Spontaneous abortion and interpregnancy interval.

Analysis of 8972 pregnancies and 5089 interpregnancy intervals, computer-registered over 12 years at the Haguenau Hospital Maternity Department, showed that the length of interpregnancy interval may be considered as a risk factor in spontaneous abortion; this was still true after other important known risk factors, i.e. maternal age, parity, previous spontaneous abortion and contraceptive practice, had been taken into account. However, separate analysis of pregnancies according to whether they occur more or less than 1 year after contraception (if used) had been stopped showed that the relationship between a long interval and spontaneous abortion was only significant for subfertile women who took longer than 1 year to conceive. This supports the hypothesis that the same mechanism is involved in the aetiologies of spontaneous abortion and of difficulty in conceiving.

PIP: Analysis of 8972 pregnancies and 5089 interpregnancy intervals, computer-registered over 12 years at the Haguenau (France) Hospital Maternity Department, indicated that the length of the interpregnancy interval may be a risk factor in spontaneous abortion. The rate of spontaneous abortion after an interval over 2 years was 9.4% compared with 6.7% after an interval of 6 months or less. The mean interpregnancy interval before a spontaneous abortion was 28.0 months and that before a birth 24.6 months. The risk factors for spontaneous abortion in pregnancy 2 were spontaneous abortion in pregnancy 1, maternal age, parity, and contraception during the year before pregnancy; these factors were also significantly correlated with interpregnancy interval length and spontaneous abortion in pregnancy 2. However, separate analysis of pregnancies according to whether they occurred more or less than 1 year after contraception (if used) had been terminated revealed that the relationship between a long interval and spontaneous abortion was significant only for subfertile women who took more than 1 year to conceive. This supports the hypothesis that the same mechanism is involved in the etiologies of spontaneous abortion and subfertility.

[The upper urinary tract in pregnant women. Physiopathologic, ultrasonic and urographic study]. / Les voies urinaires hautes de la femme enceinte. Etude physiopathologique, échographique et urographique.

This study of the upper urinary tract with the voluntary co-operation of expectant mothers, and based on 316 ultrasound examinations and 138 urographies, confirms the high incidence of uretero-pyelocalyceal dilatations is pregnancy. Compression by the gravidic uterus and the hormonal environment of pregnancy are the best-known etiologies. The frequency of associated urinary infections and the slow regression of the dilatation in the post-partum period (three months) will be noted.

Increased hair cadmium in newborns of women occupationally exposed to heavy metals.

Newborn and maternal hair samples were obtained from subjects occupationally exposed to heavy metals and from matched controls. The geometric means of levels of cadmium and lead in hair from exposed mothers and of cadmium in hair from transplacentally exposed newborns were twice as high as levels present in samples from controls. There was a positive correlation between levels of cadmium in maternal and newborn's hair, but no such correlation for lead. Despite statistically significant evidence of increased exposure to cadmium, no adverse health effects were documented in the small group of exposed newborns included in this study. Problems associated with exogenous contamination of hair by heavy metals and potential advantages of hair sampling for measuring fetal exposures to heavy metals are discussed.

[Induced prematurity]. / La prématurité provoquée.

Voluntary induction of a premature delivery, which goes against our constant battle to reduce prematurity, represents, at this time, a paradoxical situation which is not exceptional in vasculorenal syndromes and premature rupture of the membranes. Advances in ressuscitation and the care of premature newborn babies, on the one hand, and techniques of artificial induction of labor, on the other hand, account for this obvious paradox. Even advances in artificial induction of labor explain also the decrease in the cesarean sections indications, under such circumstances.

[Results of 4 years' use of oxytocin and prostaglandins F2 alpha for ripening with postterm indications after the 41st week of amenorrhea]. / Résultats de 4 années d'utilisation d'ocytocine et de prostaglandines F2 alpha pour mûrissement dans l'indication du dépassement de terme après la 41e semaine d'aménorrhée révolue.

The authors report a comparative study between the maturing and induction technique by prostaglandins F2 alpha and pitocin, and a reference population in spontaneous labor in extended pregnancies after 41 weeks and more of complete amenorrhea. It appears from this study that the severe fetal pathology linked to post-maturity has completely disappeared, but at the price of a higher rate of cesarean sections no matter which technique was used: pitocin or prostaglandins.