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Background: An increase in various congenital abnormalities associated with cigarette smoking and the use of alcohol during pregnancy has been reported in many studies. These exposures also increase the risk of pregnancy complications such as abruptio placentae, unexplained stillbirth, preterm labor and intrauterine growth restriction. However, very few studies have addressed the combined effect of smoking and drinking on pregnancy outcomes. Methods: In this review, the adverse effects of smoking or drinking on pregnancy were obtained from publications in which both substances were addressed in the same study population. A special effort was made to find studies in which the combined effect of these substances was investigated. Results: Preterm labor occurred more frequently in women who drank and smoked during pregnancy. This increased odds ratio was more than the sum of the effects of either smoking or drinking, indicating that the use of both substances by the same woman has a synergistic effect that increases the risk of preterm labor. This synergistic effect was also found for low birth weight and growth restriction. Conclusions: As most of the women who drink during pregnancy also smoke cigarettes, attention should be given to the prevention or reduced use of both substances during pregnancy.

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the current data to understand the impact of intramural leiomyomata on pregnancy outcome in assisted reproduction. Patients and Methods: In this review, articles were found by means of computerized Medline and Cochrane Library search using the key words uterine myomata, leiomyomata, fibroids, implantation, pregnancy, infertility and in vitro fertilization. Limitations were English, human, 1990–2002. Inclusion criteria were pregnancy data on in vitro fertilization, intramural myomata with no cavitary distortion and control groups without myomas for each patient with a myoma. Results: There was a significant negative impact on implantation rate in the intramural myomata groups versus the control groups, 16.4 vs. 27.7% OR 0.62 (0.48–0.8). The delivery rate per transfer cycle was also significantly lower (myomata vs. control), 31.2 vs. 40.9% OR 0.69 (0.50–0.95). Conclusion: Our study supports the notion that patients with intramural fibroids have a lower implantation rate per cycle. The studies did not shed new light on the size of intramural myomata that could affect the outcome. In previous failed in vitro fertilization cycles, microsurgical removal of myomata must be considered.

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Objective: To examine the ability of three different proteinuria assessment methods (urinary dipstick, spot urine protein:creatinine ratio [Pr/Cr], and 24-hour urine collection) to predict adverse pregnancy outcomes Methods:We performed a prospective multicentre cohort study, PIERS (Preeclampsia Integrated Estimate of RiSk), in seven academic tertiary maternity centres practising expectant management of preeclampsia remote from term in Canada, New Zealand, and Australia Eligible women were those admitted with preeclampsia who had at least one antenatal proteinuria assessment by urinary dipstick, spot urine Pr/Cr ratio, and/or 24-hour urine collection Proteinuria assessment was done either visually at the bedside (by dipstick) or by hospital clinical laboratories for spot urine Pr/Cr and 24-hour urine collection We calculated receiver operating characteristic area under the curve (95% CI) for each proteinuria method and each of the combined adverse maternal outcomes (within 48 hours) or adverse perinatal outcomes (at any time) Models with AUC ≥ 070 were considered of interest Analyses were run for all women who had each type of proteinuria assessment and for a cohort of women ("ALL measures") who had all three proteinuria assessmentsResults: More women were proteinuric by urinary dipstick (≥ 2+, 614%) than by spot urine Pr/Cr (≥ 30g/mol, 504%) or 24-hour urine collection (≥ 03g/d, 347%) Each proteinuria measure evaluated had some discriminative power, and dipstick proteinuria (categorical) performed as well as other methods No single method was predictive of adverse perinatal outcome Conclusion:The measured amount of proteinuria should not be used in isolation for decision-making in women with preeclampsia Dipstick proteinuria performs as well as other methods of assessing proteinuria for prediction of adverse events

Pre-eclampsia occurs more frequently in winter at Tygerberg Hospital, South Africa. The findings have implications for future research related to the aetiology of pre-eclampsia as well as for clinical care.