SPAM-sub partual analgesia with meptazinol: a prospective cohort study comparing intramuscular with intravenous administration.

PURPOSE: Safe and effective analgesia sub partu is one of the central issues in optimizing vaginal delivery birth experiences. Meptazinol is a common opiate approved for treating labor pain in the first stage of labor. According to the manufacturer, manual meptazinol can be applied intramuscularly or intravenously. The aim of this study was to compare the two application methods in terms of efficacy in pain relief, occurrence of side effects and treatment satisfaction. METHODS: 132 patients with singleton term pregnancies and intended vaginal delivery, receiving meptazinol during first stage of labor were included in this prospective cohort study from 05/2020 to 01/2021. We evaluated effectiveness in pain relief and treatment satisfaction using numeric rating scales (NRS) and documented the occurrence of adverse effects. Chi-square test or Fisher exact test were used to compare categorical data and Mann-Whitney U test to compare continuous data between the two treatment groups. Statistical analysis was done by SPSS 27.0. A p value < 0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance (two tailed). RESULTS: Meptazinol decreased labor pain significantly from a NRS of 8 (IQR 8-10) to 6 (IQR 4.75-8) in both treatment groups with no difference in effectiveness between the groups. Frequency of effective pain reduction of a decrease of 2 or more on the NRS did not differ between groups (39.4% vs 54.5%, p = 0.116), as the occurrence of adverse effects. 12% of the newborns were admitted to NICU, the median NApH was 7.195. CONCLUSION: Meptazinol significantly reduces labor pain regardless of the method of application: intramuscular or intravenous. According to our data, no preferable route could be identified. The comparably poorer perinatal outcome in our study cohort hinders us to confirm that meptazinol is safe and can be recommended without restrictions.

Induction of Labour with a Double Balloon Catheter - Comparison of Effectiveness of Six Versus Twelve Hours Insertion Time: a Prospective Case Control Study.

Introduction: Induction of labour is a common obstetric procedure to initiate or augment contractions when labour is delayed or uncertain. The double balloon catheter is a safe and effective mechanical method for cervical ripening during induction of labour. This study evaluates the effectiveness of reducing double balloon catheter insertion time from 12 to 6 hours. Methods: 248 women undergoing induction with a double balloon catheter at term were divided into two groups: catheter placed for 12 hours at 8 pm in the first half of 2021 (P12) and catheter placed for 6 hours at 7 am in the second half of 2021 (P6). T-tests, chi-squared tests, and Wilcoxon signed rank test were used for statistical analysis. Primary and secondary endpoints included induction to delivery interval, prostaglandin to delivery interval, mode of delivery, and maternal and neonatal outcomes. Results: The P6 group had a significantly reduced induction to delivery interval of 558 min (P6: 1348 min, P12: 1906 min, p < 0.01, 95% CI: 376-710) within demographically comparable groups. Multiparous women also showed a significant reduction in prostaglandin to delivery interval of 260 min (P6: 590 min, P12: 850 min, p = 0.038, 95% CI: 9-299). There were no significant differences in mode of delivery, maternal blood loss, or neonatal outcome. Conclusion: Reducing double balloon catheter placement time from 12 to 6 hours resulted in almost 9 hours less induction to delivery interval without adverse effects on maternal and neonatal outcome.

Breastfeeding Behavior Within the Covid-19 Related Obstetric and Neonatal Outcome Study (CRONOS).

BACKGROUND: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and its influence on peripartum processes worldwide led to issues in breastfeeding support. RESEARCH AIM: The aim of this study was to describe breastfeeding behavior and peripartum in-hospital management during the pandemic in Germany and Austria. METHODS: This study was a descriptive study using a combination of secondary longitudinal data and a cross-sectional online survey. Registry data from the prospective multicenter COVID-19 Related Obstetric and Neonatal Outcome Study (CRONOS) cohort study (longitudinal, medical records of 1,815 parent-neonate pairs with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy) and a cross-sectional online survey of CRONOS hospitals' physicians (N = 67) were used for a descriptive comparison of feeding outcomes and postpartum management. RESULTS: In 93.7% (n = 1700) of the cases in which information on the neonate's diet was provided, feeding was with the mother's own milk. Among neonates not receiving their mother's own milk, 24.3% (n = 26) reported SARS-CoV-2 infection as the reason. Peripartum maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection, severe maternal COVID-19 including the need for intensive care unit (ICU) treatment or invasive ventilation, preterm birth, mandatory delivery due to COVID-19, and neonatal ICU admission were associated with lower rates of breastfeeding. Rooming-in positively influenced breastfeeding without affecting neonatal SARS-CoV-2 frequency (4.2% vs. 5.6%). CRONOS hospitals reported that feeding an infant their mother's own milk continued to be supported during the pandemic. In cases of severe COVID-19, four of five hospitals encouraged breastfeeding. CONCLUSION: Maintaining rooming-in and breastfeeding support services in the CRONOS hospitals during the pandemic resulted in high breastfeeding rates.

Disease Perception and Mental Health in Pregnancies with Gestational Diabetes-PsychDiab Pilot Study.

(1) Background: The aim of this work is to investigate the extent to which pregnant women's well-being is burdened by the diagnosis of gestational diabetes, as well as their sensitivities and illness perceptions. Since gestational diabetes is associated with mental disorders, we hypothesized that the burden of illness might be related to pre-existing mental distress. (2) Methods: Patients treated for gestational diabetes in our outpatient clinic were retrospectively asked to complete a survey, including the self-designed Psych-Diab-Questionnaire to assess treatment satisfaction, perceived limitations in daily life and the SCL-R-90 questionnaire to assess psychological distress. The association between mental distress and well-being during treatment was analyzed. (3) Results: Of 257 patients invited to participate in the postal survey, 77 (30%) responded. Mental distress was found in 13% (n = 10) without showing other relevant baseline characteristics. Patients with abnormal SCL-R-90 scores showed higher levels of disease burden, were concerned about glucose levels as well as their child's health, and felt less comfortable during pregnancy. (4) Conclusions: Analogous to the postpartum depression screening, screening for mental health problems during pregnancy should be considered to target psychologically distressed patients. Our Psych-Diab-Questionnaire has been shown to be suitable to assess illness perception and well-being.

Vaginal and neonatal microbiota in pregnant women with preterm premature rupture of membranes and consecutive early onset neonatal sepsis.

BACKGROUND: Preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM), which is associated with vaginal dysbiosis, is responsible for up to one-third of all preterm births. Consecutive ascending colonization, infection, and inflammation may lead to relevant neonatal morbidity including early-onset neonatal sepsis (EONS). The present study aims to assess the vaginal microbial composition of PPROM patients and its development under standard antibiotic therapy and to evaluate the usefulness of the vaginal microbiota for the prediction of EONS. It moreover aims to decipher neonatal microbiota at birth as possible mirror of the in utero microbiota. METHODS: As part of the PEONS prospective multicenter cohort study, 78 women with PPROM and their 89 neonates were recruited. Maternal vaginal and neonatal pharyngeal, rectal, umbilical cord blood, and meconium microbiota were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Significant differences between the sample groups were evaluated using permutational multivariate analysis of variance and differently distributed taxa by the Mann-Whitney test. Potential biomarkers for the prediction of EONS were analyzed using the MetaboAnalyst platform. RESULTS: Vaginal microbiota at admission after PPROM were dominated by Lactobacillus spp. Standard antibiotic treatment triggers significant changes in microbial community (relative depletion of Lactobacillus spp. and relative enrichment of Ureaplasma parvum) accompanied by an increase in bacterial diversity, evenness and richness. The neonatal microbiota showed a heterogeneous microbial composition where meconium samples were characterized by specific taxa enriched in this niche. The vaginal microbiota at birth was shown to have the potential to predict EONS with Escherichia/Shigella and Facklamia as risk taxa and Anaerococcus obesiensis and Campylobacter ureolyticus as protective taxa. EONS cases could also be predicted at a reasonable rate from neonatal meconium communities with the protective taxa Bifidobacterium longum, Agathobacter rectale, and S. epidermidis as features. CONCLUSIONS: Vaginal and neonatal microbiota analysis by 16S rRNA gene sequencing after PPROM may form the basis of individualized risk assessment for consecutive EONS. Further studies on extended cohorts are necessary to evaluate how far this technique may in future close a diagnostic gap to optimize and personalize the clinical management of PPROM patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03819192, ClinicalTrials.gov. Registered on January 28, 2019.

Using flash glucose monitoring in pregnancies in routine care of patients with gestational diabetes mellitus: a pilot study.

AIM: Flash glucose monitoring (FGM) has been approved for the care of pregnant women with preexisting diabetes since 2017. However, its use in gestational diabetes (GDM) has been critically discussed. Inaccuracy and missing recommendations for target values are the main arguments against the use of FGM in GDM. To date, there is a lack of data to justify routine use of FGM in GDM pregnancies. Consequently, this new technology has been withheld from GDM-patients. Aim of our pilot study was to analyze the impact of FGM use on pregnancy outcomes, patient's satisfaction and to confirm the safe use in GDM pregnancies. METHODS: Cohort study of 37 FGM-managed GDM pregnancies compared with 74 matched women using self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG). Group comparison using nonparametric testing concerning patients characteristic and perinatal outcome focusing on adverse outcomes (preeclampsia, preterm delivery, large for gestational age, C-sections, neonatal intensive care unit admission, hyperbilirubinemia and hypoglycemia). Evaluation of patient's treatment satisfaction using the "Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire change" (DTSQc) and patient interviews. RESULTS: No significant differences in patient's characteristics despite gestational age at diagnosis (FGM with 20 vs. SMBG with 25 weeks). No difference in gestational weight gain, HbA1c progression and perinatal outcome. Treatment satisfaction obtained by the DTSQc revealed a high level of satisfaction with FGM use. CONCLUSION: FGM use was well accepted and did not affect perinatal outcome. Use of FGM during pregnancy is safe and non-inferior to the management with SBGM. FGM should be considered as an option in the management of GDM patients.

Impact of tissue processing on microbiological colonization in the context of placentophagy.

A mother's postpartum ingestion of raw or processed placental tissue-referred to as human maternal placentophagy-is an emerging health trend observed in industrialized nations. Placenta is commonly consumed as small pieces of raw tissue, or as raw or steamed dehydrated pulverized and encapsulated tissue. To investigate the potential neonatal health risks of this behavior, the present study focused on microbial colonization of processed placenta preparations with potentially pathogenic bacteria Streptococcus agalactiae (Group-B-Streptococci; GBS) and Escherichia coli (E. coli). In the clinical approach placentas from 24 mothers were analyzed. Two placentas, from 13 mothers with confirmed positive maternal GBS status, showed GBS-growth on their surface (2/13; 15.4%) independent from delivery mode or antibiotic treatment. All processed samples (n = 24) were free from GBS. In the experimental approach, a standardized inoculation protocol was introduced to resemble ascending vaginal and hematogenous colonization. Six placentas from elective term C-sections of GBS negative mothers were collected and artificially inoculated with highly concentrated suspensions of GBS and E. coli. Heat processing significantly reduced the number of colony forming units (CFU) for GBS and E. coli. Our results suggest placentophagy of processed tissue is an unlikely source of clinical infection.

Inadequate Timing Limits the Benefit of Antenatal Corticosteroids on Neonatal Outcome: Retrospective Analysis of a High-Risk Cohort of Preterm Infants in a Tertiary Center in Germany.

Introduction A common problem in the treatment of threatened preterm birth is the timing and the unrestricted use of antenatal corticosteroids (ACS). This study was performed to evaluate the independent effects of the distinct timing of antenatal corticosteroids on neonatal outcome parameters in a cohort of very low (VLBW; 1000 - 1500 g) and extreme low birth weight infants (ELBW; < 1000 g). We hypothesize that a prolonged ACS-to-delivery interval leads to an increase in respiratory complications. Materials and Methods Main data source was the prospectively collected single center data for the German nosocomial infection surveillance system (KISS) between 2015 and 2018. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to determine independent effects of the ACS-to-delivery interval on the need for ventilation, surfactant or the occurrence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, neonatal sepsis or necrotizing enterocolitis. Subgroup analysis was performed for ELBW and VLBW neonates. Results A total of 239 neonates were included. We demonstrate a significantly increased risk of respiratory distress characterized by the need for ventilation (OR 1.045; CI 1.011 - 1.080) and surfactant administration (OR 1.050, CI 1.018 - 1.083) depending on the ACS-to-delivery interval irrespective of other confounders. Every additional day between ACS and delivery increased the risk for ventilation by 4.5% and for surfactant administration by 5%. Subgroup analysis revealed significant differences of respiratory complications in VLBW infants. Conclusions Our data strongly support the deliberate use and timing of antenatal corticosteroids in pregnancies with threatened preterm birth versus a liberal strategy. When given more than 7 days before birth, each day between application and delivery increases is relevant concerning major effects on the infant. Especially VLBW preterm neonates benefit from optimal timing.