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Objective: Maternal cigarette smoking is paradoxically associated with a decreased risk of developing preeclampsia. Since preeclampsia is thought to be associated with altered mechanisms of angiogenesis and oxidative stress, we aim to investigate the influence of maternal smoking on the early placental expression of a panel of genes related to angiogenesis and oxidative stress. Material and Methods: We collected villous tissue samples at 6-7 and 10-11 weeks of gestation from 31 women requesting surgical termination. Placental expression of the following genes were quantified by real-time PCR: vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA), fms-like tyrosine kinase (Flt-1), soluble endoglin (sEng), placental growth factor (PlGF), heme oxygenase-1 (HMOX-1) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Maternal smoking status was assessed by levels of serum cotinine. Results: Placental expression of VEGFA was significantly higher in smoking women at 10-11 weeks of gestation compared with nonsmoking women at the same gestational age. There was no significant difference at 6-7 weeks of gestation. There was no variation in the expression of the other genes explored related to smoking status. Conclusions: Here we report that VEGFA placental expression was higher in smoking women at 10-11 weeks of gestation. Increased VEGFA expression in the early stages of pregnancy in smoking women might contribute to the decreased risk of developing preeclampsia. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate whether placenta previa is associated with ultrasonographic findings during the first trimester. Methods: A case-control study with 1:5 (34 and 170 cases with placenta previa and normal placenta) matched pairs was conducted to compare ultrasonographic findings, including the position of the gestational sac (GS), that of the embryo in the GS, and placental cord insertion from 5-11 weeks of gestation. Results: Embryos located in the lower part of the GS at 6-7 weeks of gestation were observed in 83.3 and 17.1% of the cases and the controls, respectively. Placental cord insertion in the lower third of the uterus at 9-11 weeks of gestation was observed in 38.3 and 6.7% of the cases and the controls, respectively. Conclusion: Low embryo localization and low placental cord insertion during the first trimester was associated with placenta previa. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the association between the amount of Wharton's jelly (WJ) and the umbilical coiling index (UCI). Methods: The subjects included 140 pregnant women in the 2nd or 3rd trimester. The antenatal UCI was calculated as the reciprocal of the distance between a pair of coils. The sonographic cross-sectional areas of the cord, arteries and vein were measured. The WJ area was calculated by subtracting areas of the total vessels from the cord. Results: UCIs were significantly smaller and WJ areas were significantly greater in the 3rd trimester than in the 2nd trimester. No correlations were observed between the UCI and WJ area in both trimesters. Conclusion: There is a reduction of the UCI during pregnancy. No direct correlations were found between the amount of WJ and UCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: It was the aim of this study to examine intrapartum fetal heart rate (FHR) patterns in oligohydramnios. Methods: Subjects comprised 24 singleton pregnant women diagnosed with oligohydramnios and 470 controls. FHR patterns were analyzed at the end of the first stage and throughout the whole second stage of labor. Numbers of variable deceleration (VD), early deceleration (ED), late deceleration (LD) and prolonged deceleration (PD) per contraction were counted. Results: Frequencies of decelerations in oligohydramnios and controls were 5.4 ± 14.5 and 2.0 ± 6.6% for ED, 0.0 and 0.4 ± 2.5% for LD, 17.6 ± 20.6 and 12.2 ± 13.3% for VD, and 1.8 ± 3.7 and 0.8 ± 3.0% for PD in the first stage of labor. In the second stage, frequencies were as follows: 5.1 ± 10.5 and 1.5 ± 6.1% for ED, 0.5 ± 1.7 and 1.0 ± 4.4% for LD, 30.1 ± 22.0 and 43.9 ± 29.3% for VD, and 29.3 ± 33.2 and 12.6 ± 22.5% for PD. Conclusions: In cases of oligohydramnios, ED occurred frequently from the first stage of labor. In the second stage of labor, the frequency of PD was extremely high and the frequency of VD was low. Copyright © 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The perinatal mortality rate of vasa previa is high if it is not prenatally diagnosed. Systematic strategies for vasa previa screening have been recommended. In this paper, three cases of vasa previa diagnosed prenatally, with umbilical cord inserted to the lower segment of the uterus, are presented. It should be considered that umbilical cord insertion to the lower uterine segment is a high risk for vasa previa. Ultrasound screening for cord insertion will make it possible to do efficient and certain detection of vasa previa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]