Maternal and umbilical cord blood levels of leptin in pre-eclamptic and healthy pregnant women: A comparative cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Pre-eclampsia is a multi-systemic disease with its attendant increased maternal and perinatal morbidities and mortality. It has been hypothesized that leptin contributes immensely to the natural history of pre-eclampsia. However, there is considerable disagreement in the reports of existing research work on the link between fetomaternal serum leptin levels and pre-eclampsia. OBJECTIVE: To determine and compare the maternal and umbilical cord sera levels of leptin in women with pre-eclampsia and healthy pregnant women. STUDY DESIGN: This is an analytical cross-sectional study. METHODS: The study involved consenting 120 pregnant participants (60 on each arm). Pregnant women diagnosed with pre-eclampsia constituted the investigation group, while the controls were normotensive pregnant women. They were matched for maternal age and body mass index. Venous blood specimens were obtained from the participants for assessment of the serum leptin concentration while umbilical cord blood samples were obtained following delivery of the neonate in advance of the removal of the placenta. The collected blood samples were analysed for the levels of leptin in a blinded pattern. The primary outcome measures were maternal serum leptin levels and umbilical cord serum leptin levels. RESULTS: Mean maternal serum leptin concentration in the pre-eclampsia group was significantly higher than that in the control group (24.88 ± 3.92 vs. 15.03 ± 2.98ng/mL, p < 0.001). Similarly, maternal serum leptin concentration was significantly higher in participants with severe pre-eclampsia compared with those with mild pre-eclampsia (25.91 ± 3.5 vs. 22.83 ± 4.02ng/mL, p = 0.003). However, the mean umbilical cord serum leptin level in the pre-eclampsia group was significantly lower than in the control group (6.43 ± 2.08 vs. 7.27 ± 2.24; p = 0.034). There was a weak positive correlation between maternal serum leptin level and neonatal umbilical serum leptin level in the pre-eclamptic group (r = 0.21, p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Maternal serum leptin concentration is significantly increased in women with pre-eclampsia, compared with their normotensive counterparts. This increase becomes even more pronounced as the severity of the disease progresses. Maternal serum leptin assessment has the potential to become a veritable tool in the diagnosis and monitoring of pregnancies complicated by pre-eclampsia.

Exploring the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Healthy Pregnant Women Towards Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in Nigeria.

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is a major public health issue and a threat to the well-being of a mother and her offspring. As a growing concern in sub-Saharan Africa, this paper explores the knowledge, attitude, and practices of healthy expectant mothers towards GDM, and the content of GDM information delivered by prenatal nurses during Antenatal Clinic (ANC) in Warri, Delta State, Nigeria. Semi-structured telephone interviews were employed with 22 participants comprising 20 pregnant women and 2 antenatal nurses. The results reveal that majority of the pregnant women were unaware of GDM as a particular health condition during pregnancy that poses a risk to both maternal and infant health and could lead to a long-term risk of developing the chronic condition of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). This low level of awareness was attributed to a lack of adequate information during prenatal clinic sessions. The findings from this study emphasize the need to enhance the quality of public health education offered to pregnant women during pre and antenatal clinical services emphasizing GDM as part of the overall global agenda on promoting maternal and infant health.

The relationship of probable clinical anxiety with attitude-behaviour, coping styles and social support in healthy pregnant women during the late period COVID-19 pandemic.

The aim of the study is to investigate the prevalence of state and trait probable clinical anxiety and their relationship with socio-demographic factors, attitude-behaviour, coping styles and social support level in high-risk pregnant women in the late period of COVID-19 pandemic. The pregnant women followed up in the gynaecological outpatient clinic were evaluated during their admissions. About 191 healthy pregnant women were included in the study. Data were collected using the socio-demographic and pregnancy attitude-behaviour data form, STAI (Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory), the Coping Styles Scale Brief Form (Brief-COPE) and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Our study found that pregnant women had high anxiety levels (STAI-S:37.90 ± 8.88; STAI-T:42.46 ± 7.80) and probable clinical anxiety prevalences (STAI-S:81(42.4%); STAI-T:123(64.4%)) in the late period of the COVID-19 pandemic. The fact that COVID-19 determined the preference of the birth method and the level of knowledge about COVID-19 predicted state probable clinical anxiety. Educational status, concern for COVID-19 transmission to the baby during pregnancy/birth, behavioural disengagement, focussing on and venting emotions predicted trait probable clinical anxiety. Our results have emphasised the factors that should be taken into account and coping styles that may be functional to protect the mental well-being of healthy pregnants.IMPACT STATEMENTWhat is already known on this subject? The COVID-19 pandemic has been shown to increase the symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression of the general population and healthcare workers. There is limited studies about pregnant women.What do the results of this study add? According to our study, we can say that approximately half of the pregnant women in a pandemic need psychiatric evaluation due to probable clinical anxiety. The relationship between anxiety in the pandemic process and birth preference has been shown and coping styles in healthy pregnant women have been investigated for the first time, effective and ineffective coping styles have been shown. In addition, it has been found that the social support of pregnant women is effective in managing the pandemic process.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? According to our current findings, a multidisciplinary approach in which pregnant women are screened with self-report psychiatry tests and appropriate pregnant women are consulted to psychiatry during pandemic processes will make it easier for obstetricians to manage the patient. Especially strengthening effective coping styles and social support will have a great effect in mental rehabilitation. In this respect, further studies on pregnant women are needed.

Effects on the maternal-fetal health outcomes of various physical activity types in healthy pregnant women. A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity (PA) promotes health in pregnancy. OBJECTIVE: To collate the recent randomized controlled trial (RCT) on the effects of various types of PA during pregnancy on maternal-fetal health outcomes, among healthy mothers, and to report the variability in the outcomes reported. SEARCH STRATEGY: Registered in PROSPERO (CRD42019143522). Systematic search conducted in EMBASE, CENTRAL, MEDLINE and CINAHL, from 2015-2020. SELECTION CRITERIA: RCT examining PA interventions and maternal-fetal outcomes. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Were independently extracted by two reviewers. Quality of studies was assessed with Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias tool. RESULTS: 37 studies (6857 women) were included. PA had a protective effect on gestational weight gain (overall SMD -0.32, 95 % CI -0.46, -0.17, I2 77 %; supervised exercise SMD -0.15, 95 % CI -0.28, -0.02, I2 51 %; static cycling SMD -0.32, 95 % CI -0.59, -0.05; I2 49 %), gestational diabetes (overall OR 0.65, 95 % CI: 0.43, 0.98, I2 48 %), and hypertensive disorders (overall OR 0.51, 95 % CI: 0.31, 0.83, I2 0%). CONCLUSIONS: PA in pregnancy had a preventive effect on weight gain, gestational diabetes, and hypertensive disorders. Supervised exercise and static cycling had a protective effect on gestational weight gain. Variation in outcomes reported suggest establishing a core outcome set.

International values for haemoglobin distributions in healthy pregnant women.

BACKGROUND: Anaemia in pregnancy is a global health problem with associated morbidity and mortality. METHODS: A secondary analysis of prospective, population-based study from 2009 to 2016 to generate maternal haemoglobin normative centiles in uncomplicated pregnancies in women receiving optimal antenatal care. Pregnant women were enrolled <14 weeks' gestation in the Fetal Growth Longitudinal Study (FGLS) of the INTERGROWTH-21st Project which involved eight geographically diverse urban areas in Brazil, China, India, Italy, Kenya, Oman, United Kingdom and United States. At each 5 ± 1 weekly visit until delivery, information was collected about the pregnancy, as well as the results of blood tests taken as part of routine antenatal care that complemented the study's requirements, including haemoglobin values. FINDINGS: A total of 3502 (81%) of 4321 women who delivered a live, singleton newborn with no visible congenital anomalies, contributed at least one haemoglobin value. Median haemoglobin concentrations ranged from 114.6 to 121.4 g/L, 94 to 103 g/L at the 3rd centile, and from 135 to 141 g/L at the 97th centile. The lowest values were seen between 31 and 32 weeks' gestation, representing a mean drop of 6.8 g/L compared to 14 weeks' gestation. The percentage variation in maternal haemoglobin within-site was 47% of the total variance compared to 13% between sites. INTERPRETATION: We have generated International, gestational age-specific, smoothed centiles for maternal haemoglobin concentration compatible with better pregnancy outcomes, as well as adequate neonatal and early childhood morbidity, growth and development up to 2 years of age. FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Grant number 49038.

The dynamics of vaginal and rectal Lactobacillus spp. flora in subsequent trimesters of pregnancy in healthy Polish women, assessed using the Sanger sequencing method.

BACKGROUND: Lactobacilli play an important role in maintaining vaginal health and protection against bacterial infections in the genital tract. The aim of this study is to show the dynamics of changes of the vaginal and rectal Lactobacillus flora during pregnancy by using the Sanger sequencing method. METHOD: The study included 31 healthy pregnant women without clinical signs of genitourinary infections. The material was taken in the three trimesters of pregnancy by vaginal and rectal swabs and grown on the MRS agar quantitatively to estimate the number of Lactobacillus spp. [CFU/ml]. Afterwards, 3 to 8 morphologically different lactobacilli colonies were taken for identification. Bacterial species identification was performed by 16 s rDNA sequence fragment analyses using the Sanger method. RESULTS: Among the patients tested, the most common species colonizing the vagina in the first trimester were: L. crispatus 29%, L. gasseri 19.4% and L. rhamnosus 16.1%, in the second trimester: L. crispatus 51.6%, L. gasseri 25.8%, L. rhamnosus 19.4% and L. amylovorus 16.1%, and in the third trimester the most common Lactobacillus species were: L. crispatus 25.8%, L. gasseri 25.8% and L. johnsonii 19.4%. In rectal species, the number decreased in the second and third trimesters in comparison to the first trimester (p = 0.003). An analysis of rectal dynamics showed that in the first trimester, the most common species were: L. johnsonii 19.4%, and L. plantarum 9.7%, in the second trimester: L. crispatus 9.7% and L. mucosae 6.5%, and in the third trimester: L. casei 9.7% and L. rhamnosus 9.7%. Individual dynamics of the Lactobacillus species composition showed variability, characterized by continuous, intermittent, or periodic colonization. The patients examined were mostly colonized by three Lactobacillus species in vagina (32.3%), whereas for the rectum, one Lactobacillus species during the whole pregnancy duration was common (32.3%). CONCLUSION: This study showed that in the examined group of healthy, pregnant Polish women, the vaginal Lactobacillus flora, both qualitative and quantitative, was stable during the three subsequent trimesters. In contrast, the number of rectal Lactobacillus species dramatically decreased after the first trimester.

Nitric Oxide and Pre-Eclampsia: A Comparative Study in Ghana.

BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia is one of the commonest aetiologies of foetal and maternal mortality and morbidity. Though common, the aetiology of preeclampsia has remained unknown with several inconclusive theories surrounding the disease. Recent studies have implicated vascular endothelial dysfunction and possibly nitric oxide in preeclampsia. AIM: To compare plasma nitric oxide levels in pre-eclampsia and healthy pregnant women in a large tertiary hospital in Ghana. METHODS: This was a case-control study conducted among pre-eclampsia and healthy pregnant women in Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital over a four-month period. Thirty (30) pre-eclamptic and 30 healthy pregnant women aged 18-35 years with over 30 weeks' gestation were consecutively recruited into the study after obtaining informed consent. Plasma nitric oxide levels were determined using the Griess Reagent system. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 20.0 and results were compared using the independent t-test. A P-value of ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The parity and body mass index (BMI) of the participants were similar. There was a significant difference in the blood pressure of the pre-eclamptic compared to healthy pregnant women. There was no statistically significant difference (P-value = 0.160) in the plasma levels of nitric oxide in pre-eclamptic (Mean = 1178.78; SD = 89.70 nM) compared to healthy pregnant women (Mean = 1365.43; SD = 95.46 nM). CONCLUSION: Plasma nitric oxide levels may not play a significant role in the aetiology of pre-eclampsia.

Falsa reactividad serológica en gestantes portadoras sanas de sicklemia / False serologic reactivity in healthy pregnant women with sickle cell anemia

Se presenta el caso de una embarazada perteneciente a un consultorio médico de familia del Policlínico Flores Betancourt, municipio Artemisa; la cual desconocía su estado de portadora sana de Hemoglobina S, con resultados serológicos débil reactivos durante toda su gestación y aún después de esta, sin elementos clínicos ni epidemiológicos que hicieran considerar una sífilis en el embarazo. Se procedió a estudiar las causas agudas y crónicas, más conocidas en nuestro medio como falsas reactivas, arribándose a conclusiones novedosas, hasta ahora no referidas en reportes nacionales o internacionales, con respecto a la relación existente entre el estado de portador sano de siclemia y el resultado serológico Falso Reactivo(AU)

The case of a pregnant woman is presented here. She was patient of a family doctor's office at Flores Betancourt Polyclinic in Artemisa municipality. This patient did not know her state of healthy carrier of Hemoglobin S, with weak reactive serologic results throughout her pregnancy and even afterwards. No clinical or epidemiological elements would lead to consider syphilis in pregnancy. The best known acute and chronic causes in our environment were studied as false reactive, reaching to new findings, so far not referred in national or international reports, regarding the relationship between the state of healthy carrier of sicklemia and false reagent serology(AU)

Falsa reactividad serológica en gestantes portadoras sanas de sicklemia / False serologic reactivity in healthy pregnant women with sickle cell anemia

Se presenta el caso de una embarazada perteneciente a un consultorio médico de familia del Policlínico Flores Betancourt, municipio Artemisa; la cual desconocía su estado de portadora sana de Hemoglobina S, con resultados serológicos débil reactivos durante toda su gestación y aún después de esta, sin elementos clínicos ni epidemiológicos que hicieran considerar una sífilis en el embarazo. Se procedió a estudiar las causas agudas y crónicas, más conocidas en nuestro medio como falsas reactivas, arribándose a conclusiones novedosas, hasta ahora no referidas en reportes nacionales o internacionales, con respecto a la relación existente entre el estado de portador sano de siclemia y el resultado serológico Falso Reactivo(AU)

The case of a pregnant woman is presented here. She was patient of a family doctor's office at Flores Betancourt Polyclinic in Artemisa municipality. This patient did not know her state of healthy carrier of Hemoglobin S, with weak reactive serologic results throughout her pregnancy and even afterwards. No clinical or epidemiological elements would lead to consider syphilis in pregnancy. The best known acute and chronic causes in our environment were studied as false reactive, reaching to new findings, so far not referred in national or international reports, regarding the relationship between the state of healthy carrier of sicklemia and false reagent serology(AU)

Effect of general intervention on the psychological state alleviation of healthy pregnant women / 中国实用护理杂志

Objective To explore the effect of general intervention in improving the psychological condition of healthy pregnant women. Methods Totally 96 pregnant women who made prenatal visits in our obstetrics and outpatient department were divided into the control and the intervention group stochasti-cally. The intervention group started from first prenatal visit. The general intervention measures included cognitive intervention, the behavioral intervention, family coping intervention and psychological intervention with self-designed relaxation exercises. While conventional prenatal visit, propaganda and nursing were im-plemented to the control group.Self-made general questionnaire and symptom checklist 90 (SCL-90)were used to survey and analyze the results. Results Post-natal depression and anxiety of the control group was obviously higher than that of the prenatal. The Post-natal obsessive-compulsive symptom, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, hostility, terror and bigotry in the intervention group were greatly alleviated. Com-pared with the control group, obsessive-compulsive symptom, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, hostility and terror of the intervention group were significantly different (P<0.05). The depression improved while the difference was not evidently differenL Conclusions Delivery had great influence on the psychological status of women,especially anxiety and depression. General intervention measures like psychological relax-ation exercises can improve the psychological condition of healthy pregnant women obviously,especially de-pression.