TL;DR: A biopsychosocial model of birthweight and gestational age at delivery using structural equation modeling procedures tested the effects of medical risk and prenatal stress on these indicators of prematurity after controlling for whether a woman had ever given birth (parity).
Abstract: Developed and tested a biopsychosocial model of birthweight and gestational age at delivery using structural equation modeling procedures. The model tested the effects of medical risk and prenatal stress on these indicators of prematurity after controlling for whether a woman had ever given birth (parity). Subjects were 130 women of low socioeconomic status interviewed throughout pregnancy in conjunction with prenatal care visits to a public clinic. The majority of women were Latino or African-American. Half were interviewed in Spanish. Lower birthweight was predicted by earlier delivery and by prenatal stress. Earlier delivery was predicted by medical risk and by prenatal stress. Parity was not related to time of delivery or to birthweight. Implications of results for the development of biopsychosocial research on pregnancy and on stress are discussed.
TL;DR: From a study of birth records, breech presentation at delivery for each gestational age was found to be less frequent as compared with other reports about antenatal ultrasonographic examination.
TL;DR: It is concluded that NTISS is a valid measure of therapeutic intensity that is independent of birth weight and can be used as an indicator of neonatal illness severity and resource utilization.
Abstract: Severity-of-illness scales have proven valuable in assessing clinical outcomes and resource consumption in adult and pediatric intensive care, but they have been less extensively developed for neonatal care. The National Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (NTISS) was created by modifying the Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS). From the 76 original TISS items, 42 were deleted and 28 added to form the NTISS. Like TISS, NTISS assigns score points from 1 to 4 for various intensive care therapies. Admission-day NTISS scores were calculated for 1643 newborns admitted to three neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) between November 1, 1989, and September 30, 1990. NTISS scores ranged from 0 to 47 with a mean of 12.3 +/- 8.7 (SD). There was little correlation with birth weight (r = -.11) or gestational age (r = -.17), but NTISS scores were highly correlated with expected markers of illness severity, including mortality risk estimates by neonatal attending physicians (r = .70, P < .0001), in-hospital mortality rates (P < .05), and a measure of nursing acuity (Medicus) (r = .69, P < .0001). In addition, admission-day NTISS scores were found to be predictive of both NICU length of stay (r = .37, P < .0001) and total hospital charges for survivors (r = .65, P < .0001). It is concluded that NTISS is a valid measure of therapeutic intensity that is independent of birth weight and can be used as an indicator of neonatal illness severity and resource utilization. Further validation in other NICUs is required.
TL;DR: Antenatal maternal serum screening for Down's syndrome is effective in practice and can be readily integrated into routine antenatal care and performs better than selection for amniocentesis on the basis of maternal age alone.
Abstract: OBJECTIVES--To assess the implementation of antenatal screening for Down9s syndrome in practice, using individual risk estimates based on maternal age and the three serum markers: alpha fetoprotein, unconjugated oestriol, and human chorionic gonadotrophin. DESIGN--Demonstration project of Down9s syndrome screening; women with a risk estimate at term of 1 in 250 or greater were classified as "screen positive" and offered diagnostic amniocentesis. SETTING--Hospital and community antenatal clinics in four health districts in London. SUBJECTS--12,603 women of all ages with singleton pregnancies seen between February 1989 and the end of May 1991, with follow up of the outcome of pregnancy completed to the end of 1991. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Uptake of screening, detection rate for Down9s syndrome, false positive rate, odds of being affected given a positive result, and uptake of amniocentesis in women with positive screening results, together with the costs of the screening programme. RESULTS--The uptake of screening was 74%. The detection rate was 48% (12/25), and the false positive rate was 4.1%, consistent with results expected from previous work based on observational studies. There was a loss of detection due to the selective use of ultrasound scans among women with positive screening results. One affected pregnancy occurred among 205 reclassified as negative; this illustrated the danger of false negatives occurring in this group and lends weight to the view that if an ultrasound estimate of gestational age is used it should be carried out routinely on all women rather than selectively among those with positive results. The estimated cost of avoiding the birth of a baby with Down9s syndrome was about 38,000 pounds, substantially less than the lifetime costs of care. CONCLUSION--Antenatal maternal serum screening for Down9s syndrome is effective in practice and can be readily integrated into routine antenatal care. It is cost effective and performs better than selection for amniocentesis on the basis of maternal age alone.
TL;DR: Although the majority of in vitro fertilization pregnancies have a satisfactory obstetric outcome, there are a number of increased obstetric risks that may reflect the history of infertility, the relatively high incidence of poor obstetric history, and the lower threshold for obstetric intervention in in vitro fertilizer patients.
TL;DR: Results indicate that disorders occurring in early life may underlie abnormal functional development in later life, whereas (catch up) growth is mainly determined during the second half of pregnancy.
TL;DR: Evidence is provided that neural centers responsible for rhythm generation and/or the pineal gland fail to accelerate their development after premature delivery, and this may be due to the environment the infants are exposed to during their stay in hospital.
Abstract: The development of rhythmic 6-sulfatoxymelatonin excretion in urine was studied in healthy full-term and premature infants during the first 12 months of life. There was little evidence of rhythmic 6-sulfatoxymelatonin excretion before 9 to 12 weeks of age in full-term infants. Over this period, excretion increased five to six times compared to the excretion at 6 weeks (08 +/- 103 vs. 2973 +/- 438 pmol/24 h) with the major proportion of the hormone metabolite being excreted between 0200-1000 h. At 24 weeks of age, total 6-sulfatoxymelatonin excretion was 25% of adult levels. Premature infants (51 +/- 4 days premature) had a delay in the appearance of rhythmic 6-sulfatoxymelatonin of approximately 9 weeks. Even after correcting for gestational age or length of time at home, the premature infants were found to have a 2-3 week delay in the development of 6-sulfatoxymelatonin rhythmicity compared to full-term infants. These results provide evidence that neural centers responsible for rhythm generation and/or the pineal gland fail to accelerate their development after premature delivery. This may be due to the environment the infants are exposed to during their stay in hospital, particularly the pattern and intensity of lighting.
TL;DR: The age-related decline in female fertility may be reversed in couples electing to use donated oocytes from a younger woman, and women of advanced reproductive age may conceive, carry, and give birth to infants with success rates similar to those of their younger counterparts using assisted reproductive methods.
Abstract: Objective. —To evaluate the effect of age on pregnancy success rates in functionally agonadal women undergoing oocyte donation. Design. —A prospective study of 100 consecutive patients using oocyte donation for the treatment of infertility. Patients. —Women aged 40 years and above requesting oocyte donation (N=104) were required to undergo medical, reproductive, and psychological screening. Suitable candidates (n=65) were matched with an oocyte donor whose cycle was synchronized with that of the potential recipient, prior to the donor's undertaking ovarian hyperstimulation and transvaginal ultrasound—directed follicle aspiration. Outcomes were compared with those of two groups undergoing therapy at the same time: (1) women below 40 years of age undergoing oocyte donation for premature ovarian failure (n=35) and (2) women 40 years of age and above undergoing standard in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer using their own oocytes (n=57). Main Outcome Measures. —Embryo implantation and pregnancy rates. Setting. —The in vitro fertilization program of the University of Southern California and the California Medical Center, Los Angeles. Results. —Improved outcomes were observed with regard to fertilization rates in vitro, number of embryos transferred, embryo implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rates, and ongoing or successfully completed pregnancy rates when women undergoing oocyte donation regardless of age were compared with women 40 years of age and above using their own oocytes. No age-related decline in fertility was demonstrable when oocyte donation was used, with a mean age of 44.3±3.1 years for those successfully conceiving (range, 40 to 52 years). Perinatal outcomes (n=27) were generally uncomplicated, with a mean gestational age at delivery of 38.4±2.1 weeks (range, 34 to 42 weeks), although multiple births occurred in 24.1% of cases. Conclusions. —The age-related decline in female fertility may be reversed in couples electing to use donated oocytes from a younger woman, and women of advanced reproductive age may conceive, carry, and give birth to infants with success rates similar to those of their younger counterparts using assisted reproductive methods. ( JAMA . 1992;268:1275-1279)
TL;DR: Infections in pregnancy with Ureaplasma urealyticum have been associated with a wide range of adverse outcomes, such as early abortion, stillbirth, prematurity, and neonatal morbidity and mortality.
Abstract: Infections in pregnancy with Ureaplasma urealyticum have been associated with a wide range of adverse outcomes, such as early abortion, stillbirth, prematurity, and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Causality has been difficult to demonstrate secondary to the high prevalence of asymptomatic lower genital tract (LGT) colonization and culture data from inaccessible or potentially contaminated sites.
Between 1985 and 1989, 2461 second-trimester genetic amniocenteses were evaluated at the cytogenetics section of the Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron. All were cultured for the genital mycoplasmas: Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum. A total of nine patients were positive, all for Ureaplasma urealyticum, with one patient excluded because of subsequent therapeutic abortion. In addition, complete follow-up data, such as indication for amniocentesis, serum alpha-fetoprotein levels, gestational age at parturition, and out- come of pregnancy, were available on 86 Ureaplasma-negative (U –) patients during an approximate 2-year span within the time-frame of the study. This was in part due to physician response to a questionnaire sent after amniocentesis.
Of the eight positive cultures, 100 per cent were associated with an adverse outcome, defined as fetal loss or premature delivery. This was significant compared with the U–group (p<0.001) with a more than eight times greater risk of adverse outcome. Six (75 per cent) resulted in spontaneous miscarriage within 4 weeks of amniocentesis and at less than 21 weeks' gestation. Two (25 per cent) delivered prematurely, with one (12.5 per cent) neonatal death at 24+ weeks. Histological examination of all eight placentae and the seven fetuses revealed a 100 per cent incidence of chorioamnionitis and pneumonia, respectively. In addition, in four of the five cases (80 per cent), cultures were positive for Ureaplasma urealyticum in pure culture from either placenta, fetal lung, or both tissues. The remaining case (20 per cent) was negative for aerobes, anaerobes, and mycoplasmas.
The study demonstrates a significant association and supports a causal relationship between isolation of Ureaplasma from mid-trimester amniotic fluid with fetal wastage and premature birth.
TL;DR: Part 1 Basic management: prenatal testing delivery room management assessment of gestational age newborn physical examination temperature regulation respiratory manageme fluids and electrolytes nutritional management neonatal radiology management of the extremely low birth weight infant during the first week of life.
Abstract: Part 1 Basic management: prenatal testing delivery room management assessment of gestational age newborn physical examination temperature regulation respiratory manageme fluids and electrolytes nutritional management neonatal radiology management of the extremely low birth weight infant during the first week of life extracorporeal membrane oxygenation infant transport follow-up of high-risk infant studies for neurologic evaluation neonatal bioethics. Part 2 Procedures: arterial access bladder aspiration (suprapubic urine collection) bladder catheterization chest tube placement endotracheal intubation exchange transfusion gastric intubation heelstick (capillary blood sampling) lumbar puncture (spinal tap) paracentesis (abdominal) pericardiocentesis venous access. Part 3 On-call problems: abnormal blood gas apnea and bradycardia ("A's and B's") arrhythmia bloody stool counseling parents before high-risk delivery cyanosis death of an infant eye discharge gastric aspirate (residuals) gastrointestinal bleeding from the upper tract hyperbilirubinemia, direct (conjugated hyperbilirubinemia) hyperbilirubinemia, indirect (unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia hyperglycemia hyperkalemia hypertension hypoglycemia hypokalemia hyponatremia hypotension and shock is the baby ready for discharge? no stool in 48 hours no urine output in 48 hours pneumoperitoneum pneumothorax polycythemia poor perfusion postdelivery antibiotics pulmonary hemorrhage rash sedation and analgesia in a neonate seizure activity traumatic delivery vasospasms. Part 4 Diseases and disorders: ambiguous genitalia blood abnormalities cardiac abnormalities common multiple congenital anomaly syndromes hyperiblirubinemia inborn errors of metabolism with acute neonatal onset infant of a dibetic mother infant of a drug-abusing mother infectious diseass intrauterine growth retardataion (small for gestational age infant) multiple gestation necrotizing entercolitis neurologic diseases perinatal asphyxia pulmonary diseases renal diseases retinopathy of prematurity rickets and disorders of calcium and magnesium metabolism surgical diseases of the newborn thyroid disorders. Part 5 Neonatal pharmacology: commonly used medications effects of drugs and substances on lactation and breast-feeding effects of drugs and substances taken during pregnancy.
TL;DR: Infant mortality rates presented a similar pattern, with the differentials being more pronounced during the neonatal than in the postneonatal period and in the first 2 years of life intrauterine growth-retarded children were at almost twice the risk of being hospitalized for diarrhea compared with appropriate birth weight, term children, while preterm children experienced only a slightly greater risk.
Abstract: A cohort of 5914 liveborns (99% of the city births) was followed up to the age of 4 years in Pelotas, southern Brazil. Besides the perinatal evaluation, the cohort children were examined again at mean ages of 11, 23, and 47 months. During each visit the children were weighed and measured and information on morbidity was collected. Also, multiple sources of information were used for monitoring mortality throughout the study. Of the babies with known gestational age, 9.0% were classified as intrauterine growth-retarded and 6.3% as preterm. Excluding those of unknown gestational age, 62% of low birth weight babies were intrauterine growth-retarded and 36% were preterm. Intrauterine growth retardation was statistically associated with maternal height, prepregnancy weight, birth interval, and smoking, whereas preterm births were associated with maternal prepregnancy weight and maternal age. Preterm babies had a perinatal mortality rate 13 times higher than that of babies of appropriate birth weight and gestational age and 2 times higher than that of intrauterine growth-retarded babies. Infant mortality rates presented a similar pattern, with the differentials being more pronounced during the neonatal than in the postneonatal period. In the first 2 years of life intrauterine growth-retarded children were at almost twice the risk of being hospitalized for diarrhea compared with appropriate birth weight, term children, while preterm children experienced only a slightly greater risk. For pneumonia, however, both groups of children were hospitalized significantly more than appropriate birth weight, term children. In terms of growth, despite their earlier disadvantage, preterm children gradually caught up with their appropriate birth weight, term counterparts.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
TL;DR: Triplet and quadruplet IVF pregnancies have increased obstetrical and neonatal complications compared with IVF twins and the perinatal mortality and the incidence of congenital malformations are comparable in all three groups.
TL;DR: This study was unable to demonstrate any beneficial effect of corticosteroids in reducing respiratory distress Syndrome at less than 28 weeks' gestation in spite of a sample size that had an 80% likelihood of detecting a 50% reduction in the incidence of respiratory distress syndrome with p = 0.05, which is the minimum reduction seen in virtually all randomized trials in other gestational age groups.
TL;DR: It is concluded that prepregnancy weight-for-height and gestational weight gain are not important determinants of spontaneous preterm birth and that some previous studies have mistaken an effect of shortened gestation for its cause.
Abstract: Previous studies suggesting that maternal undernutrition increases the risk of preterm birth have suffered from several methodological shortcomings, including use of total gestational weight gain rather than net rate of gain in maternal tissue, inclusion of induced preterm deliveries, and error-prone gestational age measurements based solely on menstrual dates. The authors have attempted to overcome these shortcomings by investigating the potential etiologic roles of prepregnancy body mass index, net rate of maternal weight gain, height, and a number of other potential biological and sociodemographic determinants of spontaneous (i.e., noninduced) preterm birth in a cohort of 13,102 women with early ultrasound-confirmed gestational age who delivered at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, between January 1, 1980 and March 31, 1989. Total weight gain, but not body mass index, was highly significantly associated with spontaneous preterm birth, averaging 14.6, 12.5, 9.9, and 9.1 kg, in women delivering at 37 or more, less than 37, less than 34, and less than 32 completed weeks, respectively. Although the relation persisted when weight gain was expressed as an overall rate, it disappeared when the analysis was based on net rate; mean net rates of gain were 0.28, 0.29, 0.27, and 0.27 kg/week, respectively. On the basis of multiple logistic regression analyses, significant determinants of birth at less than 37 weeks included maternal short stature; noncompletion of high school; unmarried status; smoking; diabetes; urinary tract infection within 2 weeks of delivery; prepregnancy hypertension; severe pregnancy-induced hypertension; and previous history of preterm delivery, low birth weight, or neonatal death. Most of these factors retained their significance for birth at less than 34 and less than 32 weeks. In fact, the effect of low maternal education was even stronger at these more severe "levels" of preterm birth. The authors conclude that prepregnancy weight-for-height and gestational weight gain are not important determinants of spontaneous preterm birth and that some previous studies have mistaken an effect of shortened gestation for its cause. Other biologic and social determinants, however, indicate priorities for future research and intervention.
TL;DR: Neurosonographic abnormalities and developmental delay in preterm infants with mechanical ventilation and extreme hypocarbia. The risk factors for developmental delay differed from those predictive of spastic forms of cerebral palsy.
Abstract: Surviving preterm infants of less than 34 weeks' gestation who were selected on the basis of serial cranial ultrasonographic findings during their nursery course had repeated neurologic and developmental examinations during late infancy and early childhood that established the presence (n = 46) or absence (n = 205) of spastic forms of cerebral palsy. Of the 205 infants without cerebral palsy, 22 scored abnormally low on standardized developmental testing during early childhood. The need for mechanical ventilation beginning on the first day of life (n = 92) was significantly related to gestational age, birth weight, Apgar scores, patent ductus arteriosus, grade III/IV intracranial hemorrhage, large periventricular cysts, and the development of cerebral palsy. In the 192 mechanically ventilated infants, vaginal bleeding during the third trimester, low Apgar scores, and maximally low Pco2 values during the first 3 days of life were significantly related to large periventricular cysts (n = 41) and cerebral palsy (n = 43), but not to developmental delay in the absence of cerebral palsy (n = 18). The severity of intracranial hemorrhage in mechanically ventilated infants was significantly associated with gestational age and maximally low measurements of Pco2 and pH, but not with Apgar scores or maximally low measurements of Po2. Logistic regression analyses controlling for possible confounding variables disclosed that Pco2 values of less than 17 mm Hg during the first 3 days of life in mechanically ventilated infants were associated with a significantly increased risk of moderate to severe periventricular echodensity, large periventricular cysts, grade III/IV intracranial hemorrhage, and cerebral palsy. Neurosonographic abnormalities were highly predictive of cerebral palsy independent of Pco2 measurements. However, neither hypocarbia nor neurosonographic abnormalities were associated with a significantly increased risk of developmental delay in the absence of cerebral palsy. In this preterm infant population, therefore, the risk factors for developmental delay differed from those predictive of spastic forms of cerebral palsy. Of the 57 ventilated preterm infants who were exposed to a maximally low Pco2 of less than 20 mm Hg at least once during the first 3 days of life, 21 developed large periventricular cysts or cerebral palsy or both. Those results suggest that prenatal and neonatal factors including the need for mechanical ventilation beginning on the first day of life and marked hypocarbia during the first 3 postnatal days are associated with an increased risk of damage to the periventricular white matter of some preterm infants. However, a causal relationship between hypocarbia and brain damage in preterm infants remains unproven.
TL;DR: If congenital heart disease and chromosomal anomalies are excluded and there is little or no evidence of left heart underdevelopment, the odds for survival will improve, and this should be taken into account when the management of these cases is planned.
TL;DR: Logistic regression analyses controlling for possible confounding variables disclosed that PCO2 values of less than 17 mm Hg during the first 3 days of life in mechanically ventilated infants were associated with a significantly increased risk of moderate to severe periventricular echodensity, large perivocentular cysts, grade III/IV intracranial hemorrhage, and cerebral palsy.
Abstract: Surviving preterm infants of less than 34 weeks9 gestation who were selected on the basis of serial cranial ultrasonographic findings during their nursery course had repeated neurologic and developmental examinations during late infancy and early childhood that established the presence (n = 46) or absence (n = 205) of spastic forms of cerebral palsy. Of the 205 infants without cerebral palsy, 22 scored abnormally low on standardized developmental testing during early childhood. The need for mechanical ventilation beginning on the first day of life (n = 92) was significantly related to gestational age, birth weight, Apgar scores, patent ductus arteriosus, grade III/IV intracranial hemorrhage, large periventricular cysts, and the development of cerebral palsy. In the 192 mechanically ventilated infants, vaginal bleeding during the third trimester, low Apgar scores, and maximally low Pco2 values during the first 3 days of life were significantly related to large periventricular cysts (n = 41) and cerebral palsy (n = 43), but not to developmental delay in the absence of cerebral palsy (n = 18). The severity of intracranial hemorrhage in mechanically ventilated infants was significantly associated with gestational age and maximally low measurements of Pco2 and pH, but not with Apgar scores or maximally low measurements of Po2. Logistic regression analyses controlling for possible confounding variables disclosed that Pco2 values of less than 17 mm Hg during the first 3 days of life in mechanically ventilated infants were associated with a significantly increased risk of moderate to severe periventricular echodensity, large periventricular cysts, grade III/IV intracranial hemorrhage, and cerebral palsy. Neurosonographic abnormalities were highly predictive of cerebral palsy independent of Pco2 measurements. However, neither hypocarbia nor neurosonographic abnormalities were associated with a significantly increased risk of developmental delay in the absence of cerebral palsy. In this preterm infant population, therefore, the risk factors for developmental delay differed from those predictive of spastic forms of cerebral palsy. Of the 57 ventilated preterm infants who were exposed to a maximally low Pco2 of less than 20 mm Hg at least once during the first 3 days of life, 21 developed large periventricular cysts or cerebral palsy or both. Those results suggest that prenatal and neonatal factors including the need for mechanical ventilation beginning on the first day of life and marked hypocarbia during the first 3 postnatal days are associated with an increased risk of damage to the periventricular white matter of some preterm infants. However, a causal relationship between hypocarbia and brain damage in preterm infants remains unproven.
TL;DR: The number of successful pregnancies increased steadily and in parallel with the increasing number of females of childbearing age with a functioning renal transplant in women on renal replacement therapy and related information on gestation and clinical status of newborns is reported.
Abstract: This study reports the geographical incidence of successful pregnancies in women on renal replacement therapy (RRT) and related information on gestation and clinical status of newborns. The impact of successful pregnancy on graft function was assessed by means of a retrospective case-control study. Since 1977 special questionnaires have been sent to each dialysis and transplant centre which reported babies born to mothers on RRT on the yearly centre questionnaire. After 10 years of data collection, a total of 490 pregnancies and 500 babies were available for analysis. A percentage of 88.4 of the babies were born to mothers with a functioning graft, 11.2% to mothers on chronic haemodialysis, and the remaining 0.4% to mothers on CAPD. Almost 50% of all successful pregnancies were reported from the UK. The number of successful pregnancies increased steadily and in parallel with the increasing number of females of childbearing age with a functioning renal transplant. The majority of mothers delivered at age 24-32. For transplanted mothers delivery occurred most commonly during the 3rd and 4th year after successful transplantation. In approximately 85% of cases the duration of pregnancy was shorter than the lower 10th percentile of normal. Birthweight was reduced in accordance with gestational age. Newborn mortality was 1.8%. Fifty-three mothers with a successful pregnancy in 1984-1987 were computer matched with controls according to a number of criteria. The serum creatinine concentration recorded in coded form at the end of each year on the individual EDTA patient questionnaire was used to assess changes in graft function.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
TL;DR: Umbilical-artery doppler velocimetry of small-for-gestational-age fetuses allows antenatal monitoring and obstetric interventions to be aimed more precisely than does cardiotocography.
TL;DR: In 563 surviving very preterm and/or very low birthweight infants the relationship between neonatal thyroxine concentration and psychomotor development at 2 years of age was studied.
Abstract: In 563 surviving very preterm (less than 32 weeks gestational age) and/or very low birthweight (less than 1500 g) infants the relationship between neonatal thyroxine concentration and psychomotor development at 2 years of age (corrected for preterm birth) was studied. A significant association was found between low neonatal thyroxine concentration and a negative score on the three milestones of development. These findings do not support the view that transient hypothyroxinaemia in preterm infants is harmless.
TL;DR: The residual prospective risk of stillbirth as a function of gestational age was calculated from records of the New York City Department of Health covering 370,000 reported births between 1987-1989, including 2454 stillbirths.
TL;DR: Maternal age, height, and body mass index were all positively related to blood pressure in childhood but these relationships were abolished once the child's body build was taken into account, suggesting a postnatal rather than a prenatal origin.
Abstract: It has been proposed that maternal health and nutrition may be important in the development of adult cardiovascular risk, and that blood pressure may be an important intermediate step in this process. To examine the relevance of this hypothesis in contemporary British children, the relationships of several maternal factors to blood pressure were studied in 3360 children of European origin aged 5-7 years. Maternal age, height, and body mass index were all positively related to blood pressure in childhood but these relationships were abolished once the child's body build was taken into account. Maternal social class, educational attainment, and history of smoking in pregnancy showed no relationship with blood pressure in childhood. Parity showed an inverse association with blood pressure, but this appeared to be due to an association between total sibship size and blood pressure, suggesting a postnatal rather than a prenatal origin. Blood pressure was higher in children whose mothers had a history of high blood pressure but this association was no stronger than that for paternal history. Both birth weight and gestational age were inversely related to blood pressure at 5-7 years. The association between birth weight and blood pressure was attenuated by standardisation for gestational age, and the relationships between birth weight and blood pressure were similar in preterm and full term infants. No specific association between blood pressure and the maternal factors studied have been observed in this population. Hypotheses relating maternal factors to cardiovascular risk need to specify the timing and nature of their effects more precisely. Although the relationship between birth weight and blood pressure is not fully understood, it appears to reflect size at birth rather than fetal growth rate.
TL;DR: Twins and triplets (IVF and controls) had significantly lower physical and mental indices as compared to singletons, both in IVF and control groups.
Abstract: To assess the physical and mental development of infants born after in vitro fertilization (IVF), we performed a general physical and developmental examination (Bayley and Stanford-Binet scales) on a cohort of 116 IVF children, conceived and born at our institution between February 1985 and March 1989, and on 116 non-IVF matched controls. Study and control groups were each composed of 66 singletons, 19 pairs of twins and 4 sets of triplets, whose age at examination ranged from 12 to 45 months. The developmental indices of IVF infants were within the normal range and did not differ from those of their matched controls. The indices were positively correlated to gestational age, birth weight, head circumference at birth and at examination, and mother's education. Mean birth weight, gestational age, and birth weight percentile of IVF infants were lower than the mean of the healthy population. Mean percentiles of weight and length at examination (mean age 22.4 months) were equally low but did not differ from those of the matched controls. However, mean percentiles of head circumference at birth and at examination compare well with the normal mean, both in IVF and control groups. Twins and triplets (IVF and controls) had significantly lower physical and mental indices as compared to singletons.
TL;DR: Gestational age at delivery of greater than 31 weeks, the absence of hydrops, and the use of antenatal therapy (thoracentesis or shunt placement) were associated with good outcome, and gender of the fetus, hydramnios, extent of effusion as unilateral or bilateral, and mode of delivery were not significantly related to outcome.
TL;DR: There was a significant inverse relationship between tobacco use and weight, length, and head circumference at birth and there was no relationship between prenatal tobacco exposure and size of the offspring by 18 months of age.
TL;DR: Routine serum bicarbonate determination in all pregnant patients being evaluated for trauma is advocated and performance of DPL and surgery do not have a significant association with fetal loss and therefore should not be withheld when indicated in a pregnant patient.
Abstract: During a 9 1/2-year period, 76 pregnant women who sustained blunt trauma were admitted to a level-I trauma center. Fetal outcome was ascertained in 59 patients (78%). Successful delivery was noted in 35 patients (46%). Eight patients (11%) elected to undergo abortion for nonmedical reasons. Sixteen patients (21%) sustained fetal loss, and 17 patients (22%) were lost to follow-up. The 51 patients who either delivered successfully or experienced a fetal loss were studied to determine the factors that affected fetal outcome. Variables analyzed included gestational age and maternal age, Glasgow Coma Scale score, serum bicarbonate level, pH, PCO2, PO2, blood pressure, heart rate, Injury Severity Score, and performance of surgery or diagnostic peritoneal lavage. Logistic regression analysis revealed that ISS (p less than 0.01) and admission serum bicarbonate level (p less than 0.02) have the most significant correlation with fetal outcome. No other variable exhibited a statistically significant influence on fetal outcome. This information documents that fetal demise is related to severity of maternal injury as characterized by ISS. A low serum bicarbonate level corresponds to maternal hypoperfusion and hypoxia, which may be otherwise unrecognized because of the normal physiologic changes occurring during pregnancy. Based on these findings, routine serum bicarbonate determination in all pregnant patients being evaluated for trauma is advocated. Performance of DPL and surgery do not have a significant association with fetal loss and therefore should not be withheld when indicated in a pregnant patient. Language: en
TL;DR: This population-based investigation in a low rate area demonstrated no relationship between maternal serum folate, vitamin B12, or retinol levels during pregnancy and the risk of NTDs.
TL;DR: Multivariate analysis indicated that the mode of delivery, fetal presentation, and birth weight were important and independent prognostic indicators of IVH.
TL;DR: Successful pregnancy is possible following renal transplantation, although there is a high rate of prematurity, low birth weight, and intrauterine growth retardation, and CsA dose requirements may be increased.
Abstract: Many centers still recommend avoidance of pregnancy after renal transplantation because of fears for the safety of both mother and fetus. These fears are in part based on a lack of information concerning the effects of newer immunosuppressive drugs such as cyclosporine on the course and outcome of pregnancy. The present study examines the experience of first pregnancies following renal transplantation in a single center, with emphasis on the role of CsA. Data on the first pregnancies of 22 women transplanted between 1977 and 1988 were studied. The mean age of patients at the time of transplant was 23.4 +/- 3.1 years and interval from transplant to pregnancy was 34.5 +/- 24.5 months (range 1-75 months). Twelve patients received CsA alone or in combination with other immunosuppressives, while the remaining 10 patients received azathioprine and prednisone. Mean serum creatinine fell progressively during pregnancy in both CsA- and azathioprine-treated mothers. Mean CsA dose rose during pregnancy while mean CsA blood concentration fell during the 2nd trimester (P = 0.042). The gestation period ranged from 27 to 40 weeks (35.5 +/- 3.3) with 14 pregnancies ending prematurely prior to 37 weeks. Thirteen deliveries occurred by Caesarian section. Hypertension complicated 10 pregnancies. Birth weight correlated directly with both maternal weight gain (r = 0.57; P less than 0.02) and gestational age (r = 0.9; P less than 0.01). Ten of 23 offspring were below the 10th percentile for weight. Mean birth weight ranged from 0.72 to 3.7 kg (2.3 +/- 0.84 kg). The mean birth weight and gestational age of children born to mothers taking CsA were lower than those in azathioprine treated mothers but these differences were not statistically significant. Successful pregnancy is possible following renal transplantation, although there is a high rate of prematurity, low birth weight, and intrauterine growth retardation. CsA dose requirements may be increased. Maternal risks including hypertension require that such pregnancies be handled by a multidisciplinary team approach.
TL;DR: In this article, a multivariate regression analysis revealed that β-sympathomimetic agents were associated with a statistically significant increase in the overall incidence of periventricular-intraventricular hemorrhage (odds ratio 2.47, 95% confidence interval 1.34 to 4.6%).