Objective To assess the effect of increasing body mass index (BMI) on pregnancy outcome in a population of Chinese women.Design A retrospective study.Setting A university teaching hospital.Population Women delivering singleton babies between 1995 and 2005 who sought antenatal care before 20 weeks of gestation.Methods A total of 29 303 women were categorised into six BMI groups according to WHO's classification. Univariate, multivariate and logistic regression analysis were performed to compare obstetric and perinatal outcomes between BMI groups.Main outcome measures Incidences of caesarean delivery, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, preterm delivery, small for gestational age (SGA) and large for gestational age (LGA), perinatal death, and the respective odd ratios in reference to the normal group with BMI ‡ 18.5 kg/m 2 and <23 kg/m 2 .Results The median BMI increased with increasing maternal age, parity, gestation at the first visit, but decreased with year of delivery (P < 0.001). Concerning the obstetric outcomes, increasing BMI was associated with increasing incidence of caesarean section, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, preterm delivery, LGA, as well as SGA according to customised growth standards (P < 0.001). The odds ratios for most of these adverse outcomes are higher than those reported in Caucasian population. Increasing BMI was not associated with the rate of stillbirth, neonatal death or shoulder dystocia.Conclusion Increasing BMI is associated with increased risks of adverse obstetric outcomes. The impacts of high BMI on preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and preterm delivery in Chinese women might be stronger than that in Caucasian. Hence, it may be appropriate to use a lower BMI cutoff for defining overweight in Chinese.

Objective  We investigated the application of high‐resolution microarray‐based comparative genomic hybridisation (array CGH) on a fetus showing increased nuchal translucency (NT).Design  Case study.Setting  Tertiary referral obstetrics unit.Sample  Pregnant woman attended the antenatal clinic.Methods  Conventional karyotyping and genetic test was carried out for the alpha‐globin gene. High‐resolution array CGH using the high‐density 244K Agilent microarray was performed on fetal blood sample by cordocentesis to investigate the possibility of any genomic imbalance.Main outcome measures  Detection of chromosomal abnormality.Results  Karyotyping analysis showed 46,XY. Molecular genetic diagnosis confirms the fetus has Hb‐H constant spring disease but cannot explain the increased NT to 3.2 mm. Array CGH analysis discovered a 1.32‐Mb microdeletion on chromosome 16p13.11. Deletion at 16p13.11 has been implicated to predispose to autism and/or mental retardation. Baby was delivered at 40 weeks of gestation, and follow up was carried out at 3 months of age without sign of mental retardation/developmental delay.Conclusions  This case study demonstrated that array CGH can accurately calibrate the size and identify de novo interstitial chromosome imbalances. However, the presence of chromosome copy variants with unknown clinical significance currently limits its wider scale application in prenatal diagnosis and needs further investigations.

Ectopic pregnancy diagnosed by laparoscopic ultrasound scan T.‐Y. Leung, P.‐S. Ng, T.‐Y. Fung, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecoloy, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong kong. Dynamic observation of the fetal face by three‐dimensional ultrasound S. Kozuma, T. Okai, Y. Taketani, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecoloy, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan and K. Baba, Institute of Medical Electronics, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. Value of end‐points from multiple or worst case Doppler spectra for the assessment of ovarian masses K. Hata, K. Miyazaki, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecoloy, Shimane Medical University, Izumo, Japan and W.P. Collins, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecoloy, Guy's, King's and St. Thomas' Medical School, King's College Hospital, London, UK. Laser coagulation of superficial vascular anastomosis in twin‐to‐twin transfusion syndrome M. Choolani, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecoloy, National University of Singapore, Singapore. Authors' reply J. Deprest, E. Gratacos, I. Witters, D. Van Schoubroeck, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium and Y. Ville, CHU de Poissy St. Germain, Paris, France and M. Dommergues, Hôpital Antoine‐Béclère, Paris, France and K. Hecher, Allgemeines Krankenhaus Barmbek, Hamburg, Germany.

No abstract

No abstract