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Clin Epigenetics 2022 May 16;14(1):63. Epub 2022 May 16.

Genomic Medicine Research Group, Ulster University, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, UK.

Background: We previously showed that continued folic acid (FA) supplementation beyond the first trimester of pregnancy appears to have beneficial effects on neurocognitive performance in children followed for up to 11 years, but the biological mechanism for this effect has remained unclear. Using samples from our randomized controlled trial of folic acid supplementation in second and third trimester (FASSTT), where significant improvements in cognitive and psychosocial performance were demonstrated in children from mothers supplemented in pregnancy with 400 µg/day FA compared with placebo, we examined methylation patterns from cord blood (CB) using the EPIC array which covers approximately 850,000 cytosine-guanine (CG) sites across the genome. Genes showing significant differences were verified using pyrosequencing and mechanistic approaches used in vitro to determine effects on transcription. Read More

Nutrients 2022 May 9;14(9). Epub 2022 May 9.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan.

Among the physiological changes occurring during pregnancy, the benefits of morning sickness, which is likely mediated by human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and induces serum ketone production, are unclear. We investigated the relationship between serum levels of ketone bodies and HCG in the first, second, and third trimesters and neonatal body shape (i.e. Read More

Eur J Pediatr 2022 May 13. Epub 2022 May 13.

Department of Otolaryngology, Robert Debre Hospital, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), Paris University, 48 boulevard Sérurier, 75019, Paris, France.

The purpose of this study is to assess the predictive factors of both hearing and vestibular impairment in congenitally cytomegalovirus-infected children (cCMV) through a multivariate analysis of clinical and imaging characteristics collected during pregnancy and at birth. This retrospective study was conducted between March 2014 and March 2020, including confirmed congenitally CMV-infected children with a complete vestibular and hearing assessment. Data concerning pregnancy, date of infection, clinical characteristics, and symptomatology at birth were collected. Read More

Front Immunol 2022 22;13:825075. Epub 2022 Apr 22.

Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Institute for Women's Health, Department of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom.

Chronic inflammatory placental disorders are a group of rare but devastating gestational syndromes associated with adverse pregnancy outcome. This review focuses on three related conditions: villitis of unknown etiology (VUE), chronic histiocytic intervillositis (CHI) and massive perivillous fibrin deposition (MPFD). The hallmark of these disorders is infiltration of the placental architecture by maternal immune cells and disruption of the intervillous space, where gas exchange between the mother and fetus occurs. Read More

Am J Emerg Med 2022 Apr 25. Epub 2022 Apr 25.

Department of Emergency Medicine, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA; Department of Emergency Medicine, Kings County Hospital Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA.

Background: First-trimester bleeding and pregnancy loss are common reasons for presentation to emergency departments. Women of childbearing age frequently receive urine and serum pregnancy tests, which are thought to be reliable markers of pregnancy.

Case Presentation: We report a case of a 34-year-old woman who presented to an emergency department with vaginal bleeding and abdominal pain and was found to have negative urine and serum markers of pregnancy. Read More

Contraception 2022 Apr 25. Epub 2022 Apr 25.

Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health, University of Hawai'i John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI, United States.

Objective: To evaluate whether administration of intranasal fentanyl reduces reported pain during first-trimester uterine aspiration.

Study Design: We conducted a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of patients with pregnancies less than or equal to 14 weeks gestation seeking uterine aspiration for induced abortion, early pregnancy loss, or failed medication abortion. We randomized participants 1:1 to either intranasal fentanyl 100 mcg or intranasal placebo. Read More

Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2022 Apr 25. Epub 2022 Apr 25.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China.

Objectives: To assess whether pregnancy associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) improves or provides equivalent screening performance as placental growth factor (PlGF) when screening for preterm preeclampsia (PE) at 11-13 weeks METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of a non-intervention screening study of 6546 singleton pregnancies prospectively screened for preterm PE in the first trimester between December 2016 and June 2018. Patient-specific risks for preterm PE were estimated by maternal history, mean arterial pressure (MAP), uterine artery pulsatility index (UtA-PI), PlGF and PAPP-A. A competing risks model with biomarker expressed in multiple of expected median (MoM) was used. Read More

Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol 2022 Mar 30. Epub 2022 Mar 30.

Fetal Medicine Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. Electronic address:

Vanishing twin syndrome (VTS), defined by first-trimester spontaneous loss of a twin, is a common phenomenon with a reported prevalence of 15-35% of twin pregnancies. The etiology of VTS is obscure. Still, several risk factors have been identified, including an increased number of embryos transferred in pregnancies conceived by in vitro fertilization, an initial increased number of gestational sacs and advanced maternal age. Read More

Curr Health Sci J 2021 Oct-Dec;47(4):547-552. Epub 2021 Dec 31.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Romania.

The Yolk sac is the first source of transfer between the mother and the embryo, with a nutritional and gas exchange function, vital for the development of the embryo, to which we can add primitive hematopoiesis, the production of stem cells and germ cells. Although normal-term pregnancies with abnormal aspects of the yolk sac have been described, the smaller or larger size of the yolk sac is associated with pregnancy loss. Our study aimed to determine whether the yolk sac size change, determined by measuring diameter (2D ultrasonography) or volume (3D ultrasonography), is independently associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Read More

J Assoc Physicians India 2022 Apr;70(4):11-12

Jss Medical College, Mysuru.

The thyroid gland and it's function are both affected physiologically by pregnancy. During pregnancy, the thyroid gland expands by 10% in iodine-sufficient women and to a higher extent in iodine-deficient women. Anemia is a worldwide health problem affecting 33% of non-pregnant women and 38% of pregnant women. Read More

J Orthop Case Rep 2021 Sep;11(9):72-76

Department of Orthopaedics, PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.

Introduction: Pregnancy is a physiologically hypercoagulable state and a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection adds to this burden by accentuating the coagulopathy. We report two cases of severe peri-partum COVID infection leading to extremity gangrene secondary to a pro-thrombotic coagulopathy.

Case One: A 37-year-old lady, day-2 postpartum, was brought with severe COVID infection & and respiratory failure. Read More

J Clin Med 2022 Mar 29;11(7). Epub 2022 Mar 29.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aalborg University Hospital, Reberbansgade 15, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark.

Pregnancy loss after in vitro fertilization (IVF) is at least as common as after spontaneous conception. Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) may often have an immunological background, and it is therefore relevant to test immune-based interventions in these patients. The objective was to investigate the effect of immunotherapy with intravenous immunoglobulin (IvIg) and prednisone (PRS) as concomitant therapy to IVF in women with RPL after earlier IVF treatments. Read More

J Infect Dis 2022 Apr 11. Epub 2022 Apr 11.

Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, 00202, Kenya.

Background: The impact of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) on pregnancy outcomes for women on antiretroviral therapy (ART) in sub-Saharan Africa remains unclear.

Methods: Pregnant women in Kenya were enrolled in the second trimester and followed up to delivery. We estimated effects of treated HIV with three pregnancy outcomes: loss, premature birth, and low birthweight and factors associated with HIV-positive status. Read More

Eur J Contracept Reprod Health Care 2022 Apr 11:1-4. Epub 2022 Apr 11.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Virgen de Valme University Hospital, Seville, Spain.

Objective: Our main goal was to evaluate whether a treatment protocol based on the combination of mifepristone and misoprostol for second-trimester foetal loss was more effective than misoprostol monotherapy.

Methods: This was an observational, retrospective, cross-sectional two-centre study of women receiving treatment for second-trimester pregnancy loss. Patients were recruited in two centres that used different treatment protocols: combined mifepristone-misoprostol treatment or misoprostol monotherapy. Read More

Arch Gynecol Obstet 2022 Apr 9. Epub 2022 Apr 9.

Department of Woman, Child and General and Specialized Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Largo Madonna delle Grazie 1, 80138, Naples, Italy.

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of endocervical and decidual polypectomy on obstetrical outcomes of pregnant women.

Methods: MEDLINE, Scopus, ClinicalTrials.gov, Scielo, EMBASE, Cochrane Library at the CENTRAL Register of Controlled Trials, and LILACS were searched from inception to April 2021. Read More

Int Health 2022 Apr 8. Epub 2022 Apr 8.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Dodoma, 295 Dodoma, Tanzania.

Background: Gestational trophoblastic diseases (GTDs) may follow any form of pregnancy or a pregnancy loss. Early detection of GTDs is important, as some benign forms of the disease may progress into a chemoresistant and metastatic disease. This study aimed at determining the frequency of GTDs among women experiencing first trimester pregnancy loss and the associated patients' characteristics. Read More

Hum Reprod 2022 Apr 7. Epub 2022 Apr 7.

Reproductive Medicine Unit, University College London Hospital, 250 Euston Road, London, NW1 2BU, UK.

Study Question: Does maternal infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in the first trimester affect the risk of miscarriage before 13 week's gestation?

Summary Answer: Pregnant women with self-reported diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 in the first trimester had a higher risk of early miscarriage.

What Is Known Already: Viral infections during pregnancy have a broad spectrum of placental and neonatal pathology. Data on the effects of the SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy are still emerging. Read More

Obes Sci Pract 2022 Apr 1;8(2):147-152. Epub 2021 Sep 1.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences Washington DC USA.

Background: Over the past decade there have been rapid advancements in telemedicine and mobile health technology (mHealth) and rapid increases in adoption of these technologies among OB-GYN providers. Mobile technology is routinely used in the general adult population to simplify monitoring of food intake and weight. Studies have demonstrated that weight loss achieved via remote monitoring, through use of wi-fi scales and web applications, is similar to weight loss achieved with in-person support. Read More

Cureus 2022 Feb 22;14(2):e22505. Epub 2022 Feb 22.

Obstetrics and Gynecology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, JPN.

Severe idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is thought to occur in approximately one in 10,000 pregnancies and refractoriness for conventional treatment is life-threatening. We herein describe a pregnant case of refractory ITP successfully treated with eltrombopag, orally medicated thrombopoietin receptor agonist (TPO-RA). The patient was diagnosed with ITP at the age of 22 and corticosteroid, immune globulin treatments, or splenectomy was invalid. Read More

J Obstet Gynaecol Res 2022 Apr 3. Epub 2022 Apr 3.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan.

Aim: The fetal sample used for embryonic chromosome analysis is often contaminated with maternal cells, making it difficult to evaluate the fetal chromosomes. We examined on the rate of maternal cell contamination and its relationship with maternal information in the embryonic chromosome analysis of missed abortions using the Giemsabanding method.

Methods: Chromosome analysis was performed in 200 cases of delayed miscarriages in first trimester between July 1, 2000 and May 31, 2019. Read More

Am J Obstet Gynecol 2022 Mar 23. Epub 2022 Mar 23.

Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education) and Department of Obstetrics, Women's Hospital School of Medicine Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China. Electronic address:

Cervical insufficiency is a major cause of second-trimester pregnancy loss and spontaneous preterm delivery. Transabdominal cervicoisthmic cerclage is usually performed before pregnancy for patients of cervical insufficiency, in whom transvaginal cervical cerclage procedure cannot be placed or has failed previously. Performing a transabdominal cerclage becomes a huge challenge owing to the enlargement of the pregnant uterus in patients who were indicated for transabdominal cervicoisthmic cerclage but were missed before pregnancy. Read More

Fetal Pediatr Pathol 2022 Mar 24:1-14. Epub 2022 Mar 24.

Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.

Histopathological evaluation of the first trimester pregnancy loss has always been controversial. Although it is recommended, it is not a part of guidelines. Six hundred eighty-six samples in a referral infertility clinic were evaluated microscopically and categorized. Read More

Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022 7;13:797121. Epub 2022 Mar 7.

Fertility Preservation Lab, Guangdong-Hong Kong Metabolism and Reproduction Joint Laboratory, Reproductive Medicine Centre, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, China.

Objective: Elective single embryo transfer (eSET) has been increasingly advocated to achieve the goal of delivering a single healthy baby. A novel endometrial preparation approach down-regulation ovulation-induction (DROI) proposed by our team was demonstrated in an RCT that DROI could significantly improve the reproductive outcome compared with modified natural cycle. We aimed to evaluate whether DROI improved clinic pregnancy rate in this single frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer RCT compared with hormone replace treatment (HRT). Read More

Lupus Sci Med 2022 Mar;9(1)

Rheumatology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

Objective: Multiple guidelines recommend continuing hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) for SLE during pregnancy based on observational data. The goal of this individual patient data meta-analysis was to identify the potential benefits and harms of HCQ use within lupus pregnancies.

Methods: Eligible studies included prospectively collected pregnancies in women with lupus. Read More

Clin Pract 2022 Feb 28;12(2):177-193. Epub 2022 Feb 28.

Laboratory of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.

Recurrent miscarriages affect up to 5% of couples. CD3 (T-lymphocytes), CD4 (helper T-lymphocytes), CD8 (cytotoxic T-lymphocytes), and CD20 (B-lymphocytes) cells may participate in the pathophysiology of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). The aim of this study was to investigate the complicity of these molecules in RPL. Read More

Am J Case Rep 2022 Mar 19;23:e934401. Epub 2022 Mar 19.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.

BACKGROUND Abdominal pregnancy is a special type of ectopic pregnancy, characterized by implantation of the embryo in the peritoneal cavity, with tubal, ovarian, and intraligamentary pregnancies excluded, accounting for approximately 1% of all cases. It was first reported in 1708 after an autopsy and since then numerous cases have been reported, with a current incidence of 1: 10 000 to 1: 30 000 pregnancies. CASE REPORT We report the case of a 27-year-old woman, resident of the city of Caxias do Sul, Brazil, with an extra-uterine pregnancy by ultrasound diagnosis at 25 weeks and 1 day of gestational age and a live fetus. Read More

Sci Total Environ 2022 Jul 15;829:154564. Epub 2022 Mar 15.

Department of Family Planning, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, China. Electronic address:

The association between ambient fine particulate matter (PM) and systemic inflammation in women with early pregnancy is unclear. This study estimated the effects of PM exposures on inflammatory biomarkers in women with normal early pregnancy (NEP) or clinically recognized early pregnancy loss (CREPL). Serum interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were measured in 228 early pregnant women recruited in Tianjin, China. Read More

Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2022 Mar 17;20(1):51. Epub 2022 Mar 17.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University General Hospital of Patras, 265 04, Rion, Greece.

Background: Demystifying the events around early pregnancy is challenging. A wide network of mediators and signaling cascades orchestrate the processes of implantation and trophoblast proliferation. Dysregulation of these pathways could be implicated in early pregnancy loss. Read More

J Obstet Gynaecol 2022 Mar 17:1-7. Epub 2022 Mar 17.

Department of General Surgery, Gaziosmanpasa University School of Medicine, Tokat, Turkey.

Pregnancy is one of the risk factors for biliary sludge (BS) formation. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 959 pregnant women were included. Serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, sodium, potassium, triglycerides, cholesterol levels and the presence of ketones in urine were determined. Read More

J Thyroid Res 2022 5;2022:9315250. Epub 2022 Mar 5.

Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.

Introduction: Subclinical hypothyroidism during pregnancy can be associated with numerous adverse outcomes. The purpose of this study was to compare short-term adverse pregnancy outcomes in treated versus nontreated patients who fall within the numerical range of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) between the Iranian and American reference ranges.

Materials And Methods: Eighty pregnant women with a known level of antithyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) and TSH levels of 2. Read More