A standardized protocol to achieve normoglycaemia during labour and delivery in women with type 1 diabetes.

AIM: To evaluate a standardized protocol for maintaining near-normoglycaemia during labour and delivery in women with type 1 diabetes. METHODS: Over a nine-year period (1997-2005), 229 pregnancies in 174 women with type 1 diabetes were delivered at one centre. The same regimen was used for the induction of labour (group 1) and in women admitted in spontaneous labour (group 2): 10% dextrose (80ml/h) intravenous was given along with short-acting insulin, starting at 1IU/h intravenous via an infusion pump. Capillary blood glucose (CBG) was determined hourly, and the insulin infusion rate was modified accordingly. RESULTS: Labour was induced in 85 cases (37%) and spontaneous in 23 cases (10%), and an elective C-section was performed in 121 cases (53%). Maternal glycaemia during labour was 6.1+/-1.6 (range: 3.9-9.2)mmol/l in group 1, and 6.9+/-2.0 (range: 4.7-12.0)mmol/l in group 2. Maternal glycaemia at delivery was 5.8+/-1.5 (range: 3.4-9.4) and 6.3+/-1.9 (range: 4.1-11.4)mmol/l in groups 1 and 2, respectively. Women who underwent an elective C-section were not included in the standardized protocol and had higher glycaemia at delivery 7.1+/-2.0 (range: 2.7-13.5)mmol/l. Neonatal hypoglycaemia occurred in 30 infants (13%), and was only associated with preterm delivery. CONCLUSION: Using a standardized simple protocol during labour, maternal glycaemia was maintained within a near-normal range in 80-85% of cases.

High faecal calprotectin concentrations in newborn infants.

BACKGROUND: Calprotectin, a major component of soluble cytosolic proteins in human neutrophil granulocytes, is excreted in excess in stools during inflammatory bowel disease in adults and children. Faecal calprotectin concentrations are also higher during the first year of life than in adults. OBJECTIVES: To measure faecal calprotectin concentrations in the neonatal period and define reference values according to the mode of feeding: standard infant formula, prebiotic infant formula (Calisma, Blédina SA, France), or breast feeding. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective study was carried out over three months in 69 full term, healthy newborns with a median gestational age of 39.8 weeks (range 37-41.5) and a birth weight of 3300 g (range 2600-4460). Three groups were formed depending on the mode of feeding: group 1 (n = 18) received a standard infant formula, group 2 (n = 19) the prebiotic infant formula, and group 3 (n = 32) was breast fed. One stool sample was taken from each newborn on day 4 (3-7), and faecal calprotectin analysed using a commercial enzyme linked immunoassay (Calprest, Eurospital, Italy). RESULTS: Faecal calprotectin concentrations (median 167 micro g/g) were higher than reference values in healthy adults. The concentration was below the upper reference limit for adults (50 micro g/g) for three infants only, one fed the standard formula and two fed the prebiotic formula. Concentrations did not differ significantly according to method of feeding. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with healthy adults, newborns have high calprotectin concentrations in the first days of life. There is no obvious influence of the mode of feeding.

[Information recorded by maternity ward staff in permanent pediatric health records]. / Informations portées dans les carnets de santé en maternité.

OBJECTIVES: To study the frequency with which maternity ward staff complete the perinatal information section of infants' permanent pediatric health records. METHODS: In 2000, 71 pediatricians in private practice and on staff in a general pediatric ward in a tertiary hospital in Paris carried out an observational study to assess which indicators were reported at what rates. Pediatricians were also asked which information about the perinatal admission they would find helpful in these records. RESULTS: One thousand seven hundred and eighty-five pediatric health records were studied. The frequency of completed information varied from 5 to 100%, depending on the item. Of the items reported rarely, some, such as thoracic circumference, were obsolete, while others were very important (response to noise, light reflex). The new information desired by office-based pediatricians involved mainly risk factors for vertical infections (maternal fever during delivery, prolonged rupture of the membranes). CONCLUSION: Although the rate of completion of information in the pediatric health record was globally good, some important data should be reported more often (sensorial screening), while other items could be deleted. New information about the pregnancy and delivery would be useful.

Venous thromboembolism during pregnancy: a retrospective study of enoxaparin safety in 624 pregnancies.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the maternal, fetal and neonatal safety of enoxaparin in pregnant women who require antithrombotic therapy. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of case notes of women who received enoxaparin during pregnancy, irrespective of dose, duration and reason for treatment. SETTING: Fifty-five French perinatal centres. SAMPLE: Data from 624 pregnancies in 604 women between 1988 and 1997. The incidence of previous thromboembolism was 29.8%, known thrombophilia 15.2%. METHODS: Indication, regimen of enoxaparin and outcome measures were reported for each pregnancy. Information was obtained from case records, validated by research staff and analysed by an independent scientific committee. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence, seriousness and causality of maternal, fetal and neonatal adverse events, pregnancy outcome, and incidence of venous thromboembolism. RESULTS: Enoxaparin was administered for treatment of an acute episode in 49 cases and for thromboprophylaxis in 574 cases. Serious maternal haemorrhage occurred in 11 cases during pregnancy (1.8%), one being reasonably related to enoxaparin, and in nine cases at delivery (1.4%), all unrelated to enoxaparin. Maternal thrombocytopenia was reported in 10 cases (1.6%). two being serious but unrelated to enoxaparin. Eight pregnancies ended in stillbirth (1.1%). Among the 693 live births, 17 major congenital abnormalities (2.5%) and 10 serious neonatal haemorrhages (1.4%) were reported. None of the fetal or neonatal adverse events was related to enoxaparin. Eight venous thromboembolic events (1.3%) were reported. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of adverse events reported could be explained by the high risk profile of the study population. Overall, this retrospective study suggests enoxaparin is well tolerated during pregnancy.

Risk factors for severe esophageal and gastric lesions in term neonates: a case-control study. Groupe Francophone d'Hépato-Gastroentérologie et Nutrition Pédiatrique.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this multicenter case-control study was to search for causes and risk factors related to the severe upper digestive tract lesions often seen in neonates. METHODS: Case patients were full-term neonates with endoscopically confirmed severe bleeding or ulcerative lesions of the esophagus and/or stomach. Matched control subjects were the next infant born in the same maternity unit who met the same criteria and had no clinical abnormality (and, for ethical reasons, no endoscopy). The analysis was based on 137 case-control pairs and considered data showing the mothers' medical and obstetric background, the infants' clinical status and laboratory results, feeding details, and the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) questionnaire, which was used to assess the anxiety of the mothers. RESULTS: Cases and controls did not differ in any demographic or social factors. Antacid and anti-ulcer drugs were used significantly more frequently during the last month of pregnancy by case mothers than by control mothers (28% and 10%, respectively; P < 0.001). Mode of delivery was similar. Case infants more frequently experienced cardiac deceleration during labor and delivery (28% and 12.9%; P = 0.003). Breastfeeding at birth was less frequent for case infants (36% and 49%; P = 0.05). The mean trait anxiety scores did not differ between the two groups, but the mean state anxiety score was higher in case mothers. Multivariate logistic regression found that three factors were independently and significantly associated with esophageal and gastric lesions: use of antacid and antiulcer treatments (odds ratio [OR], 3.9; P < 0.001), cardiac deceleration (OR, 2.2; P = 0.03), and breast-feeding (OR, 0.5; P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Antacid drug use by mothers during the last month of pregnancy was associated with esophageal and gastric lesions. Breast-feeding may play a protective role against severe lesions in neonates.

Possible protection by breast-feeding against severe esophageal and gastric lesions in the neonate. A case-control study.

The development of safe fiberoptic endoscopy in neonates led to the identification of the occurrence of severe esophageal and gastric lesions (EGL) in the first days of life. The cause of these early acute lesions, which are associated most of the time with severe clinical symptoms, remains unknown. 34 neonates with EGL were compared with controls born in the same maternity unit immediately after those enrolled in the EGL series. Clinical and obstetric data were not different in the 2 groups. Breast-feeding was less frequent (p < 0.01) and given later (p = 0.0001) in babies with EGL. This retrospective analysis yielded no indication relative to the causative phenomenon leading to such mucosal alterations. In contrast, it provides the first evidence of a possible protective role of breast-feeding.

A novel missense mutation D513G in exon 10 of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene identified in a French CBAVD patient. Mutations in brief no. 175. Online.

Congenital bilateal absence of the vas deferens (CBAVD) with obstructive azoospermia is a congenital reproductive disorder that affects one in 10000 male individuals. The observation that many men presenting with CBAVD have mutations in their CFTR genes had led to the proposal that CBAVD may be a primary genital form of cystic fibrosis. We report here one novel mutation located in exon 10 of the CFTR gene. This mutation, named D513G (A-->G at position 1670), has been found in one of 83 patients with CBAVD from France, the analysis of exon 10 using a chemical clamp DGGE assay allowed us to identify three CF mutations AEF508 (37/166; 22%), AE1507 (1/166; 0/6%) and D513G (1/166; 0.6%), and two variants M470V and E528E (1716 G>A). The novel D513G mutation has not been found in more than 200 non-CF chromosomes and in a sample of 300 CF chromosomes from French classical CF patients.

Molecular diagnosis of congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens: analyses of the CFTR gene in 64 French patients.

Congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens is a congenital reproductive disorder that affects about one in 1000 male individuals. Screening of the entire coding and flanking sequences of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene in 64 males with CBAVD revealed that in only 23% CBAVD was caused by two CFTR mutations. The 5T allele in one copy, that causes reduced levels of the normal CFTR protein, in combination with a CFTR mutation in the other copy, was one of the most common causes of CBAVD. Twenty six per cent of men with CBAVD had the 5T allele. The presence of only one CFTR mutation or the 5T allele in 34% of patients suggests that undetected changes in CFTR may be involved in CBAVD. These molecular defects are probably mutations with partial penetrance. Moreover, the high proportion (20%) of patients with CBAVD who did not have CFTR mutations or the 5T allele allows to propose that another gene or genes could be responsible for CBAVD. In these cases, in vitro fertilization may be required and the genetic counselling appears to be very complex and additional studies, including CFTR mRNA and linkage analyses, are required to resolve these questions.

[Role of group B streptococcus serotype V in materno-fetal infections]. / Place du streptocoque B sérotype V dans les infections maternofoetales.

BACKGROUND: The classification of serogroup B streptococci in serotype is based on the structural differences of capsular polysaccharides and on presence or absence of a protein c antigen. They are classified as Ia, Ia/c, Ib/c, II, II/c, III, IV and V. The serotype V, unknown in 1970, seems emerging, and is placed in third position of frequency in some American studies. We have therefore decided to evaluate its frequency in Paris. POPULATION AND METHODS: In a population of 137 pregnant women and 60 neonates carrying streptococcus of serogroup B, the serotype was systematically determined using the test "Group B streptococcus serotyping test" (Dako, Danemark). RESULTS: In the pregnant women population, 12% of the isolated strains were of serotype V, 26% of serotype III, 15% of serotype II, 14% of serotype Ia, and 21% could not be typed. In neonates, it represented 15% of the isolates and took place after the serotype Ia (20%), the serotype III (18%) and the serotype II (15%). None of the neonates had early- or late-onset disease. They were only colonized. Only one mother exhibited, during the per-partum, a positive blood culture with a streptococcus group B of serotype V. CONCLUSION: These results confirm, in Paris, the importance of this serotype previously observed in foreign studies. It represents 11 to 15% of the isolated streptococcus group B in the neonates and can cause early or late-onset disease. However, larger studies are needed to evaluate the exact risk of pathology for the serotype V and its significance in neonatal infectious disease.

Procalcitonin as a marker for the early diagnosis of neonatal infection.

Serum procalcitonin was determined in newborn infants at the time of admission to the pediatrics or obstetrics unit. Increased levels were found in all neonates with bacterial sepsis. Neonates with viral infection, bacterial colonization, or neonatal distress had normal or slightly increased levels. These data suggest that procalcitonin might be of value in diagnosing neonatal sepsis.

[Congenital cytomegalovirus infection.]. / Infection materno-foetale à cytomégalovirus.

Congenital cytomegalovirus infection is frequent. Symptomatic disease at birth is infrequent but very severe. In most cases the infection is totally asymptomatic but neurosensorial damage can occur in 10 % to 15 % of children, hearing loss being the most frequent. Maternal or neonatal screening is the only way to recognise asymptomatic disease. Wether the screening has to be done, and if so when, will be discussed here.

Neonatal infection with Streptococcus milleri.

Streptococcus milleri is a known commensal of the female genitourinary tract, but its pathogenicity in neonates has been reported in only a few cases. During a period of one year in an obstetrical unit, Streptococcus milleri was isolated from nine neonates and from one foetus after a spontaneous abortion. In seven of the nine newborns, neonatal infection was assessed and Streptococcus milleri was the lone pathogen involved, associated with positive blood or vaginal cultures in four mothers. Because Streptococcus milleri requires special conditions for identification, it is probably underestimated as a cause of neonatal infection and septic abortion.

Characterization of an antithrombotic peptide from kappa-casein in newborn plasma after milk ingestion.

Bovine and human kappa-caseinoglycopeptides, two antithrombotic peptides derived from the corresponding kappa-caseins, were detected in physiologically active concentrations in the plasma of 5-d-old newborn infants after ingestion of cow's-milk-based formula or human milk respectively. It is suggested that these two bioactive peptides are released from milk proteins during digestion.