Search

Introduction: There are limited global data on ectopic pregnancy (EP) and molar pregnancy (MP), making it important to understand their epidemiology and management across different regions. Our study aimed to describe their prevalence for both conditions, severity of their complications and management among women in selected health facilities across 17 countries in Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)., Methods: This is a secondary analysis of the WHO multi-country survey on abortion. Data were collected from 280 healthcare facilities across 11 countries in Africa and 6 in LAC. Sociodemographic information, signs and symptoms, management and clinical outcomes were extracted from medical records. Facility-level data on post-abortion care (PAC) capabilities were also collected, and facilities were classified accordingly. χ 2 or Fisher's exact tests were used to compare categorical data., Results: The total number of women with EP and MP across both regions was 9.9% (2 415/24 424) where EP accounted for 7.8% (1 904/24 424) and MP for 2.1% (511/24 424). EP presented a higher severity of complications than MP. At admission, 49.8% of EP had signs of peritoneal irritation. The most common surgical management for EP was laparotomy (87.2%) and for MP, uterine evacuation (89.8%). Facilities with higher scores in infrastructure and capability to provide PAC more frequently provided minimal invasive management using methotrexate/other medical treatment (34.9%) and laparoscopy (5.1%)., Conclusion: In Africa and LAC, EP and MP cause significant maternal morbidity and mortality. The disparity in the provision of good quality care highlights the need to strengthen the implementation of evidence-based recommendations in the clinical and surgical management of EP and MP., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© World Health Organization 2024. Licensee BMJ.)

Introduction: Preterm birth is a leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. During the COVID-19 pandemic, reduction in rates of preterm birth in women exposed to viral mitigation measures was reported by multiple studies. In addition, others and we observed a more pronounced reduction of preterm birth in women who had previously experienced a preterm birth. The aim of this pilot study is to establish the feasibility of a lifestyle intervention based on viral mitigation measures in high-risk pregnancies, with the ultimate aim to reduce the incidence of preterm birth., Methods and Analysis: One hundred pregnant women, enrolled in antenatal clinics at two tertiary maternity centres in Melbourne, Australia, who have had a previous preterm birth between 22 and 34 weeks gestation will be recruited. This is a two-arm, parallel group, open-label randomised controlled feasibility trial: 50 women will be randomised to the intervention group, where they will be requested to comply with a set of lifestyle changes (similar to the viral mitigation measures observed during the pandemic). Another 50 women will be randomised to the control group, where they will undergo standard pregnancy care. The primary outcome of this trial is feasibility, which will be assessed by measuring patient eligibility rate, recruitment rate, compliance rate and data completion rate. Secondary outcomes include incidence of preterm birth, maternal satisfaction, maternal quality of life and other pregnancy outcomes. Standard methods in statistical analysis for randomised controlled trials on an intention to treat basis will be followed., Ethics and Dissemination: This trial has been approved by the Monash Human Research Ethics Committee; approval reference number RES-22-0000-122A. Study findings will be reported and submitted to peer-reviewed journals for publication, and presentation at conferences., Trial Registration Number: ACTRN12622000753752; Pre-results., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical, epidemiological and laboratory aspects of SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy and postpartum in 16 maternity hospitals., Methods and Analysis: A prospective multicentre study, with five axes. First, the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among women admitted for childbirth will be described in a cross-sectional study. Second, maternal and perinatal outcomes will be assessed in a prospective cohort study including pregnant or postpartum women with suspected COVID-19. Third, a cohort of positive COVID-19 cases with sampling of a variety of biological material. Histopathological and viral analysis of biological maternal and neonatal samples will be performed, and the assessment of nutritional variables to evaluate the association between vitamin D and severity of infection. Fourth, a monitoring and evaluation committee to collect relevant healthcare information and plan actions in centres facing the pandemic. Furthermore, qualitative studies will be performed to study pregnant women, their families and health professionals. Fifth, an ecological study will monitor the number of live births, stillbirths and other outcomes to explore any trend among the periods before, during and after the pandemic. Data will systematically be collected in an electronic platform following standardised operational procedures. For quantitative study components, an appropriate statistical approach will be used for each analysis. For qualitative data, in-depth interviews recorded in audio will be transcribed, checking the text obtained with the recording. Subsequently, thematic analysis with the aid of the NVivo programme will be performed., Ethics and Dissemination: Ethical approval was obtained (letters of approval numbers 4.047.168, 4.179.679 and 4.083.988). All women will be fully informed to sign the consent form before enrolment in the study. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences., 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.)

Objective: In Brazil, although the assessment of maternal nutritional status is recommended using body mass index (BMI), this is only possible in settings adequately prepared. Midupper arm circumference (MUAC) is another biological variable identified as a tool for rapid assessment of nutritional status that is correlated with BMI. Therefore, we aim to surrogate BMI by MUAC cut-offs for rapid screening of maternal nutritional status starting at midpregnancy., Design: Analysis of the multicentre cohort study entitled 'Preterm SAMBA' using an approach of validation of diagnostic test., Setting: Outpatient prenatal care clinics from five tertiary maternity hospitals from three different Brazilian regions., Participants: 1165 pregnant women attending prenatal care services from 2015 to 2018 and with diverse ethnic characteristics who were enrolled at midpregnancy and followed in three visits at different gestational weeks., Primary and Secondary Outcome Measures: Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, likelihood ratio and accuracy of MUAC being used instead of BMI for the assessment of nutritional status of women during pregnancy., Results: We found a strong correlation between MUAC and BMI, in the three set points analysed (r=0.872, 0.870 and 0.831, respectively). Based on BMI categories of nutritional status, we estimated the best MUAC cut-off points, finding measures according to each category: underweight <25.75 cm (19-39 weeks); overweight 28.11-30.15 cm (19-21 weeks), 28.71-30.60 cm (27-29 weeks) and 29.46-30.25 cm (37-39 weeks); and obese >30.15 cm (19-21 weeks), >30.60 cm (27-29 weeks) and >30.25 cm (37-39 weeks) per gestational week. Therefore, we defined as adequate between 25.75-28.10 cm (19-21 weeks), 25.75-28.70 cm (27-29 weeks) and 25.75-29.45 cm (37-39 weeks) of MUAC., Conclusion: We conclude that MUAC can be useful as a surrogate for BMI as a faster screening of nutritional status in pregnant women., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)

Objectives: To perform a multidimensional assessment of women who experienced severe maternal morbidity (SMM) and its short-term and medium-term impact on the lives and health of women and their children., Design: A retrospective cohort study., Setting: A tertiary maternity hospital from the southeast region of Brazil., Participants: The exposed population was selected from intensive care unit admissions if presenting any diagnostic criteria for SMM. Controls were randomly selected among women without SMM admitted to the same maternity and same time of childbirth., Primary and Secondary Outcome Variables: Validated tools were applied, addressing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and quality of life (SF-36) by phone, and then general and reproductive health, functioning (WHO Disability Assessment Schedule), sexual function (Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI)), substance abuse (Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test 2.0) and growth/development (Denver Developmental Screening Test) of children born in the index pregnancy in a face-to-face interview., Results: All instruments were applied to 638 women (315 had SMM; 323 were controls, with the assessment of 264 and 307 children, respectively). SF-36 score was significantly lower in the SMM group, while PTSD score was similar between groups. Women who had SMM became more frequently sterile, had more abnormal clinical conditions after the index pregnancy and a higher score for altered functioning, while proportions of FSFI score or any drug use were similar between groups. Furthermore, children from the SMM group were more likely to have weight (threefold) and height (1.5 fold) for age deficits and also impaired development (1.5-fold)., Conclusion: SMM impairs some aspects of the lives of women and their children. The focus should be directed towards monitoring these women and their children after birth, ensuring accessibility to health services and reducing short-term and medium-term repercussions on physical, reproductive and psychosocial health., 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.)

Introduction: To date, there is no robust enough test to predict small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants, who are at increased lifelong risk of morbidity and mortality., Objective: To determine the accuracy of metabolomics in predicting SGA babies and elucidate which metabolites are predictive of this condition., Data Sources: Two independent researchers explored 11 electronic databases and grey literature in February 2018 and November 2018, covering publications from 1998 to 2018. Both researchers performed data extraction and quality assessment independently. A third researcher resolved discrepancies., Study Eligibility Criteria: Cohort or nested case-control studies were included which investigated pregnant women and performed metabolomics analysis to evaluate SGA infants. The primary outcome was birth weight <10th centile-as a surrogate for fetal growth restriction-by population-based or customised charts., Study Appraisal and Synthesis Methods: Two independent researchers extracted data on study design, obstetric variables and sampling, metabolomics technique, chemical class of metabolites, and prediction accuracy measures. Authors were contacted to provide additional data when necessary., Results: A total of 9181 references were retrieved. Of these, 273 were duplicate, 8760 were removed by title or abstract, and 133 were excluded by full-text content. Thus, 15 studies were included. Only two studies used the fifth centile as a cut-off, and most reports sampled second-trimester pregnant women. Liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry was the most common metabolomics approach. Untargeted studies in the second trimester provided the largest number of predictive metabolites, using maternal blood or hair. Fatty acids, phosphosphingolipids and amino acids were the most prevalent predictive chemical subclasses., Conclusions and Implications: Significant heterogeneity of participant characteristics and methods employed among studies precluded a meta-analysis. Compounds related to lipid metabolism should be validated up to the second trimester in different settings., Prospero Registration Number: CRD42018089985., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)

Introduction: Non-invasive tools capable of identifying predictors of maternal complications would be a step forward for improving maternal and perinatal health. There is an association between modification in physical activity (PA) and sleep-wake patterns and the occurrence of inflammatory, metabolic, pathological conditions related to chronic diseases. The actigraphy device is validated to estimate PA and sleep-wake patterns among pregnant women. In order to extend the window of opportunity to prevent, diagnose and treat specific maternal conditions, would it be possible to use actigraphy data to identify risk factors for the development of adverse maternal outcomes during pregnancy?, Methods and Analysis: A cohort will be held in five centres from the Brazilian Network for Studies on Reproductive and Perinatal Health. Maternal Actigraphy Exploratory Study I (MAES-I) will enrol 400 low-risk nulliparous women who will wear the actigraphy device on their wrists day and night (24 hours/day) uninterruptedly from 19 to 21 weeks until childbirth. Changes in PA and sleep-wake patterns will be analysed throughout pregnancy, considering ranges in gestational age in women with and without maternal complications such as pre-eclampsia, preterm birth (spontaneous or provider-initiated), gestational diabetes, maternal haemorrhage during pregnancy, in addition to perinatal outcomes. The plan is to design a predictive model using actigraphy data for screening pregnant women at risk of developing specific adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes., Ethics and Dissemination: MAES-I has been reviewed and approved by each institutional review board and also by the National Council for Ethics in Research. Detailed information about the study is provided in the Brazilian Cohort website (www.medscinet.com/samba) and findings will be published in the scientific literature and institutional webpages., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)

Introduction: Preterm birth (PTB) is the leading cause of neonatal mortality and short- and long-term morbidity. The aetiology and pathophysiology of spontaneous PTB (sPTB) are still unclear, which makes the identification of reliable and accurate predictor markers more difficult, particularly for unscreened or asymptomatic women. Metabolomics biomarkers have been demonstrated to be potentially accurate biomarkers for many disorders with complex mechanisms such as PTB. Therefore, we aim to perform a systematic review of metabolomics markers associated with sPTB. Our research question is 'What is the performance of metabolomics for predicting spontaneous preterm birth in asymptomatic pregnant women?', Methods and Analysis: We will focus on studies assessing metabolomics techniques for predicting sPTB in asymptomatic pregnant women. We will conduct a comprehensive systematic review of the literature from the last 10 years. Only observational cohort and case-control studies will be included. Our search strategy will be carried out by two independent reviewers, who will scan title and abstract before carrying out a full review of the article. The scientific databases to be explored include PubMed, MedLine, ScieLo, EMBASE, LILACS, Web of Science, Scopus and others., Ethics and Dissemination: This systematic review protocol does not require ethical approval. We intend to disseminate our findings in scientific peer-reviewed journal, the Preterm SAMBA study open access website, specialists' conferences and to our funding agencies., Prospero Registration Number: CRD42018100172., Competing Interests: Competing interests: All authors are carrying original research about metabolomics and presenting conferences about this topic, including spontaneous preterm birth, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus and fetal growth restriction. Philip N Baker is principal investigator of Metabolomics Diagnostics Ltd, a company dedicated to develop innovative screening tests using metabolomics technology., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)

Introduction: Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a relevant research and clinical concern since it is related to higher risks of adverse outcomes at any period of life. Current predictive tools in pregnancy (clinical factors, ultrasound scan, placenta-related biomarkers) fail to identify the true growth-restricted fetus. However, technologies based on metabolomics have generated interesting findings and seem promising. In this systematic review, we will address diagnostic accuracy of metabolomics analyses in predicting FGR., Methods and Analysis: Our primary outcome is small for gestational age infant, as a surrogate for FGR, defined as birth weight below the 10th centile by customised or population-based curves for gestational age. A detailed systematic literature search will be carried in electronic databases and conference abstracts, using the keywords 'fetal growth retardation', 'metabolomics', 'pregnancy' and 'screening' (and their variations). We will include original peer-reviewed articles published from 1998 to 2018, involving pregnancies of fetuses without congenital malformations; sample collection must have been performed before clinical recognition of growth impairment. If additional information is required, authors will be contacted. Reviews, case reports, cross-sectional studies, non-human research and commentaries papers will be excluded. Sample characteristics and the diagnostic accuracy data will be retrieved and analysed. If data allows, we will perform a meta-analysis., Ethics and Dissemination: As this is a systematic review, no ethical approval is necessary. This protocol will be publicised in our institutional websites and results will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal., Prospero Registration Number: CRD42018089985., Competing Interests: Competing interests: DFBL and A-CM are studying this technology in predicting FGR. JGC, LCK and PNB have presented conference talks about this field. LCK and PNB are principal investigators of Metabolomic Diagnostics., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2018. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)