities (PwPHDs); (3) to verify if sociodemographic characteristics associated with under-recognition. An online anonymous survey was distributed using non-random sampling methods to conduct an inquiry into the level of agreement with statements regarding the SPRs of PwPHDs and PwPSYDs to have satisfying sexuality, to marry, and to adopt children. Answers from 973 Italian participants, aged 18-84 years (71.1% females) were analyzed. At least 70% of respondents declared in favor of the SPRs of PwPHDs. The SPRs of PwPSYDs were always subjected to higher under-recognition. Religiosity, male sex, higher age, and lower education were the factors most often associated with being against the SPRs of PwDs. Improved identification of the less tolerant respondents and the less recognized categories may allow for specific strategies for promoting the recognition of the SPRs for PwDs.

Detailed fetal anatomy assessment in the first trimester at 11, 12 and 13 weeks of gestation.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present observational study was to evaluate the feasibility of a morphological scan and determine the detection rate of fetal organs, structures and systems in the first trimester of pregnancy. METHODS: 977 single pregnant women attending our Fetal Medicine Section to undergo first trimester screening for aneuploidies were enrolled and divided into three groups depending on gestational age and crown-rump-length measurement. Scans targeted on a total of 26 fetal anatomical structures were performed by a single operator. RESULTS: The overall detection rate was 96% at 11 weeks and reached 100% at 12 and 13 weeks, with a significant statistical difference between 11 and 12/13 weeks for the majority of the investigated fetal anatomical structures. CONCLUSIONS: Evaluation of most part of the fetal anatomical structures is feasible with high accuracy in the first trimester. Visualization of the majority of the targeted fetal organs improves from 11 to 13 weeks.

Does nuchal translucency thickness in the first trimester predict GDM onset during pregnancy?

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: This study was planned to evaluate whether increased nuchal translucency (NT) thickness in the first trimester of gestation can be related to onset of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) during pregnancy. METHODS: From January 2006 to August 2008, a group of 678 singleton pregnancies who had developed GDM has been selected as a study group among a total of 3966 pregnant women who had undergone first trimester screening for aneuploidies at 11-14 weeks of gestation. A group of 420 single pregnant women with physiological pregnancy were enrolled as control group. Both fetal structural and karyotype's anomalies were excluded in the two groups. NT was mesured by a Fetal Medicine Foundation certificated operator; GDM was diagnosed at 24-28 weeks of gestation following Carpenter and Coustan criteria. In the analyses of continuos variables, study and control group were compared by Student's t-test and Anova test. RESULTS: There was no significative difference (p = 0.585) between NT values in the study (mean = 1.56) and control group (mean = 1.54). CONCLUSIONS: NT thickness does not show a significative increase in those women who subsequently develop GDM. Therefore, NT assessment does not prove to be an useful ultrasound parameter for predicting GDM onset during pregnancy.