Association between preterm births and socioeconomic development: analysis of national data.

BACKGROUND: The increasing prevalence of preterm birth, which is a global phenomenon, is attributable to the increased medical indications, artificial gestations, and some socioeconomic factors. This study was conducted to identify whether development and equality indices are associated with the incidence of preterm birth, specifically, spontaneous and elective preterm births. METHODS: This retrospective observational study comprised an analysis of data on live births from 2019 in Brazil and on socioeconomic indices that were derived from census information in 2017. Data were summarised using absolute and relative frequencies. Spearman's correlation was used to determine the correlation between socioeconomic factors and the preterm birth rate. Multiple beta regression analysis was performed to determine the best model of socioeconomic covariates and preterm birth rate. The significance level was set at 5%. RESULTS: In 2019 in Brazil, the preterm birth rate was 11.03%, of which 58% and 42% were spontaneous and elective deliveries, respectively. For all preterm births, Spearman's correlation varied from ρ = 0.4 for the Gini Index and ρ = - 0.24 for illiteracy. The best fit modelled the spontaneous preterm birth fraction as a negative function of the Human Development Index (HDI). The best-fit model considered the expected elective preterm birth fraction as a positive function of the HDI and as a negative function of the Gini Index, which was used as a precision parameter. CONCLUSIONS: We observed a reduction in the fraction of spontaneous preterm births; however, the distribution was not uniform in the territory: higher rates of spontaneous preterm birth were noticed in the north, northeast, and mid-west regions. Thus, areas with lower education levels and inequal income distribution have a higher proportion of spontaneous preterm birth. The fraction of elective preterm birth was positively associated with more advantaged indices of socioeconomic status.

Kidney impairment in fetal growth restriction: three-dimensional evaluation of volume and vascularization.

OBJECTIVES: Renal development is impaired in fetal growth restriction (FGR). Renal size can be considered a surrogate of renal function in childhood, and could be impaired in that condition. Our aim was to evaluate the ratio of total renal volume, measured by three-dimensional ultrasound, to estimated fetal weight (TRV/EFW) among fetuses with and without growth restriction. Furthermore, we correlated TRV/EFW with fetal Doppler velocimetry and renal vascularization indexes and evaluated the association of renal volume and vascular parameters with adverse neonatal events in growth-restricted fetuses. METHODS: In a retrospective cohort, TRV and renal vascularization of growth-restricted and normal fetuses were evaluated by three-dimensional ultrasonography and VOCAL technique. Independent samples t-tests and Mann-Whitney test were used for comparisons between groups. Logistic regression model was applied to evaluate the association between renal characteristics and adverse neonatal events. RESULTS: Seventy-one growth-restricted fetuses were compared to 194 controls. The TRV/EFW was lower in the growth-restricted group (P < .001). In our sample, this ratio did not correlate with Doppler velocimetry parameters, renal vascular indexes or any adverse neonatal events. CONCLUSION: The TRV/EFW ratio is decreased in FGR. Further studies are needed to investigate the association of this ratio with long-term renal outcomes.

Data Science: Measuring Uncertainties.

With the increase in data processing and storage capacity, a large amount of data is available [...].

Maternal nutrient intake and fetal gastroschisis: A case-control study.

Fetal gastroschisis is a paraumbilical abdominal wall defect with herniation of the abdominal organs. This multifactorial malformation occurs in young pregnant women, and the underlying cause of the disease remains unknown; however, nutritional factors may play a role in its development. This case-control study explored the association of maternal nutrient intake with the occurrence of gastroschisis. The gastroschisis group (GG) comprised 57 pregnant women with fetuses with gastroschisis, and the control group (CG) comprised 114 pregnant women with normal fetuses matched for maternal age, gestational age, and preconception body mass index classification. Nutritional assessments related to the preconception period were obtained using the food consumption frequency questionnaire, and nutrient intakes were calculated using nutrition programs. The median daily calorie intake was higher (2,382.43 vs. 2,198.81; p = .041) in the GG than in the CG. The median intake of methionine (763.89 vs. 906.34; p = .036) and threonine (1,248.34 vs. 1,437.01; p = .018) was lower in the GG than in the CG. Pregnant women with fetuses with gastroschisis have a diet characterized by higher calorie intake and lower levels of essential amino acids (methionine and threonine) during the preconception period than pregnant women with normal fetuses.

Comparative analysis of Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1, placental alpha-microglobulin-1, phenol and pH for the diagnosis of preterm premature rupture of membranes between 20 and 36 weeks.

AIM: Preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) is responsible for approximately one-third of premature births worldwide, and although the diagnosis is often straightforward, this condition can still present difficulties. The purpose of this research was to compare the accuracy of several PPROM diagnostic tests. METHODS: A total of 94 pregnant women with clinical suspicion of PPROM who were between 20 and 36 weeks of pregnancy were examined by vaginal speculum, and tests were performed for phenol, pH, insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) and placental alpha-microglobulin-1 (PAMG-1). All patients were followed up until the diagnosis was fully defined, and a diagnosis of PROM was confirmed by a definitive evolution of the clinical symptoms (visualization of vaginal amniotic fluid or persistence of oligohydramnios). RESULTS: After excluding the cases that could not be definitively diagnosed, a good diagnostic performance of the immunochromatographic tests was observed that was superior to that of the clinical tests. Similar accuracies were observed for IGFBP-1 (98.7%) and PAMG-1 (93.9%). However, while the IGFBP-1 test differed from a vaginal pH ≥7 (88.9%) and the phenol test (85.7%), this did not occur for the PAMG-1 test. The performance of the tests was modified only by the presence of bleeding (with lower specificity rates for pH and phenol), without interference of gestational age or maternal morbidities. CONCLUSION: Immunochromatographic tests are good tools but should be used sparingly in resource-poor settings because they are expensive, and there is no significant difference between PAMG-1 and traditional tests.

Defective regression models for cure rate modeling with interval-censored data.

Regression models in survival analysis are most commonly applied for right-censored survival data. In some situations, the time to the event is not exactly observed, although it is known that the event occurred between two observed times. In practice, the moment of observation is frequently taken as the event occurrence time, and the interval-censored mechanism is ignored. We present a cure rate defective model for interval-censored event-time data. The defective distribution is characterized by a density function whose integration assumes a value less than one when the parameter domain differs from the usual domain. We use the Gompertz and inverse Gaussian defective distributions to model data containing cured elements and estimate parameters using the maximum likelihood estimation procedure. We evaluate the performance of the proposed models using Monte Carlo simulation studies. Practical relevance of the models is illustrated by applying datasets on ovarian cancer recurrence and oral lesions in children after liver transplantation, both of which were derived from studies performed at A.C. Camargo Cancer Center in São Paulo, Brazil.

Spontaneous prematurity in fetuses with congenital diaphragmatic hernia: a retrospective cohort study about prenatal predictive factors.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate possible predictive factors of spontaneous prematurity in fetuses with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed. Inclusion criteria were presence of CDH; absence of fetoscopy; absence of karyotype abnormality; maximum of one major malformation associated with diaphragmatic hernia; ultrasound monitoring at the Obstetrics Clinic of Clinicas Hospital at the University of São Paulo School of Medicine, from January 2001 to October 2014. The data were obtained through the electronic records and ultrasound system of our fetal medicine service. The following variables were analyzed: maternal age, primiparity, associated maternal diseases, smoking, previous spontaneous preterm birth, fetal malformation associated with hernia, polyhydramnios, fetal growth restriction, presence of intrathoracic liver, invasive procedures performed, side of hernia and observed-to- expected lung to head ratio (o/e LHR). On individual analysis, variables were assessed using the Chi-square test and the Mann-Whitney test. A multiple logistic regression model was applied to select variables independently influencing the prediction of preterm delivery. A ROC curve was constructed with the significant variable, identifying the values with best sensitivity and specificity to be suggested for use in clinical practice. RESULTS: Eighty fetuses were evaluated, of which, 21 (26.25%) were premature. O/e LHR was the only factor associated with prematurity (p = 0.020). The ROC curve showed 93% sensitivity with 48.4% specificity for the cutoff of 40%. CONCLUSION: O/e LHR was the only predictor of prematurity in this sample.

Sonographic Markers in the Prediction of Fetal Complex Gastroschisis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the ultrasound (US) markers predictive of complex gastroschisis (CG), mortality, and morbidity in fetuses with gastroschisis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of 186 pregnancies with isolated fetal gastroschisis. Eight US markers were analyzed. The predictions and associations of US markers with CG, mortality, and morbidity were assessed. Combinations of US markers predictive of CG were investigated. RESULTS: Extra-abdominal bowel dilatation (EABD), intra-abdominal bowel dilatation (IABD), and polyhydramnios were predictive of CG. EABD between 25 and 28 weeks had a sensitivity of 64%, a specificity of 89%, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 56.2%, and negative predictive value (NPV) of 91.8%. The predictions of IABD were sensitivity = 26.7%, specificity = 96.7%, PPV = 61.5%, and NPV = 86.8%. The odds ratios for CG in the presence of 1 and 2 US markers, compared with the absence of a US marker, were 18.3 (95% CI, 3.83-87.64) and 73.3 (95% CI, 6.14-876), respectively. CONCLUSION: US markers predictive of CG were established. The combination of these markers increases the probability of CG.

Picture perfect: A stimulus set of 225 pairs of matched clipart and photographic images normed by Mechanical Turk and laboratory participants.

The present study provides normative measures for a new stimulus set of images consisting of 225 everyday objects, each depicted both as a photograph and a matched clipart image generated directly from the photograph (450 images total). The clipart images preserve the same scale, shape, orientation, and general color features as the corresponding photographs. Various norms (modal name and verb agreement measures, picture-name agreement, familiarity, visual complexity, and image agreement) were collected separately for each image type and in two different contexts: online (using Mechanical Turk) and in the laboratory. We discuss similarities and differences in the normative measures according to both image type and experimental context. The full set of norms is provided in the supplemental materials.

Renal vascularization indexes and fetal hemodynamics in fetuses with growth restriction.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the correlation between the renal vascularization index (VI), the flow index (FI) and the vascularization and flow index (VFI) and placental and fetal hemodynamics in fetuses with growth restriction. METHOD: Bidimensional ultrasound and three-dimensional power Doppler with the VOCAL technique were used to determine the renal vascular indexes and fetal and placental hemodynamics in fetuses below the 10th percentile for fetal weight. Partial correlation analysis (controlled for renal depth and gestational age) was performed. The fetuses were divided into four groups according to their hemodynamic picture, and renal indexes were compared between the groups. RESULTS: Eighty-one fetuses were evaluated. VI, FI and VFI showed negative correlation with the ductus venosus pulsatility index. VI and VFI showed positive correlations with the amniotic fluid index. The group of fetuses with the worst hemodynamic picture (abnormal umbilical artery, middle cerebral artery and ductus venosus pulsatility indexes) showed significantly lower VI and VFI than the group with no changes in these pulsatility indexes. CONCLUSIONS: Renal vascularization indexes were inversely correlated with ductus venosus pulsatility indexes and were diminished in fetuses showing hemodynamic compromise. These changes might be related to postnatal renal impairment. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Maternal health surveillance panel: a tool for expanding epidemiological surveillance of women's health and its determinants.

OBJECTIVE: To present the methodology used in the development of two products for maternal health surveillance and its determinants and discuss their possible uses. METHODS: Based on a theoretical model of the determinants of maternal death and databases of Brazilian health information systems, two free products were developed: an interactive panel "surveillance of maternal health" and an educational material "Aparecida: a story about the vulnerability of Brazilian women to maternal death", both available on the website of the Brazilian Obstetric Observatory. RESULTS: More than 30 indicators were calculated for the period 2012-2020, containing information on socioeconomic conditions and access to health services, reproductive planning, prenatal care, delivery care, conditions of birth and maternal mortality and morbidity. The indicators related to severe maternal morbidity in public hospitalizations stand out, calculated for the first time for the country. The panel allows analysis by municipality or aggregated by health region, state, macro-region and country; historical series analysis; and comparisons across locations and with benchmarks. Information quality data are presented and discussed in an integrated manner with the indicators. In the educational material, visualizations with national and international data are presented, aiming to help in the understanding of the determinants of maternal death and facilitate the interpretation of the indicators. CONCLUSION: It is expected that the two products have the potential to expand epidemiological surveillance of maternal health and its determinants, contributing to the formulation of health policies and actions that promote women's health and reduce maternal mortality.

Impact of Gamma COVID-19 variant on the prognosis of hospitalized pregnant and postpartum women with cardiovascular disease.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to assess the impact of the Gamma coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) variant on pregnant and postpartum women with Cardiovascular Disease (CVD). METHODS: The Influenza Epidemiological Surveillance System database (SIVEP-Gripe), a compulsory notification system for cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), was investigated for notified cases of pregnant and postpartum women with reported CVD and SARS due to COVID-19 between February 16, 2020 and May 1, 2021 (when vaccination began), was investigated. In this retrospective cohort, two groups were formed based on symptom onset date, according to the predominance of the variants: original (group 2020) and Gamma (group 2021). Cases with missing information on the presence or absence of CVD were excluded. The comparative analysis was controlled for confounding variables. RESULTS: Among 703 COVID-19 cases notified with CVD (406 patients in 2020 and 297 patients in 2021), compared to 2020, cases in 2021 had more respiratory symptoms (90.6 % vs. 80.1 %, p < 0.001), greater ventilatory support need (75.3 % vs. 53.9 %, p < 0.001), more ICU admission (46.6 % vs. 34.3 %, p = 0.002), longer duration (20.59 ± 14.47 vs. 16.52 ± 12.98 days, p < 0.001), higher mortality (25.6 % vs. 15.5 %, p < 0.001), with more than two-times mortality likelihood in the third trimester (adjusted OR = 2.41, 95 % CI 1.50-3.88, p < 0.001) or puerperium periods (adjusted_OR = 2.15, 95 % CI 1.34-3.44, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In Brazil, pregnant and postpartum women with CVDs in the Gamma variant phase have higher morbidity and mortality than those affected by the original variant of Coronavirus-19.

Correction: Maternal mortality associated with COVID-19 in Brazil in 2020 and 2021: Comparison with non-pregnant women and men.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261492.].

Cardiovascular diseases worsen the maternal prognosis of COVID-19.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a risk factor for severe cases of COVID-19. There are no studies evaluating whether the presence of CVD in pregnant and postpartum women with COVID-19 is associated with a worse prognosis. In an anonymized open database of the Ministry of Health, we selected cases of pregnant and postpartum women who were hospitalized due to COVID-19 infection and with data regarding their CVD status. In the SIVEP GRIPE data dictionary, CVD is defined as "presence of cardiovascular disease", excluding those of neurological and nephrological causes that are pointed out in another field. The patients were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of CVD (CVD and non-CVD groups). Among the 1,876,953 reported cases, 3,562 confirmed cases of pregnant and postpartum women were included, of which 602 had CVD. Patients with CVD had an older age (p<0,001), a higher incidence of diabetes (p<0,001) and obesity (p<0,001), a higher frequency of systemic (p<0,001) and respiratory symptoms (p<0,001). CVD was a risk factor for ICU admission (p<0,001), ventilatory support (p = 0.004) and orotracheal intubation in the third trimester (OR 1.30 CI95%1.04-1.62). The group CVD had a higher mortality (18.9% vs. 13.5%, p<0,001), with a 32% higher risk of death (OR 1.32 CI95%1.16-1.50). Moreover, the risk was increased in the second (OR 1.94 CI95%1.43-2.63) and third (OR 1.29 CI95%1.04-1.60) trimesters, as well as puerperium (OR 1.27 CI95%1.03-1.56). Hospitalized obstetric patients with CVD and COVID-19 are more symptomatic. Their management demand more ICU admission and ventilatory support and the mortality is higher.

The Influenza Vaccine May Protect Pregnant and Postpartum Women against Severe COVID-19.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has imposed a huge challenge on the antenatal care of pregnant women worldwide, with the maternal mortality rate being raised to alarming levels. While COVID-19 vaccines were developed, some studies highlighted a possible relationship between influenza vaccination and lower odds of COVID-19 infection. As obstetric patients belong to a high-risk group for respiratory diseases, this study evaluated whether influenza vaccination reduces the severity of COVID-19 infection and mortality among pregnant and postpartum women. We conducted a retrospective cohort study on 3370 pregnant and postpartum women from the Brazilian national database, where they were grouped according to their influenza vaccination status before the onset of COVID-19 symptoms. The intensive care unit admission and intubation rates were significantly higher among subjects in the unvaccinated group (p = 0.002 and p < 0.001, respectively). The odds of mortality risk among those who received the vaccine was 0.33, with a 95% confidence interval of 0.23-0.47. The numbers of patients who needed to be vaccinated to avoid a case of intensive care unit admission, intubation, or death due to COVID-19 were 11, 15, and 11, respectively. Influenza vaccines could confer protection against severe COVID-19 infection in pregnant and postpartum women.

COVID-19: Impact of Original, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron Variants of SARS-CoV-2 in Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Pregnant and Postpartum Women.

This study compares the clinical characteristics and disease progression among vaccinated and unvaccinated pregnant and postpartum women who tested positive for different variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) using the Brazilian epidemiological data. Data of pregnant or postpartum patients testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 and presenting with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from February 2020 to July 2022 were extracted from Brazilian national database. The patients were grouped based on vaccination status and viral variant (original, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron variants), and their demographics, clinical characteristics, comorbidities, symptoms, and outcomes were compared retrospectively. Data of 10,003 pregnant and 2361 postpartum women were extracted from the database. For unvaccinated postpartum women, intensive care unit (ICU) admission was more likely; invasive ventilation need was more probable if they tested positive for the original, Gamma, and Omicron variants; and chances of death were higher when infected with the original and Gamma variants than when infected with other variants. Vaccinated patients had reduced adverse outcome probability, including ICU admission, invasive ventilation requirement, and death. Postpartum women showed worse outcomes, particularly when unvaccinated, than pregnant women. Hence, vaccination of pregnant and postpartum women should be given top priority.

COVID-19 Vaccines Confer Protection in Hospitalized Pregnant and Postpartum Women with Severe COVID-19: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had deleterious effects among the obstetric population. Pregnant and postpartum women constitute a high-risk group for severe COVID-19. Vaccination reduces the risk of infection, but it is not known whether women who become infected despite vaccination have a milder course of disease than those who had not been vaccinated. This retrospective cohort study evaluated whether vaccination reduces the severity of COVID-19 infection, as measured by severe maternal morbidity and mortality among hospitalized pregnant and postpartum individuals. A total of 2284 pregnant and postpartum women hospitalized with severe COVID-19 were included. Those who did and who did not receive COVID-19 vaccination were compared. The rates of intensive care unit admission, intubation, and mortality were significantly lower among subjects in the vaccinated group (p < 0.001, p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). The numbers of patients who needed to be vaccinated to avoid one case of intensive care unit admission, intubation, or death due to COVID-19 were 7, 7, and 9, respectively. The COVID-19 vaccine offers protective effects against intensive care unit admission, intubation, and death in hospitalized pregnant and postpartum women with severe SARS-CoV-2-induced SARS.

The Effect of Being Pregnant during Respiratory Pandemics: A Comparison between 2009/10 Flu and 2020/21 COVID-19 Pandemic in Brazil.

Pregnant women undergo physiological changes that make them a challenging group of patients during pandemic respiratory diseases, as previously found during H1N1 2009 pandemic and recently ratified in COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis on 5888 hospitalized women for H1N1 flu pandemic (2190 pregnant and 3698 non-pregnant) and 64,515 hospitalized women for COVID-19 pandemic (5151 pregnant and 59,364 non-pregnant), from the Brazilian national database, to compare demographic profile, clinical aspects, and mortality in childbearing aged women during both pandemics. Additionally, the effect of being pregnant was compared between both pandemics. In both pandemics, pregnant women were younger than non-pregnant women. Overall, pregnant women had lower frequencies of comorbidities and were less symptomatic. Among hospitalized women, pregnant women presented lower mortality rates than non-pregnant women (9.7% vs. 12.6%, p = 0.002 in the H1N1 pandemic and 9.7% vs. 17.4%, p < 0.001 in the COVID-19 pandemic) and this difference was statistically more pronounced in the COVID-19 pandemic, even after balancing pregnant and non-pregnant groups regarding age and chronic diseases.

Demographic and epidemiological characteristics of pregnant and postpartum women who died from severe acute respiratory syndrome in Brazil: A retrospective cohort study comparing COVID-19 and nonspecific etiologic causes.

The objective of this study is to compare the demographic characteristics and symptoms in pregnant and postpartum women who died from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) caused by COVID-19 or by nonspecific cause in different states of Brazil. This is a retrospective cohort study and the analysis was conducted on SARS death records between 02/16/2020 and 04/17/2021, obtained from the Information System for the Epidemiological Surveillance of Influenza (Sistema de Informação da Vigilância Epidemiológica da Gripe, SIVEP-Gripe). Pregnant and postpartum women, aged between 10 and 55 years, who died from SARS, were included and classified into two groups: SARS due to confirmed COVID-19 or SARS due to nonspecific cause. The cases were analyzed according to the women's demographic and epidemiological characteristics, clinical symptoms, risk factors and disease evolution. As results, 19,333 pregnant and postpartum women were identified. From these, 1,279 died (1,026 deaths from COVID-19 and 253 deaths from SARS with nonspecific cause). The groups showed significant differences in age, education, race, and occurrence of obesity and chronic lung disease. The group of women who died from confirmed COVID-19 presented a significantly higher frequency of symptoms of fever, cough, fatigue, loss of taste, and loss of smell, as well as a higher rate of admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). Data analysis draws attention to the high number of cases of SARS without a causal diagnosis, the low access to ICU and orotracheal intubation (OTI), which might be explained by the demographic and regional inequalities in the access to healthcare.

Maternal mortality associated with COVID-19 in Brazil in 2020 and 2021: Comparison with non-pregnant women and men.

OBJECTIVE: Mortality rates of pregnant and postpartum women grew in the second COVID-19 pandemic year. Our objective is to understand this phenomenon to avoid further deaths. METHODS: We collected data from SIVEP-Gripe, a nationwide Brazilian database containing surveillance data on all severe acute respiratory syndrome caused by COVID-19, between the first notified case (February 2020) until the 17th epidemiological week of 2021. We stratified patients into maternal women (which includes pregnant and postpartum women), non-maternal women and men and divided them by time of diagnosis in two periods: first period (February to December 2020) and second period (the first 17 epidemiological weeks of 2021 before pregnant and postpartum women were vaccinated). RESULTS: During the second period, all patients had higher risk of presenting severe COVID-19 cases, but the maternal population was at a higher risk of death (OR of 2.60 CI 95%: 2.28-2.97)-almost double the risk of the two other groups. Maternal women also had a higher risk of needing intensive care, intubation and of presenting desaturation in the second period. Importantly, maternal women presented fewer comorbidities than other patient groups, suggesting that pregnancy and postpartum can be an important risk factor associated with severe COVID-19. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the Gama variant, which has been related to greater virulence, transmissibility and mortality rates leads to more severe cases of COVID-19 for pregnant and postpartum women.