Neonatal intensive care admission for term neonates and subsequent childhood mortality: a retrospective linkage study.

BACKGROUND: Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission among term neonates is a rare event. The aim of this study was to study the association of the NICU admission of term neonates on the risk of long-term childhood mortality. METHODS: A single-center case-control retrospective study between 2005 and 2019, including all in-hospital ≥ 37 weeks' gestation singleton live-born neonates. The center perinatal database was linked with the birth and death certificate registries of the Israeli Ministry of Internal Affairs. The primary aim of the study was to study the association between NICU admission and childhood mortality throughout a 15-year follow-up period. RESULTS: During the study period, 206,509 births were registered; 192,527 (93.22%) term neonates were included in the study; 5292 (2.75%) were admitted to NICU. Throughout the follow-up period, the mortality risk for term neonates admitted to the NICU remained elevated; hazard ratio (HR), 19.72 [14.66, 26.53], (p < 0.001). For all term neonates, the mortality rate was 0.16% (n = 311); 47.9% (n = 149) of those had records of a NICU admission. The mortality rate by time points (ratio1:10,0000 births) related to the age at death during the follow-up period was as follows: 29, up to 7 days; 20, 7-28 days; 37, 28 days to 6 months; 21, 6 months to 1 year; 19, 1-2 years; 9, 2-3 years; 10, 3-4 years; and 27, 4 years and more. Following the exclusion of congenital malformations and chromosomal abnormalities, NICU admission remained the most significant risk factor associated with mortality of the study population, HRs, 364.4 [145.3; 913.3] for mortality in the first 7 days of life; 19.6 [12.1; 32.0] for mortality from 28 days through 6 months of life and remained markedly elevated after age 4 years; HR, 7.1 [3.0; 17.0]. The mortality risk related to the NICU admission event, adjusted for admission diagnoses remained significant; HR = 8.21 [5.43; 12.4]. CONCLUSIONS: NICU admission for term neonates is a pondering event for the risk of long-term childhood mortality. This group of term neonates may benefit from focused health care.

NICU Admission for Term Neonates in a Large Single-Center Population: A Comprehensive Assessment of Risk Factors Using a Tandem Analysis Approach.

Objective: Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission among term neonates is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, as well as high healthcare costs. A comprehensive NICU admission risk assessment using an integrated statistical approach for this rare admission event may be used to build a risk calculation algorithm for this group of neonates prior to delivery. Methods: A single-center case−control retrospective study was conducted between August 2005 and December 2019, including in-hospital singleton live born neonates, born at ≥37 weeks' gestation. Analyses included univariate and multivariable models combined with the machine learning gradient-boosting model (GBM). The primary aim of the study was to identify and quantify risk factors and causes of NICU admission of term neonates. Results: During the study period, 206,509 births were registered at the Shaare Zedek Medical Center. After applying the study exclusion criteria, 192,527 term neonates were included in the study; 5292 (2.75%) were admitted to the NICU. The NICU admission risk was significantly higher (ORs [95%CIs]) for offspring of nulliparous women (1.19 [1.07, 1.33]), those with diabetes mellitus or hypertensive complications of pregnancy (2.52 [2.09, 3.03] and 1.28 [1.02, 1.60] respectively), and for those born during the 37th week of gestation (2.99 [2.63, 3.41]; p < 0.001 for all), adjusted for congenital malformations and genetic syndromes. A GBM to predict NICU admission applied to data prior to delivery showed an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.750 (95%CI 0.743−0.757) and classified 27% as high risk and 73% as low risk. This risk stratification was significantly associated with adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. Conclusion: The present study identified NICU admission risk factors for term neonates; along with the machine learning ranking of the risk factors, the highly predictive model may serve as a basis for individual risk calculation algorithm prior to delivery. We suggest that in the future, this type of planning of the delivery will serve different health systems, in both high- and low-resource environments, along with the NICU admission or transfer policy.

Online Obstetrics and Gynecology Medical Students Clerkship During the Covid-19 Pandemic: a Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: The Covid-19 pandemic and social distancing resulted in the need for an immediate transition of all medical education to online education with a concern that such a pandemic might recur. OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility of an online clinical rotation in Obstetrics and Gynecology during the Covid-19 pandemic and to identify effective pedagogical modalities as well as obstacles to online learning. METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to the students and staff at the end of the 3-week online rotation. The online curriculum included synchronous learning such as problem-based learning, video demonstrations and discussions, as well as asynchronous pre-recorded lectures. Questions addressed expectations, previous experience, difficulties encountered, effectiveness of different types of pedagogy, and willingness to participate in online education in the future. RESULTS: We received 27 completed questionnaires, 77% response rate. Overall course rating was 4.14/5 from the students and 3.38/5 from the staff. Previous experience in online education had a positive correlation with higher overall course evaluations; however, low expectations of effectiveness of online learning prior to the course did not correlate with the overall course rate. Challenges identified were absence of bedside teaching and lack of feedback. Effective pedagogical modules were problem-based learning and videos. Additionally, 72% stated that online learning should be part of the formal curriculum. CONCLUSION: Further research into tele-teaching should be part of medical school strategic plan to ensure meaningful learning in these emerging modalities not limited to exceptional situations such as pandemics. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-020-01181-y.

Outcome of Peripartum Anesthesia in Women with Valvular Disease.

OBJECTIVE: Maternal heart disease is one of the major causes for mortality among parturients. In our study, we surveyed 220 patients with different valvular disorders who gave birth in our medical center in the years 2012-2018. The aim of this study was to characterize various valvular pathologies and compare the results of different anesthetic approaches. METHODS: In this retrospective study, the computerized system and file archive were searched for maternal valvular pathologies according to the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9). The women included in the study were defined as American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA)-II or more, who suffer from valvular heart disease. RESULTS: The most common pathology was mitral valve regurgitation (57.73% of all cardiac patients). Most women were defined as having mild insufficiency, and 82.68% had normal vaginal delivery. In 17.3% of patients who had cesarean section, the main type of anesthesia was neuraxial anesthesia (95.45%). The second most common pathology was tricuspid valve regurgitation (22.73%). Most patients (78%) had normal vaginal delivery, and epidural analgesia was used in 64.1%. A minority of cardiac patients in our study were patients with stenotic heart diseases, such as aortic stenosis, mitral stenosis and pulmonic stenosis (8.18%, 4.55%, and 1.36%, respectively). No complications were observed in the peripartum period. CONCLUSION: The use of regional anesthesia is recommended for all valvular pathologies without exception, as we observed no cases in which the severity of cardiac condition had not allowed the use of various types of regional anesthesia, for surgery or vaginal delivery.

Fetal Urine Production Rate in Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes Is Associated with Adverse Neonatal Outcome: A Pilot Study.

AIM: In this study, we evaluate the associations between fetal urinary production rate (FUPR), measured by ultrasound, and adverse neonatal outcome in women with preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM). METHODS: We conducted a prospective pilot cohort of singleton pregnancies complicated by PPROM occurring at gestational week 24 or later managed until spontaneous labor (after 48 h of admission), chorioamnionitis, or induction by protocol at 35 + 0 weeks. FUPR was evaluated by 2D sonography at admission (corrected for gestational age). The main neonatal outcome measures were chorioamnionitis, placental inflammatory grading, first neonatal creatinine value, first neonatal dextrose value, length of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stay, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) (grades I-IV), blood transfusions, reduced neonatal urine production rate (<4 mL/kg/h), and early neonatal sepsis. Samples of maternal (at admission) and umbilical cord blood were analyzed for interleukin-6 (IL-6) level. RESULTS: The study included 38 women. Low FUPR was associated with clinical chorioamnionitis, longer NICU hospitalization (p = 0.01), higher rates of NEC or IVH (p = 0.008), and blood transfusion (p = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: A finding of FUPR on in utero ultrasound examination in pregnancies complicated by PPROM may be indicative of adverse neonatal outcome.

Variations from morning to afternoon of middle cerebral and umbilical artery blood flow, and fetal heart rate variability, and fetal characteristics in the normally developing fetus.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if there are changes in maternal uterine blood flow, fetal brain blood flow, fetal heart rate variability, and umbilical blood flow between morning (AM) and afternoon (PM) in healthy, uncomplicated pregnancies. STUDY DESIGN: In this prospective study, 68 uncomplicated singleton pregnancies (mean 35 + 0.7 weeks gestation) underwent a standard observational protocol at both 08:00 (AM) and 13:30 (PM) of the same day. This protocol included Doppler measurements of uterine, umbilical, and fetal middle cerebral artery (MCA) volume flow parameters (flow, HR, peak systolic velocity [PSV], PI, and RI) followed by computerized cardiotocography. Standard descriptive statistics, χ2 and t tests were used where appropriate. P < .05 was considered significant. RESULTS: A significant increase in MCA flow and MCA PSV was observed in the PM compared to the AM. This was accompanied by a fall in MCA resistance. Higher umbilical artery resistance indices were also observed in the PM compared to AM. In contrast, fetal heart rate characteristics, maternal uterine artery Doppler flow and resistance indices did not vary significantly between the AM and PM. CONCLUSION: In normal pregnancies, variations in fetal cerebral and umbilical blood flow parameters were observed between AM and PM independent of other fetal movements or baseline fetal heart rate. In contrast, uterine flow parameters remained stable across the day. These findings may have implications for the use of serial Doppler parameters used to guide clinical management in high-risk pregnancies.

Perinatal outcomes in multifetal pregnancy following fetal reduction.

BACKGROUND: There is currently insufficient evidence regarding the prognosis of multifetal pregnancy following elective fetal reduction to twin or singleton pregnancy. We compared perinatal outcomes in pregnancies with and without fetal reduction. METHODS: We used data on all stillbirths and live births in British Columbia, Canada, from 2009 to 2013. We compared outcomes of multifetal pregnancies with fetal reduction (to twin or singleton pregnancy) with outcomes of pregnancies without fetal reduction. The primary outcome was a composite of serious neonatal morbidity or perinatal death. Other outcomes studied included preterm birth, low birth weight and small-for-gestational-age live birth. RESULTS: The rate of serious neonatal morbidity or perinatal death did not differ significantly between pregnancies reduced to twins and unreduced triplet pregnancies (adjusted rate ratio 0.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.24-1.07) or between pregnancies reduced to singletons and unreduced twin pregnancies (adjusted rate ratio 1.57, 95% CI 0.74-3.33). The rate was significantly lower in the fetal reduction group reduced to twins versus unreduced triplet pregnancies when we restricted the analysis to pregnancies conceived following the use of assisted reproduction technologies (adjusted rate ratio 0.35, 95% CI 0.18-0.67). The rates of preterm birth, very preterm birth, low birth weight and very low birth weight were significantly lower among pregnancies reduced to twins than among unreduced triplet pregnancies. Compared with unreduced twin pregnancies, pregnancies reduced to singletons had lower rates of preterm birth and low birth weight. INTERPRETATION: Fetal reduction to twins and singletons was not associated with a decreased risk of serious neonatal morbidity or perinatal death. However, such fetal reduction was associated with substantial improvements in several other perinatal outcomes, such as preterm birth and low birth weight. Clinicians discussing the risks associated with multifetal pregnancy should counsel parents on the potential risks and benefits of fetal reduction.

Revisit of risk factors for major obstetric hemorrhage: insights from a large medical center.

PURPOSE: To revisit risk factors of major obstetric hemorrhage in a large obstetric center. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective case control study was conducted based on institutional electronic database and blood bank registry of a single center, 2005-2014. The major obstetric hemorrhage event was defined as transfusion of ≥5 red blood cells units within 48 h of birth and compared to matched group (ratio 1:4) based on the time of birth. Multivariable stepwise backward logistic regression models were fitted to determine risk factors for major obstetric hemorrhage. Odds ratio (OR), further evaluated by standard measures of the predictive accuracy of the logistic regression models, C statistics, and associated neonatal adverse outcome are reported. RESULTS: 113,342 women delivered during the study; 122 (0.1 %) women experienced major obstetric hemorrhage. There was one major obstetric hemorrhage fatality (0.8 %). Compared to the controls, we identified historical as well as significant current modifiable risk factors for major obstetric hemorrhage: multifetal pregnancy (OR 3.92; 95 % CI 1.34-11.52; p = 0.013), induction of labor (OR 2.81; 95 % CI 1.22-7.05; p = 0.027), cesarean section (OR 25.56; 95 % CI 12.88-50.75; p < 0.001), and instrumental delivery (OR 6.58; 95 % CI 2.36-18.3; p < 0.001). C statistics of the model for major obstetric hemorrhage prediction was 0.919 (95 % CI 0.890-0.948, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Major obstetric hemorrhage is a rare event with potentially modifiable risk factors which represent a platform of interventions for lessening obstetric morbidity.