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PloS One 2024Approximately 10 to 20% of pregnant women worldwide experience perinatal depression (PND), a depressive episode with onset during pregnancy or after childbirth. We...
BACKGROUND
Approximately 10 to 20% of pregnant women worldwide experience perinatal depression (PND), a depressive episode with onset during pregnancy or after childbirth. We performed a systematic review to identify, summarize and discuss studies on inflammatory biomarkers described in relation to PND.
METHOD
Inclusion criteria defined the selection of observational studies written in English, French, Spanish or Portuguese, that evaluate analytical levels of inflammatory molecules (protein levels) in biological fluids in women, with a diagnosis of depression using ICD/DSM diagnostic criteria or depressive symptoms assessed by standardized psychometric instruments, during pregnancy and/or postpartum. Case reports, experimental studies, reviews, qualitative analysis, meta-analysis, gray literature or replicated data were excluded. Three electronic databases were used for search (Pubmed, Web of Science and PsychInfo) and quality assessment of selected studies were performed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Data extraction included study design; number of subjects; obstetric information; tools and timepoints of depression and inflammatory markers assessment.
RESULTS
56 studies (sample size for cross-sectional and case-control studies ranging from 10 to 469; sample size for longitudinal studies ranging from 26 to 467), where the major aim was to analyze the association between depression and inflammatory biomarkers during pregnancy and postpartum period were included in this systematic review. Overall, the findings of our systematic review lend support to the hypothesis that several inflammatory markers may be associated with peripartum depressive symptoms. The associations were somewhat different looking at pregnancy compared to the delivery time-point and postpartum, and mainly referred to increased levels of IL-6, IL-8, CRP and TNF-α among depressed.
DISCUSSION
In summary, our systematic review findings provide evidence supporting the hypothesis that several inflammatory markers may correlate with peripartum depressive symptoms. However, our work also highlighted notable differences in the timing of biological sampling for inflammatory markers and in the methodologies used to assess depression during the perinatal period. Additionally, variations were observed in how inflammatory biomarkers and depression were approached, including their classification as exposure or outcome variables, and the timing of assessments. It is essential for future research to investigate the influence of biological fluids and the timing of assessments for both inflammatory biomarkers and depression to gain a deeper understanding of their association. This comprehensive exploration is pivotal for elucidating the intricate relationship between inflammation and perinatal depression.
Topics: Humans; Female; Pregnancy; Biomarkers; Pregnancy Complications; Depression; Inflammation; Depression, Postpartum
PubMed: 38820411
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280612 -
PloS One 2024Despite improvements, the prevalence of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B remains high in Asia. These sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can be transmitted from...
A systematic review of barriers and facilitators to antenatal screening for HIV, syphilis or hepatitis B in Asia: Perspectives of pregnant women, their relatives and health care providers.
BACKGROUND
Despite improvements, the prevalence of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B remains high in Asia. These sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can be transmitted from infected mothers to their children. Antenatal screening and treatment are effective interventions to prevent mother-to-child transmission (MTCT), but coverage of antenatal screening remains low. Understanding factors influencing antenatal screening is essential to increase its uptake and design effective interventions. This systematic literature review aims to investigate barriers and facilitators to antenatal screening for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B in Asia.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic review by searching Ovid (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO), Scopus, Global Index Medicus and Web of Science for published articles between January 2000 and June 2023, and screening abstracts and full articles. Eligible studies include peer-reviewed journal articles of quantitative, qualitative and mixed-method studies that explored factors influencing the use of antenatal screening for HIV, syphilis or hepatitis B in Asia. We extracted key information including study characteristics, sample, aim, identified barriers and facilitators to screening. We conducted a narrative synthesis to summarise the findings and presented barriers and facilitators following Andersen's conceptual model.
RESULTS
The literature search revealed 23 articles suitable for inclusion, 19 used quantitative methods, 3 qualitative and one mixed method. We found only three studies on syphilis screening and one on hepatitis B. The analysis demonstrates that antenatal screening for HIV in Asia is influenced by many barriers and facilitators including (1) predisposing characteristics of pregnant women (age, education level, knowledge) (2) enabling factors (wealth, place of residence, husband support, health facilities characteristics, health workers support and training) (3) need factors of pregnant women (risk perception, perceived benefits of screening).
CONCLUSION
Knowledge of identified barriers to antenatal screening may support implementation of appropriate interventions to prevent MTCT and help countries achieve Sustainable Development Goals' targets for HIV and STIs.
Topics: Humans; Female; Hepatitis B; Pregnancy; Syphilis; HIV Infections; Prenatal Diagnosis; Asia; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; Health Personnel; Pregnant Women; Mass Screening; Family
PubMed: 38820339
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300581 -
Urology Annals 2024Varicocele is the dilatation of the scrotal veins and may affect sperm count and infertility. It is caused by congenital vein insufficiency or absence of venous valve.... (Review)
Review
Varicocele is the dilatation of the scrotal veins and may affect sperm count and infertility. It is caused by congenital vein insufficiency or absence of venous valve. The main treatment is by surgery, and currently, there are two minimally invasive choices: laparoscopic and microsurgical varicocelectomy. This systematic review aimed to record randomized clinical trials from various sources using all qualified studies up to June 2022. The assessed outcomes were operation time, hydrocele, hospital stay, change in semen parameter, recurrence rate, and pregnancy rate. The essential data extracted were Jadad score, publication year, age, and sample size. This systematic review consisted of 509 and 512 patients in the laparoscopic and microsurgery group, respectively, taken from 12 out of 281 studies. The result of this systematic review was significant difference in operation time between patients from two groups (weighted mean difference [WMD] -21.40, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -28.90--13.89); length of hospitalization (WMD: 0.38, 95% CI: 0.02-0.74); laparoscopic could significantly increase the risk of hydrocele by 3.30-fold (risk ratio [RR]: 3.30, 95% CI: 1.07-10.12); laparoscopic could significantly increase the recurrence rate by 6.98-fold (RR: 6.98, 95% CI: 3.46-14.08); no significant difference in spontaneous pregnancy between patients in both groups (RR: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.57-1.16); and laparoscopic surgery decreased the occurrence of sperm parameter changes by 40% (RR = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.25-0.62).
PubMed: 38818427
DOI: 10.4103/ua.ua_3_23 -
Nutrition & Diabetes May 2024Vitamin D deficiency has been linked with several adverse maternal and fetal outcomes.
BACKGROUND
Vitamin D deficiency has been linked with several adverse maternal and fetal outcomes.
OBJECTIVE
To summarize systematic reviews and meta-analyses evaluating the effects of vitamin D deficiency and of vitamin D supplementation in pregnancy on maternal and offspring health-related outcomes.
METHODS
Prior to conducting this umbrella review, we registered the protocol in PROSPERO (CRD42022368003). We conducted searches in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library for systematic reviews and meta-analyses on vitamin D in pregnancy, from database inception to October 2, 2023. All outcomes related to vitamin D in pregnancy obtained from the systematic reviews and meta-analyses were extracted.
DATA EXTRACTION
Two reviewers independently chose studies and collected information on health outcomes. The quality of the included articles' methodology was assessed using AMSTAR 2 (A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews-2).
RESULTS
We identified 16 eligible systematic reviews and meta-analyses, which included 250,569 women. Our results demonstrated that vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy is associated with increased risk of preterm birth, small-for gestational age/low birth weight infants, recurrent miscarriage, bacterial vaginosis and gestational diabetes mellitus. Vitamin D supplementation in pregnancy increases birth weight, and reduces the risk of maternal pre-eclampsia, miscarriage, and vitamin D deficiency, fetal or neonatal mortality, as well as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and autism spectrum disorder in childhood. In women with gestational diabetes mellitus, vitamin D supplementation in pregnancy can reduce the risk of maternal hyperbilirubinemia, polyhydramnios, macrosomia, fetal distress, and neonatal hospitalization.
CONCLUSION
Due to the association with adverse maternal and offspring health outcomes, we recommend the vitamin D status in pregnancy should be monitored, particularly in women at high risk of vitamin D deficiency. It is suggested that pregnant women take a dose of >400 IU/day of vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy to prevent certain adverse outcomes.
Topics: Humans; Pregnancy; Female; Vitamin D Deficiency; Vitamin D; Pregnancy Complications; Dietary Supplements; Pregnancy Outcome; Systematic Reviews as Topic; Meta-Analysis as Topic; Infant, Newborn; Premature Birth
PubMed: 38816412
DOI: 10.1038/s41387-024-00296-0 -
Clinical Nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland) Jul 2024To conduct a randomized controlled trial meta-analysis and provide concise and specific recommendations for clinical practice optimization of gestational diabetes for... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
AIMS
To conduct a randomized controlled trial meta-analysis and provide concise and specific recommendations for clinical practice optimization of gestational diabetes for probiotics.
METHODS
Up until May 2023, we conducted a thorough, systematic search of PubMed, Cochrane Central Controlled Trials, and Embase. Stata software was used to merge the resulting data from the original studies. Cochran's Q and the I statistics were used to evaluate and quantify heterogeneity. The GRADE method was used to evaluate the overall quality of the evidence. Sources of heterogeneity were analyzed through a leave-one-out meta-analysis, a Galbraith plot, and a subgroup analysis.
RESULTS
A meta-analysis of 11 randomized controlled trials with a total of 713 participants was finally conducted. Our findings indicated the administration of probiotics at a median dosage of 6 × 10 CFU/day led to a substantial improvement in fasting glucose levels (MD: -4.16 mg/dL [95% CI: -6.78, -1.54]; P < 0.001), fasting insulin levels (MD: -3.33 μIU/ml [95% CI: -4.92, -1.74]; P < 0.001), homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (MD: -0.71 [95% CI: -0.97, -0.45]; P < 0.001), and quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI) (MD: 0.01 [95% CI: 0.01, 0.02]; P < 0.001). Subgroup analysis indicated that probiotic intervention exerted a more significant reduction in fasting blood glucose in patients with higher baseline BMI and glucose levels, and reduced fasting insulin more markedly in those with elevated baseline insulin. According to the GRADE assessment, the quality of evidence for fasting blood glucose and QUICKI was rated as "high", while the quality for fasting insulin and HOMA-IR was rated as "moderate".
CONCLUSIONS
Probiotic intervention has been shown to significantly decrease levels of fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, and HOMA-IR, while elevating QUICKI levels in patients with GDM, underscoring the potential utility of probiotics in the adjunctive management of GDM.
Topics: Probiotics; Humans; Diabetes, Gestational; Pregnancy; Female; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Blood Glucose; Insulin Resistance; Insulin; Adult
PubMed: 38815494
DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2024.05.020 -
A systematic review on the physical, mental, and occupational effects of exercise on pregnant women.Dialogues in Health Jun 2024Complications in pregnancy have been proven to be less frequent with exercise. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology suggests pregnant women should exercise... (Review)
Review
Complications in pregnancy have been proven to be less frequent with exercise. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology suggests pregnant women should exercise an average of 20 to 30 min a day; however, only 13% of pregnant women exercise throughout their pregnancy. This amount could be improved if women are aware that exercise: 1. Can help avoid pregnancy complications or death and 2. Comes in various forms with different health outcomes associated with it. For this reason, this systematic literature review was conducted to review different types of exercise for pregnant women. Peer-reviewed articles were selected to discuss the benefits of the most researched exercises for pregnant women, which included yoga, resistance training, aquatic exercises, dance, and aerobic exercise such as running, walking, and cycling. Data from the review revealed that different types of exercises led to various benefits at different stages of pregnancy. Aquatic activities and yoga helped pregnant women toward the end of their pregnancies, whereas resistance training, dance, and aerobic exercises provided the most benefits during the first trimester. Other studies found that any form of exercise for 30 min a day or every other day for 60 min provided extensive beneficial results. Ultimately, this information could be used to create individualized exercise plans for pregnant women to adhere to throughout their pregnancy.
PubMed: 38813580
DOI: 10.1016/j.dialog.2024.100181 -
The Journal of Maternal-fetal &... Dec 2024Epidural-related maternal fever in women is a common clinical phenomenon that leads to adverse consequences for mothers and neonates. The meta-analysis aimed to quantify... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
OBJECTIVE
Epidural-related maternal fever in women is a common clinical phenomenon that leads to adverse consequences for mothers and neonates. The meta-analysis aimed to quantify the risk for intrapartum maternal fever after epidural analgesia (EA) stratified according to parity. The secondary objective was to investigate the association between EA and maternal outcomes.
METHODS
An electronic literature search of the Medline/PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Wanfang Data, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases was performed to identify studies reporting the occurrence of intrapartum fever in parturients. Studies were reviewed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, and meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager version 5.3.
RESULTS
Seventeen randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (5959 parturients) were included. Odds ratios for maternal fever in the analysis were 4.17 (95% confidence interval (CI) 2.93-5.94) and 5.83 (95% CI 4.96-6.87), respectively. Results of subgroup analysis according to parity were consistent. EA significantly prolonged the length of the first stage of labor (MD 34.52 [95% CI 12.13-56.91]) and the second stage of labor (MD 9.10 [95% CI 4.51-13.68]). Parturients who received EA were more likely to undergo instrumental delivery (OR 2.03 [95% CI 1.44-2.86]) and oxytocin augmentation (OR 1.45 [95% CI 1.12-1.88]). There were no differences in cesarean delivery rates between the EA and non-EA groups.
CONCLUSIONS
Parturients who received EA exhibited a higher incidence of intrapartum fever. Credibility of the subgroup analyses was low because the mixed group did not effectively represent multiparas.
Topics: Humans; Analgesia, Epidural; Female; Pregnancy; Fever; Analgesia, Obstetrical; Obstetric Labor Complications; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 38812361
DOI: 10.1080/14767058.2024.2357168 -
BMC Psychology May 2024This review seeks to examine the current state of postpartum social support and psychosocial conditions among women around the world, as well as explore the relationship...
PURPOSE
This review seeks to examine the current state of postpartum social support and psychosocial conditions among women around the world, as well as explore the relationship between these factors. Additionally, it aims to propose a logical framework for enhancing postpartum social support and psychosocial conditions in this population.
METHODS
Following the development of a search strategy, two databases, PubMed and Science Direct, were searched for studies published between January 2019 and May 2023. The search was conducted throughout the entire month of May 2023. The risk of bias in the included cross-sectional studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale, which was adapted for this specific study design. To determine if the main objective of the cross-sectional studies was to investigate the relationship between social support and postpartum psychosocial conditions, a review was conducted based on the AMSTAR checklist, PRISMA checklist and PRISMA flow diagram. Data extraction was performed with the consensus of two authors, and a narrative synthesis approach was chosen for data synthesis, following the guidelines provided by the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (CRD).
RESULTS
Eleven cross-sectional studies were included in the final analysis. Our findings revealed that all reviewed studies provided evidence of a positive association between social support and healthy psychosocial conditions in postpartum period. However, due to the absence of standardized measurement indicators to identify and compare the outcomes of various studies, there was a need to develop a conceptual framework that could enhance our understanding of the postpartum psychosocial condition including anxiety, depression, unfavorable quality of life and social support status up to 24 month after child birth. This framework aimed to incorporate childbirth and motherhood as "stressful events," while considering social support as a crucial "coping resource." Furthermore, it acknowledged empowerment, help-seeking behavior, and peer support as important "coping actions," alongside implementing client-centered interventions. Lastly, it recognized postpartum mental health and optimal quality of life as significant "effects" of these factors.
CONCLUSIONS
The proposed conceptual framework could define postpartum women's health as "the ability to adapt and self-manage."
Topics: Humans; Social Support; Female; Postpartum Period; Adaptation, Psychological; Depression, Postpartum; Cross-Sectional Studies; Pregnancy
PubMed: 38807228
DOI: 10.1186/s40359-024-01814-6 -
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics Jul 2024The prevalence of benzodiazepines and related drugs (BZRDs) use during pregnancy increased sharply in recent years. Thus, there are concerns regarding the pregnancy... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
PURPOSE
The prevalence of benzodiazepines and related drugs (BZRDs) use during pregnancy increased sharply in recent years. Thus, there are concerns regarding the pregnancy outcomes following exposure to BZRDs.
METHODS
Two electronic databases were thoroughly searched to identify related clinical studies published from inception until June 2023. English-language cohort studies with high-quality comparing antenatal BZRDs exposure to an unexposed group on any delivery outcome were included.
RESULTS
Ten cohort studies that estimated adverse neonatal outcomes associated with exposure to BZRDs during pregnancy were included. Exposure to BZRDs during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of congenital malformation [odds ratio (OR) 1.09, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05-1.13, p < 0.001], heart malformation (OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.04-1.22, p = 0.003), preterm birth (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.23-1.7, p < 0.001), SGA (OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.08-1.29, P < 0.001), LBW (OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.25-1.6, p = 0.001) or low Apgar score (OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.08-1.87, p = 0.011),compared with no exposure. Further analyses limited to the first trimester exposure yielded consistent results.
CONCLUSIONS
Exposure to BZRDs during pregnancy may be associated with several adverse neonatal outcomes. However, we could not rule out the potential indication confounding factor, further studies with high-quality that control for important confounders are still needed to verify our findings.
Topics: Humans; Pregnancy; Female; Benzodiazepines; Pregnancy Outcome; Infant, Newborn; Premature Birth; Abnormalities, Drug-Induced; Cohort Studies; Pregnancy Complications
PubMed: 38806942
DOI: 10.1007/s00404-024-07557-4 -
Current Hypertension Reports Jul 2024Machine learning (ML) approaches are an emerging alternative for healthcare risk prediction. We aimed to synthesise the literature on ML and classical regression studies... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Machine learning (ML) approaches are an emerging alternative for healthcare risk prediction. We aimed to synthesise the literature on ML and classical regression studies exploring potential prognostic factors and to compare prediction performance for pre-eclampsia.
RECENT FINDINGS
From 9382 studies retrieved, 82 were included. Sixty-six publications exclusively reported eighty-four classical regression models to predict variable timing of onset of pre-eclampsia. Another six publications reported purely ML algorithms, whilst another 10 publications reported ML algorithms and classical regression models in the same sample with 8 of 10 findings that ML algorithms outperformed classical regression models. The most frequent prognostic factors were age, pre-pregnancy body mass index, chronic medical conditions, parity, prior history of pre-eclampsia, mean arterial pressure, uterine artery pulsatility index, placental growth factor, and pregnancy-associated plasma protein A. Top performing ML algorithms were random forest (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.94, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.91-0.96) and extreme gradient boosting (AUC = 0.92, 95% CI 0.90-0.94). The competing risk model had similar performance (AUC = 0.92, 95% CI 0.91-0.92) compared with a neural network. Calibration performance was not reported in the majority of publications. ML algorithms had better performance compared to classical regression models in pre-eclampsia prediction. Random forest and boosting-type algorithms had the best prediction performance. Further research should focus on comparing ML algorithms to classical regression models using the same samples and evaluation metrics to gain insight into their performance. External validation of ML algorithms is warranted to gain insights into their generalisability.
Topics: Humans; Pre-Eclampsia; Pregnancy; Female; Machine Learning; Algorithms; Prognosis; Regression Analysis; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Predictive Value of Tests
PubMed: 38806766
DOI: 10.1007/s11906-024-01297-1