Background/Aims: To evaluate the incidence of placental abnormalities, cord plasma erythropoietin (EPO) levels and nucleated red blood cell (NRBC) counts, maternal and cord plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and nondiabetic controls. Methods: Twenty-two women with GDM, diagnosed according to the current criteria of the American Diabetes Association, were compared with 22 controls. Maternal and cord blood and placental samples were obtained from all pregnant women. Cord plasma EPO levels and NRBC counts, maternal and cord plasma MDA and VEGF levels were determined. Placental tissues were examined histologically. Results: Maternal and cord plasma levels of MDA and cord plasma EPO levels and NRBC counts were significantly higher in GDM pregnancies (p < 0.01). The presence of villous immaturity, chorangiosis and ischemia were significantly increased in the placentas of women with GDM (p < 0.05). The maternal and cord plasma levels of MDA increased (p = 0.007 and p = 0.001, respectively), whereas VEGF decreased (p = 0.046 and p = 0.001, respectively) with the presence of villous immaturity. Conclusion: The complex process of villous development and maturity might be influenced by the maternal and fetal oxidative and angiogenetic milieu. The placenta that shows abnormalities in angiogenesis and maturation may lead to fetal hypoxia and compromise.
The aim of this study was to describe maternal and fetal characteristics associated with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) and to determine clinical and biochemical predictors of fetal complications. A total of 89 singleton pregnancies with ICP were analysed, retrospectively. All data concerning laboratory results, symptom onset time, treatment response, delivery time and infant information were recorded in the study protocol. The mean gestational age at diagnosis was 32.6 ± 3.4 weeks; mean time of delivery was 36.8 ± 1.9 weeks. Binary logistic regression revealed that gestational age at diagnosis was predictive of preterm delivery (OR = 2.3, 95% CI: 1.5-3.3, p = 0.001). The incidence of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), fetal growth restriction, fetal distress and preterm delivery were significantly higher in patients who were diagnosed before 30 weeks than after 34 weeks' gestation (p< 0.01). Gestational age at diagnosis is an important independent factor predicting adverse perinatal outcomes in patients with ICP.
The Bakri balloon may be performed as a first line of treatment for PPH resistant to uterotonic agents, and can be used not only in tertiary centers but also in limited-resource centers. The inflation volume of the Bakri balloon should be adjusted according to the type of PPH; a volume exceeding 500 mL may be necessary in uterine atony.
Purpose To investigate whether serum anti-müllerian hormone (AMH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), or antral follicle count (AFC) are predictive for clinical pregnancy in women who underwent IVF cycles at the age of 35 and older Methods A total of 240 consecutive women who underwent IVF cycles at the age of 35 and older were enrolled in this crsoss-sectional study. Pregnant and nonpregnant women were compared. Results The median AMH level of pregnant women was higher than non-pregnant women [3.20 (0.63-9.60) vs 1.15 (0.01-14.90) ng/ml, p<0.001]. On logistic regression analysis, AMH was an independent predictor of clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) (OR 1.353; 95 % CI 1.141-1.605; P<0.001). After controlling for the other independent variables (the number of retrieved oocytes, AFC and age), the significant association between AMH and clinical pregnancy rate remained strong (OR 1.677; 95 % CI 1.216-2.311; p=0.002) on multivariate logistic regression analysis. Conclusions AMH is an effective measure of quantitative ovarian reserve and it can predict ovarian response to controlled stimulation for advanced age women. The CPR tends to increase as AMH increases.
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