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Objective: To determine the efficacy of high-dose folic acid for the prevention of preeclampsia in twin pregnancies., Methods: Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial in 70 obstetrical sites in Argentina, Australia, Canada, Jamaica, and the UK between 2011 and 2015. Eligible women pregnant with twins who were aged 18 y or older and between 8 and 16 completed weeks' gestation were randomized between to receive daily high-dose folic acid (4.0-5.1 mg) or placebo. The primary outcome was preeclampsia, presenting as hypertension after 20 weeks' gestation with significant proteinuria. Secondary outcomes included severe preeclampsia, preterm birth, and adverse fetal and neonatal outcomes., Results: Of 2464 participants randomized between 18 April 2011 and 14 December 2015, 462 (18.8%) had a confirmed twin pregnancy. Thirty-four of these participants withdrew consent or did not have primary outcome data available, and 428 women were analyzed. The rate of preeclampsia was significantly higher in the folic acid group compared to the placebo group in crude analyses (17.2 versus 9.9%; relative risk 1.75 [95% CI 1.06-2.88], p  = .029). Multivariable analyses attenuated this effect, rendering it not statistically significant (RR 1.58 [95% CI 0.95-2.63], p  = .079)., Conclusion: High-dose folic acid supplementation was not significantly associated with preeclampsia in a subgroup of twin pregnancies. Although a suggested elevated risk cannot be confirmed, these results may help to gain novel insights in the etiology of preeclampsia, which continues to be poorly understood., Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01355159.

Objective: The objectives of this study were to: (1) document violent and controlling behaviours within intimate partnerships during the perinatal period; and (2) determine individual, interpersonal and household-level factors influencing the risk of perinatal intimate partner violence (IPV)., Design: Cross-sectional survey., Setting: The Ottawa Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada., Participants: Patients who gave birth at The Ottawa Hospital and were >20 days post partum between 17 March and 16 June 2020., Main Outcomes and Measures: Perinatal IPV was defined as regular controlling behaviours or act-based forms of emotional/physical/sexual abuse in the 12 months before pregnancy, during pregnancy and/or post partum. Log-binomial multivariable regression models were used to compute adjusted risk ratios (aRRs) and 95% CIs to identify potential risk factors for IPV: maternal age, postpartum depression, parity, increase in partner substance use and household income., Results: Among 216 participants, the median maternal age was 33 years (IQR: 30-36). In total, 52 (24.07%) reported some form of perinatal IPV, 37 (17.13%) reported regular controlling behaviour and 9 (4.17%) reported both. Household income below the municipal median was the strongest risk factor for perinatal IPV (aRR: 3.24, 95% CI: 1.87 to 5.59). There was no apparent association between maternal age (aRR: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.94 to 1.04), postpartum depression (aRR: 1.03, 95% CI: 1.00 to 1.07), nulliparity (aRR: 1.18, 95% CI: 0.71 to 1.97) or increases in partner substance use (aRR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.42 to 1.25) with IPV., Conclusion: One in four individuals in this study experienced perinatal IPV. Household income was the strongest risk factor, and surprisingly, many hypothesised risk factors (eg, mental health, partner substance use, etc) were not significantly associated with perinatal IPV in this sample. This highlights the challenges in both measuring IPV and identifying individuals exposed to perinatal IPV during the high stress of the COVID-19 pandemic., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Introduction: Caesarean delivery under maternal request (CDMR) is a major factor contributing to the rising global rates of caesarean section (CS) procedure. The choice of CDMR without medical indications could provide a sense of assured safety by avoiding the experiences and complications of vaginal birth, and the risks related to an emergency CS. However, it might adversely influence women's breast feeding patterns and produce a long-lasting impact on maternal and neonatal health. This study aims to systematically review the current evidence relating to the effects of intentions of performing CDMR on breast feeding., Methods and Analysis: A comprehensive literature search will be performed in three English-language electronic databases, major clinical study registries and other sources for original studies reporting the breast feeding outcomes after a planned CDMR or vaginal delivery. The three databases Medline, Embase and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials will be searched via Ovid from inception to February 2020. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs), pseudo-RCTs, cohort studies and case-control studies on this topic will be included. Participants in the experimental or case group should meet the Robson criteria of classes 2B or 4B and have experienced planned CS undertaken for no maternal or foetal indication, whereas participants in the control group have undergone scheduled vaginal delivery. All kinds of breast feeding outcomes will be included. Meta-analyses will be attempted to provide an estimate of the pooled effect and will be stratified by different study designs. A qualitative description will be provided if quantitative synthesis proves to be fruitless., Ethics and Dissemination: This study is a secondary literature review that does not need ethical approval. No primary data will be collected from the participants. Findings of this study will be presented at scientific conferences and be published in scientific journals., Prospero Registration Number: CRD42020160303., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Importance: Recent evidence suggests that cannabis use during pregnancy is increasing, although population-based data about perinatal outcomes following in utero exposure remain limited., Objective: To assess whether there are associations between self-reported prenatal cannabis use and adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes., Design, Setting, and Participants: Population-based retrospective cohort study covering live births and stillbirths among women aged 15 years and older in Ontario, Canada, between April 2012 and December 2017., Exposures: Self-reported cannabis exposure in pregnancy was ascertained through routine perinatal care., Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was preterm birth before 37 weeks' gestation. Indicators were defined for birth occurring at 34 to 36 6/7 weeks' gestation (late preterm), 32 to 33 6/7 weeks' gestation, 28 to 31 6/7 weeks' gestation, and less than 28 weeks' gestation (very preterm birth). Ten secondary outcomes were examined including small for gestational age, placental abruption, transfer to neonatal intensive care, and 5-minute Apgar score. Coarsened exact matching techniques and Poisson regression models were used to estimate the risk difference (RD) and relative risk (RR) of outcomes associated with cannabis exposure and control for confounding., Results: In a cohort of 661 617 women, the mean gestational age was 39.3 weeks and 51% of infants were male. Mothers had a mean age of 30.4 years and 9427 (1.4%) reported cannabis use during pregnancy. Imbalance in measured maternal obstetrical and sociodemographic characteristics between reported cannabis users and nonusers was attenuated using matching, yielding a sample of 5639 reported users and 92 873 nonusers. The crude rate of preterm birth less than 37 weeks' gestation was 6.1% among women who did not report cannabis use and 12.0% among those reporting use in the unmatched cohort (RD, 5.88% [95% CI, 5.22%-6.54%]). In the matched cohort, reported cannabis exposure was significantly associated with an RD of 2.98% (95% CI, 2.63%-3.34%) and an RR of 1.41 (95% CI, 1.36-1.47) for preterm birth. Compared with no reported use, cannabis exposure was significantly associated with greater frequency of small for gestational age (third percentile, 6.1% vs 4.0%; RR, 1.53 [95% CI, 1.45-1.61]), placental abruption (1.6% vs 0.9%; RR, 1.72 [95% CI, 1.54-1.92]), transfer to neonatal intensive care (19.3% vs 13.8%; RR, 1.40 [95% CI, 1.36-1.44]), and 5-minute Apgar score less than 4 (1.1% vs 0.9%; RR, 1.28 [95% CI, 1.13-1.45])., Conclusions and Relevance: Among pregnant women in Ontario, Canada, reported cannabis use was significantly associated with an increased risk of preterm birth. Findings may be limited by residual confounding.

Objective: The objective of this study was to develop a synthetic high-fidelity simulator for teaching chorionic villus sampling., Methods: Working with a medical sculptor, the authors developed a simulator, constructed from various synthetic rubber materials, of a gravid female pelvis, including the vulva, vagina, cervix, and a 13-week-sized uterus with a gestational sac., Results: This simulator is high fidelity and durable, and it does not require any organic materials. Maternal-fetal medicine trainees valued this educational tool., Conclusion: This novel, high-fidelity simulator is an additional tool for educators involved in teaching chorionic villus sampling., (Copyright © 2018 Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To assess the impact of the one-child policy in China on maternal mortality., Methods: The present retrospective study included maternal death data from Guangdong, China, from January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2015; data from 2013 were excluded because they were not available. Maternal deaths were divided into legal and illegal pregnancies based on adherence to the one-child policy. The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) was compared between the groups, temporal trends in the MMR were examined, and comparisons were made of the causes of death and access to maternity care., Results: The final analysis included 847 520 live deliveries and 383 maternal deaths. The MMR among legal pregnancies declined moderately from 18.5 deaths per 100 000 live deliveries in 2006 to 12.2 deaths per 100 000 live deliveries in 2015 (P=0.029), whereas the MMR among illegal pregnancies declined dramatically from 1268.4 deaths per 100 000 live deliveries to 177.5 deaths per 100 000 live deliveries (P<0.001). The proportion of avoidable maternal deaths decreased and access to quality maternity care improved among illegal pregnancies during the study period., Conclusions: Maternal mortality among illegal pregnancies declined with relaxation of the one-child policy in China., (© 2018 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.)

Rationale: Near-term intraplacental choriocarcinoma (IC) coexisting with massive fetomaternal hemorrhage (FMH) is rare, and its clinical course is poorly understood. Here, we report a new case from our hospital, with detailed discussion and literature review., Patient Concerns: A 21-year-old Chinese female at 35 weeks gestation was admitted to our hospital due to reduced fetal movement. Near-term IC coexisting with massive FMH was diagnosed after delivery., Intervention: The mother and infant were followed 3 months after delivery. Beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-HCG), pathological examination of the placenta, and computed tomography scans were performed for the mother and β-HCG was performed for the infant., Outcomes: The mother's β-HCG serum level increased from 31,280 IU/L (6 days postdelivery) to 192,070 IU/L (49 days postdelivery), and then steadily fell to 42,468 IU/L (3 months postdelivery) without chemotherapy. The mother died from metastasis and cerebral hemorrhage. The infant survived and his β-HCG serum level fell to within the normal range without chemotherapy., Lessons: FMH associated with near-term IC is a rare disease. Measurement of maternal β-HCG may therefore represent a useful parameter when IC is a possible differential diagnosis. A pathological examination of the placenta should be performed in all cases of FMH to better identify cases of IC. Future research should aim to develop methods of identifying which patients with IC should receive chemotherapy, whether we should use single- or multiagent chemotherapies, and whether there is a positive correlation between chemotherapy regimen and β-HCG serum levels.

Objectives: Few studies have assessed the impact of induction of labor on breech presentation. This study aims to summarize the effect of induction of labor of breech presentation on perinatal morbidity., Methods: Literature review was done in Medline, Embase, Web of science and Cochrane Library up to 20 October 2017. Randomized control studies, cohort studies, and case control publishing studies comparing induction of labor versus spontaneous labor of singleton live breech birth were included. Perinatal morbidity was calculated by RevMan 5 and presented by pooled odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals., Results: Cesarean section rate and neonatal intensive care unit admission were increased in induction of breech labor as compared with spontaneous breech labor. No significant difference in umbilical cord blood base excess ≤ -12 mmol/L, Apgar 5 min < 7, Apgar 5 min < 4, umbilical cord blood PH < 7, neonatology unit admission, maternal fever, and intrapartum stillbirth between the two groups was found., Conclusions: Induction of breech labor has higher cesarean section rate and NICU perinatal morbidity compared to spontaneous breech labor. The neonatal outcomes were otherwise similar across both groups. Eligibility for induction of breech labor needs to be assessed carefully according to individual situation., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Segmental spinal dysgenesis (SSD) is a rare congenital spinal abnormality characterized by segmental dysgenesis or agenesis of the thoracolumbar or lumbar spine, congenital kyphosis, and abnormal configuration of the underlying spinal cord. A unique feature of SSD is that the vertebrae are present above and below the defect, and there is often a lower cord segment in the caudal spinal canal. We report a fetal MRI case of SSD with postmortem and neuropathological correlations. Our report confirms already published findings including the presence of a neurenteric cyst but is the first to document anterior spinal artery segmental agenesis in SSD.

Objective: The objective of this study is to review the maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality associated with six or more caesarean section (CS)., Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review, at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH) in Jeddah, for all patients admitted between 2000 through 2010 and identified five patients having more than six CS deliveries., Results: Deliveries occurred in the ranges of 31-38 weeks, from which four cases required emergency CS. There were two cases in the series with a placenta previa. There was a single case of uterine dehiscence. Only one case required a blood transfusion and was complicated with a placenta accreta, bladder injury, urinary tract infection, and prolonged maternal hospital stay with neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission. All cases had moderate to severe adhesion intra-operatively. Operative time was long in all cases with a range 55-106 min. One of the five cases had a postoperative wound infection. Finally, none of the current series showed fetal or maternal mortalities., Conclusions: The long-term complications associated with CS should be discussed with patients in the first and subsequent pregnancies. This case series highlighted the outcomes in these unique cases of higher order caesareans.

Cervical ripening with a Foley catheter before induction of labour is a common obstetrical intervention. In this study we aimed to evaluate primarily the relationship between high or low volume Foley catheters used for cervical ripening and Caesarean section, and secondarily the relationship between Foley catheter volume, cervical ripeness, and time to delivery. We searched Medline and Embase from their inceptions with the assistance of an experienced librarian. All abstracts and complete articles were independently reviewed by two reviewers, according to predefined inclusion criteria. Six hundred forty-eight abstracts were identified, and 30 complete articles were read in full. Three articles with a total of 575 participating women met the inclusion criteria. The rate of Caesarean section with use of 80 mL Foley catheters was not significantly different from the rate using 30 mL Foley catheters (RR 0.82; 95% CI 0.48 to 1.41). A favourable cervix (which was defined heterogeneously) was more common with high volume catheters (RR 1.72; 95% CI 1.46 to 2.04), and failure to deliver in 24 hours was lower (RR 0.70; 95% CI 0.54 to 0.90). High volume Foley catheters improve the likelihood of a favourable cervix and chance of delivery in 24 hours more than low volume Foley catheters. As a more favourable cervix before induction of labour is associated with a lower rate of Caesarean section, a randomized controlled trial comparing high and low volume Foley catheters for cervical ripening using Caesarean section as the primary outcome is warranted.

Objective: Nationally, rates of obesity continue to rise, resulting in increased health concerns for women of reproductive age. Identifying the impact of maternal obesity on obstetrical outcomes is important to enhance patient care., Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 6674 women who delivered a singleton infant at ≥ 20 weeks' gestation between December 1, 2007, and March 31, 2010, at The Ottawa Hospital. Maternal pre-pregnancy BMI was used to classify women into normal, overweight, and obese (class I/II/III) categories according to WHO classifications. Obstetrical outcomes among obese women were compared with those of women with normal BMI. Multivariable regression models were used to determine adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals., Results: Compared with women with normal BMI, obese women had significantly higher rates of preeclampsia, gestational hypertension, and gestational diabetes, and these rates increased with increasing BMI (trend-test P < 0.001). There was a significant increase in rates of induction of labour in the obesity categories, from 25.3% in women with normal BMI to 42.9% in women with class III morbid obesity (aOR 1.67; 95% CI 1.43 to 1.93). Rates of primary Caesarean section rose with increasing BMI and were highest in women with class III morbid obesity (36.2% vs. 22.1% in women with normal BMI) (aOR 1.46; 95% CI 1.23 to 1.73)., Conclusion: Increasing BMI is associated with increasing rates of preeclampsia, gestational hypertension, and gestational diabetes. There is a significant increase in rates of induction of labour with increasing obesity class, and a significantly increased Caesarean section rate with higher BMI. Obstetrical care providers should counsel obese patients about the risks they face and the importance of weight loss before pregnancy.

Objectives: To compare outcomes of neonates born from women with Class III obesity with those whose mothers were of normal body weight., Methods: A retrospective cohort study of live-born singleton infants was undertaken. Maternal prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) defined matched normal and Class III obese cohorts. Multivariable regression models were used to determine adjusted relative odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for selected adverse neonatal outcomes., Results: Newborns exposed to maternal Class III obesity had greater risks of fetal overgrowth and low cord artery pH. Class III obesity was protective against small for gestational age and low birthweight. There was no difference in the risk of preterm delivery, meconium in the amniotic fluid or breastfeeding initiation., Conclusions: The new knowledge generated by this study provides further information on unique challenges faced by newborns of women with Class III obesity, suggesting more specialized care in the intrapartum and neonatal periods may be beneficial.

Objective: To assess the risk of birth defects in infants born after assisted human reproduction (AHR)., Design: Retrospective cohort study., Setting: Niday Perinatal Database for the province of Ontario, 82 sites, both primary and tertiary centers., Patient(s): In 2005, information about reproductive assistance was reported for 61,569 deliveries., Intervention(s): The prevalence of birth defects diagnosed in the prenatal period or at birth was estimated for all types of AHR together and then by type of procedure., Main Outcome Measure(s): The excess risks of birth defects by AHR were calculated by unconditional logistic regressions using spontaneously conceived pregnancies as the reference and were expressed by odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals and adjusted for maternal age, smoking, infant gender, gestation, and parity., Result(s): The prevalence of birth defects with AHR procedures was 2.91%, which was 1.55-fold higher (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-2.38) than in the non-AHR population (1.86%). Specific anomalies that increased with AHR were gastrointestinal (odds ratio [OR], 9.85; 95% CI, 3.44-28.44), cardiovascular (OR, 2.30; 95% CI, 1.11-4.77), and musculoskeletal defects (OR, 1.54; 95% CI, 0.48-4.94). The risks of birth defects by types of AHR were 2.35% for ovulation induction, 2.89% for IUI, and 3.45% for IVF., Conclusion(s): There is a significant increased risk of birth defects associated with AHR, and the risk is higher in IVF and IUI. The potential risk of anomalies associated with AHR may be considered in the counseling that is offered to infertile couples.