-
JAMA Network Open Jun 2024Innovative approaches are needed to address the increasing rate of postpartum morbidity and mortality associated with hypertensive disorders.
IMPORTANCE
Innovative approaches are needed to address the increasing rate of postpartum morbidity and mortality associated with hypertensive disorders.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether assessing maternal blood pressure (BP) and associated symptoms at time of well-child visits is associated with increased detection of postpartum preeclampsia and need for hospitalization for medical management.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
This is a pre-post quality improvement (QI) study. Individuals who attended the well-child visits between preimplementation (December 2017 to December 2018) were compared with individuals who enrolled after the implementation of the QI program (March 2019 to December 2019). Individuals were enrolled at an academic pediatric clinic. Eligible participants included birth mothers who delivered at the hospital and brought their newborn for well-child check at 2 days, 2 weeks, and 2 months. A total of 620 individuals were screened in the preintervention cohort and 680 individuals were screened in the QI program. Data was analyzed from March to July 2022.
EXPOSURES
BP evaluation and preeclampsia symptoms screening were performed at the time of the well-child visit. A management algorithm-with criteria for routine or early postpartum visits, or prompt referral to the obstetric emergency department-was followed.
MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURES
Readmission due to postpartum preeclampsia. Comparisons across groups were performed using a Fisher exact test for categorical variables, and t tests or Mann-Whitney tests for continuous variables.
RESULTS
A total of 595 individuals (mean [SD] age, 27.2 [6.1] years) were eligible for analysis in the preintervention cohort and 565 individuals (mean [SD] age, 27.0 [5.8] years) were eligible in the postintervention cohort. Baseline demographic information including age, race and ethnicity, body mass index, nulliparity, and factors associated with increased risk for preeclampsia were not significantly different in the preintervention cohort and postintervention QI program. The rate of readmission for postpartum preeclampsia differed significantly in the preintervention cohort (13 individuals [2.1%]) and the postintervention cohort (29 individuals [5.6%]) (P = .007). In the postintervention QI cohort, there was a significantly earlier time frame of readmission (median [IQR] 10.0 [10.0-11.0] days post partum for preintervention vs 7.0 [6.0-10.5] days post partum for postintervention; P = .001). In both time periods, a total of 42 patients were readmitted due to postpartum preeclampsia, of which 21 (50%) had de novo postpartum preeclampsia.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
This QI program allowed for increased and earlier readmission due to postpartum preeclampsia. Further studies confirming generalizability and mitigating associated adverse outcomes are needed.
Topics: Humans; Female; Adult; Pregnancy; Pre-Eclampsia; Early Diagnosis; Quality Improvement; Patient Readmission; Postpartum Period; Hypertension; Infant, Newborn; Puerperal Disorders
PubMed: 38869897
DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.16844 -
Croatian Medical Journal Jun 2024To determine the attitudes of pregnant couples toward carrier screening genomic tests.
AIM
To determine the attitudes of pregnant couples toward carrier screening genomic tests.
METHODS
A validated 22-item questionnaire was offered in person by medical staff to pregnant women ≥32 weeks' gestation and their partners attending prenatal classes from May to July 2014. The questionnaire inquired about demographic data, interest in various forms of genetic carrier screening tests, and genetic literacy.
RESULTS
Of 497 respondents, 69% expressed strong interest in carrier screening. The interested respondents exhibited substantial support for screening for common (82%) or all known genetic diseases (79%), as well as for treatable (79%) and untreatable diseases (85%). The majority of respondents believed that genetic test results could provide them with a sense of security but also provoke anxiety and fear. They were aware that these results could affect their perspective on life, work, and the atmosphere within their family, and acknowledged the potential effect on their relationship with their partner. However, none of these concerns diminished their desire to learn about their carrier status. Respondents with higher genetic literacy exhibited greater interest in screening tests (P=0.006). More non-religious respondents compared with practicing religious respondents (P=0.002), and more respondents with higher education compared with those with lower education, expressed interest in screening (P=0.003).
CONCLUSION
Most respondents expressed considerable interest in receiving information about their carrier status through genetic tests.
Topics: Humans; Female; Pregnancy; Adult; Surveys and Questionnaires; Genetic Testing; Male; Prenatal Diagnosis; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Genetic Carrier Screening
PubMed: 38868965
DOI: 10.3325/cmj.2024.65.189 -
Croatian Medical Journal Jun 2024To develop a non-invasive prenatal test for beta-hemoglobinopathies based on analyzing maternal plasma by using next generation sequencing.
AIM
To develop a non-invasive prenatal test for beta-hemoglobinopathies based on analyzing maternal plasma by using next generation sequencing.
METHODS
We applied next generation sequencing (NGS) of maternal plasma to the non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) of autosomal recessive diseases, sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia. Using the Illumina MiSeq, we sequenced plasma libraries obtained via a Twist Bioscience probe capture panel covering 4 Kb of chromosome 11, including the beta-globin (HBB) gene and >450 genomic single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) used to estimate the fetal fraction (FF). The FF is estimated by counting paternally transmitted allelic sequence reads present in the plasma but absent in the mother. We inferred fetal beta-globin genotypes by comparing the observed mutation (Mut) and reference (Ref) read ratios to those expected for the three possible fetal genotypes (Mut/Mut; Mut/Ref; Ref/Ref), based on the FF.
RESULTS
We bioinformatically enriched the FF by excluding reads over a specified length via in-silico size selection (ISS), favoring the shorter fetal reads, which increased fetal genotype prediction accuracy. Finally, we determined the parental HBB haplotypes, which allowed us to use the read ratios observed at linked SNPs to help predict the fetal genotype at the mutation site(s). We determined HBB haplotypes via Oxford Nanopore MinION sequencing of a 2.2 kb amplicon and aligned these sequences using Soft Genetics' NextGENe LR software.
CONCLUSION
The combined use of ISS and HBB haplotypes enabled us to correctly predict fetal genotypes in cases where the prediction based on variant read ratios alone was incorrect.
Topics: Humans; Female; Pregnancy; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Haplotypes; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Prenatal Diagnosis; beta-Thalassemia; Noninvasive Prenatal Testing; beta-Globins; Genotype; Hemoglobinopathies; Anemia, Sickle Cell
PubMed: 38868964
DOI: 10.3325/cmj.2024.65.180 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2024Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and thyroid disorders have both been linked to adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes. Even small variations in thyroid function within... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
OBJECTIVES
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and thyroid disorders have both been linked to adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes. Even small variations in thyroid function within the normal range may influence fetal growth. Our aim was to investigate whether maternal thyroid function is associated with newborn anthropometrics in PCOS and explore the potential modifying effect of metformin.
METHODS
analyses of two RCTs in which pregnant women with PCOS were randomized to metformin or placebo, from first trimester to delivery. Maternal serum levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (fT4) were measured at gestational weeks (gw) 5-12, 19, 32 and 36 in 309 singleton pregnancies. The mean z-scores of birthweight, birth length, and head circumference were estimated in the offspring. Associations of maternal thyroid parameters with offspring anthropometrics and the outcomes large for gestational age (LGA) and small for gestational age (SGA) were studied using linear and logistic regression models, with adjustment for body mass index (BMI) when relevant.
RESULTS
Maternal fT4 at baseline was negatively associated with birth length (b= -0.09, p=0.048). Furthermore, ΔfT4 during pregnancy correlated positively to z-score of both birth weight and length (b=0.10, p=0.017 and b=0.10, p=0.047 respectively), independently of treatment group. TSH at baseline and gw19 was inversely associated with LGA (OR 0.47, p=0.012 and OR 0.58, p=0.042), while ΔTSH was positively associated with LGA (OR 1.99, p=0.023). There were inverse associations between TSH at baseline and SGA (OR 0.32, p=0.005) and between ΔfT4 and SGA (OR 0.59, p=0.005) in the metformin group only. There were no associations between maternal thyroid function and head circumference of the newborns.
CONCLUSION
In women with PCOS, a higher maternal fT4 in early pregnancy and a greater decrease in fT4 during pregnancy was associated with a lower offspring birthweight and shorter birth length. Higher TSH by mid-gestation and smaller increase in TSH during pregnancy was associated with less risk of LGA. Subclinical variations in maternal thyroid function might play a role for birth anthropometrics of PCOS offspring.
Topics: Humans; Female; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome; Pregnancy; Adult; Infant, Newborn; Birth Weight; Metformin; Thyrotropin; Thyroid Gland; Thyroid Function Tests; Pregnancy Complications; Thyroxine; Infant, Small for Gestational Age; Pregnancy Outcome; Anthropometry; Hypoglycemic Agents; Male
PubMed: 38868742
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1388473 -
Journal of the Turkish German... Jun 2024In this study, maternal and neonatal outcomes of pregnant women with positive severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA tests were evaluated...
OBJECTIVE
In this study, maternal and neonatal outcomes of pregnant women with positive severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA tests were evaluated according to their symptomatic status. The clinical progression of SARS-CoV-2-positive pregnant women and the effect of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) on newborns was investigated.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
This retrospective cohort study was conducted at a tertiary pandemic hospital specializing in caring for pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV-2. We included patients with a positive SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction test at delivery, subdividing them into symptomatic and asymptomatic groups.
RESULTS
Two hundred and forty-nine patients were included in the study. The mean age of the pregnant women in the symptomatic group was higher than those in the asymptomatic group (p=0.001). The iatrogenic preterm birth rates in the symptomatic and asymptomatic groups were 43.37% and 8.43%, respectively (p<0.001). Cesarean section rate was higher in symptomatic group (p=0.01). Maternal death was significantly higher in symptomatic pregnant women (p<0.001). The neonatal intensive care unit admission rate was higher in symptomatic pregnant women (p<0.001).
CONCLUSION
The maternal and fetal outcomes for mothers with symptomatic infections tend to be worse, highlighting the importance of careful management, good follow-up and the advisability of closer monitoring.
PubMed: 38867711
DOI: 10.4274/jtgga.galenos.2024.2023-6-4 -
PLOS Global Public Health 2024Providing accurate, evidence-based information to women with Zika infection during pregnancy was problematic because of the high degree of uncertainty in the diagnosis...
Providing accurate, evidence-based information to women with Zika infection during pregnancy was problematic because of the high degree of uncertainty in the diagnosis of the infection and the associated risk. The 2015-17 Zika virus epidemic overwhelmingly affected women in countries with limited access to safe abortion. Understanding women's perspectives on risk communication during pregnancy in the context of an emerging pathogen can help inform risk communication in response to future outbreaks that affect fetal or child development. We conducted a cross-sectional qualitative interview study with 73 women from 7 locations in Brazil, Colombia, and Puerto Rico to understand women's experiences of Zika virus (ZIKV) test and outcome-related communication during the ZIKV pandemic. We used thematic analysis to analyze the in-depth interviews. Participants in Brazil and Colombia reported that the healthcare system's lack of preparation and organization in communicating ZIKV test results and associated adverse outcomes led to their feeling abandoned and alone in confronting the challenges of a ZIKV-affected pregnancy. In contrast, participants in Puerto Rico reported that the regular testing schedules and clear, well-planned communication between the care team and between providers and pregnant women helped them to feel they could prepare for a ZIKV-affected pregnancy. Communication of the risk associated with an emerging pathogen suspected to affect pregnancy and developmental outcomes is a fraught issue. Public health authorities and healthcare providers should work together in the interpandemic period to understand families' preferences for risk communication during pregnancy in the presence of uncertainty and develop a community-informed plan for risk communication.
PubMed: 38865420
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0002808 -
PloS One 2024In low-resource settings, magnesium sulphate (MgSO4) for preeclampsia is administered majorly through an injection into the gluteal muscles 4-hourly for 24 hours. The... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
INTRODUCTION
In low-resource settings, magnesium sulphate (MgSO4) for preeclampsia is administered majorly through an injection into the gluteal muscles 4-hourly for 24 hours. The repeated injections are very painful and may lead to infection, abscess formation, and reduced compliance.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the acceptability of Springfusor® pump for the administration of Magnesium Sulphate in preeclampsia and eclampsia.
DESIGN
Randomized Open Label Clinical Trial.
METHODS
The study was conducted at Kawempe National Referral Hospital. Eligible women had a systolic blood pressure of ≥140mmHg and or diastolic blood pressure >90mmHg, proteinuria ≥+1, and the physician's decision to start on MgSO4. Four-hundred-ninety-six participants were randomized to a Springfusor® pump group (n = 248) or control (standard of care) (n = 248) administration of MgSO4. Intervention group had a loading dose (4gm of 50% MgSO4 intravenously over 20 minutes) and maintenance therapy (1gm of 50% MgSO4 intravenously per hour for 24 hours) administered using the Springfusor®. The standard of care (SOC) group received a loading dose of 4gm of 20% MgSO4 IV over 15-20 minutes, followed by 10gm of 50% MgSO4 intramuscular (5gm in each buttock) and a maintenance dose of 5gm of 50% MgSO4 was administered IM every 4 hours for 24 hours. Both arms received the rest of the care for preeclampsia/eclampsia as per the hospital guidelines. Acceptability of the method of administration was assessed using a Likert scale (1-5; 1 and 2: acceptable and 3-5: unacceptable). Pain at the site of MgSO4 administration was assessed using a Visual Analogue Scale 1-7, (1 minimal pain and 7 worst pain). Comparisons were assessed with the Chi-square test, Mann Whitney-Wilcoxon test, and Students' t-test.
RESULTS
Intervention arm; was more acceptable than the standard of care arm, (95.3% vs70.3%; p<0.001), had a lower median pain score, (2(CI: 2-2), vs 4(CI: 4-5) p<0.001), and fewer side effects. Maternal mortality was comparable between groups (0.8% in the intervention arm vs 1.2% in the IM arm).
TRIAL REGISTRATION
Trial No PACTR201712002887266 (https://pactr.samrc.ac.za/).
Topics: Humans; Magnesium Sulfate; Female; Pre-Eclampsia; Pregnancy; Eclampsia; Adult; Standard of Care; Young Adult; Injections, Intramuscular
PubMed: 38865319
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286361 -
Hypertension in Pregnancy Dec 2024This study aimed to establish in vitro hemodilution and resupplementation assays for obstetric hemorrhage in pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) and to monitor the...
This study aimed to establish in vitro hemodilution and resupplementation assays for obstetric hemorrhage in pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) and to monitor the coagulation function dynamically using a coagulation and platelet function analyzer. Forty-seven singleton pregnant women were divided into normal ( = 24) and PIH ( = 23) groups. Peripheral blood samples were used to construct the assays, and the activated clotting time (ACT), clotting rate (CR), and platelet function index (PF) were measured. The results showed that the baseline ACT was higher in the PIH group ( < 0.01). Hemodilution assays showed decreased ACT and increased CR and PF, with ACT changes significantly lower in the PIH group ( < 0.05). CR changed most in both groups at lower dilution ratios (35% to 50%), while ACT changed most at a higher dilution ratio (75%). In the resupplementation assay, ACT exhibited the most significant response. The analyzer effectively detected differences between pregnant women with and without PIH. Thus, we need to pay more attention to the changes of ACT in the actual clinical application to assess the coagulation status of parturients.
Topics: Humans; Female; Pregnancy; Adult; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced; Blood Coagulation; Platelet Function Tests; Blood Coagulation Tests; Postpartum Hemorrhage; Young Adult
PubMed: 38864450
DOI: 10.1080/10641955.2024.2366824